College of SCIeNCeS - University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Invent the FutureGraduate Student ScholarshipsIn recent years, through the generosity of donors,the College of Sciences has established a number ofscholarships that provide partial support for graduatestudent education. These include a scholarshipestablished by professor emeritus Donna Weistrop and herhusband David Shaffer and a scholarship for a geosciencegraduate student established by Maureen Wruck Panzer.Longtime Las Vegans and generous UNLV supportersMel and Ruth Wolzinger endowed the WolzingerFamily Research Scholarship. This annual award of upto $20,000 supports students in both the College ofSciences and the College of Engineering, and allowsUNLV to compete for and retain the students coveted byour nation’s best universities.“Support for outstanding graduate students is essential tothe health and well-being of a research university. In theCollege of Sciences, graduate students are an integralcomponent of our teaching, research, and communityservice activities,” said Dean Ron Yasbin. “Our graduatestudents have come to Las Vegas from across the nationand around the globe for the opportunity to study withleading scientists and to work on state-of-the-art researchprojects.”Graduate students contribute to undergraduateeducation through their teaching efforts in classroomsand laboratories, and these students are integral to theresearch efforts of faculty across the college. In additionto completing dissertations, many graduate students arerecognized as co-authors on important scientific articlesand presentations.The Wolzinger FamilyResearch ScholarshipEndowment, funded by agift from Mel Wolzinger(left) and his wife Ruth,provides support forgraduate studentslike John Brinda(right), who receivedthe award in 2005 toconduct research inconservation biology.$500$400$300$200$100spring/08pg 4June 30, 2002$62.2 millionUNLV Photo ServicesCOLLEGE OF SCIENCES$337 millionCAMPAIGN FUNDING PRIORITIES• Science and $200 million Engineering Building• June Instructional 30, 2003 Laboratory Building (ILB)–undergraduate$116.6 millionJune 30, 2004science and mathematics education• Scholarship endowments• Center for Urban Agriculture and Water Conservation• Graduate student fellowshipsDec. 31, 2006June 30, 2005$245 million2002 • 2003 Endowed 2004 chairs and 2005professorships2006 2007 2008DURATION OF UNLV’S CAMPAIGN$500 millionInvent the Future is UNLV’s firstcomprehensive effort to secure theScience and technology influence every aspectpromises of our lives in of this tomorrow era of astonishing through changes ain communications, information processing,$500 genetic million engineering, fundraising materials sciences, initiative.medicine, transportation, and our understandingWith of the universe. your help, Private support private in funding the Invent theFuture campaign for the College of Sciences willfor bring students, opportunities faculty, for these research,advances in ourcommunity, for our community.facilities, and programs will map aVisit http://campaign.unlv.edu/sciences.htmlcourseto learn moreforaboutLas Vegas’the Collegenextof Sciences’decade.fundraising priorities.

Student Essay WinnerDescribes UNLV in theYear 2057UNLV Photo UNLV Services Photo ServicesHatice Gecol (right), a member of the governor’s executive staff, met with faculty in theCollege of Sciences, including Dong-Chan Lee, during her visit to campus in December.Government Official Tours theCollege of SciencesHatice Gecol, director of the Nevada StateOffice of Energy and energy/scienceadvisor to the governor, visited the Collegeof Sciences in December 2007. Gecolserves on the governor’s executive staffand advises him on all aspects of energypolicy and development. She also worksclosely with the Nevada Department ofEnergy to address the growing need topromote energy independence.While visiting, Gecol met with ClemensHeske, associate professor of chemistry,to discuss experimental approachesused to study surfaces and interfacesin devices for energy conversion. Gecolwas particularly interested in the researchefforts on hydrogen storage, whereHeske’s group deposits individual singlewalledcarbon nanotubes on a substrateand then studies the interaction betweenthe nanotube and adsorbed titanium,lithium and hydrogen atoms or molecules.For these studies, scientists at UNLV utilizespectroscopic tools in a multi-chamberultra-high vacuum system and synchrotronradiation at the Advanced Light Source inBerkeley, California.“The alternative energy research beingconducted at UNLV is cutting edge. Wehave some of the best minds anywhereworking together to find solutions that willaddress our future energy needs,” saidGecol.Gecol also met with Frank Tussing,executive director of the Nevada Alliancefor Defense, Energy and Business and amember of the college advisory board;together they met faculty and touredresearch laboratories and facilities. Collaborativeresearch projects with nationallaboratories and scientific institutionsaround the globe involving thin film solarcells, nuclear fuel, hydrogen fuel production,storage, and consumption, organicinterfaces, inorganic semiconductor devices,and bio-interfaces and liquids wereamong the topics discussed.“Having visited some of the researchlabs and having met with many of theresearchers in the alternative fuels area, Ican truly state that it [UNLV’s laboratories]is world class and we can all be proud ofthe great research being done here,” saidGecol.To celebrate the 50th anniversary of thefounding of UNLV, the College of Sciencesoffered an essay contest among ourundergraduate and graduate students.Our students accepted the challengeto write an essay describing what UNLVand the College of Sciences would looklike in the year 2057. Stephanie Musettosubmitted the winning entry and receiveda $250 prize.“Fifty Years from Now”Stephanie MusettoFifty years from now. Not a long time.If the predictions of the majority ofscientists come true, the world will bea vastly different place to live. Deathsfrom global warming will double in just25 years. Global sea levels could rise bymore than 20 feet, devastating coastalareas worldwide. The Arctic Oceancould be ice free by 2050. And morethan a million species could be drivento extinction by 2050. Should the worstscenario occur, Nevada and UNLV willprobably still be here. Both the east andwest coasts may be under water, but ouruniversity will survive.Windmills will line Maryland Parkway andTropicana Avenue. The sun will be ourmost precious resource. Solar panels willtop every building, new and old, heatingour classrooms, running our computersand providing power to students workingin science labs. The most popular majorsat UNLV will be those focused on savingthe planet and the species living here. Anewly created major, energy sciences,will be one of the most important theuniversity has ever offered. Students willlearn how to save this planet in peril. Wewill help create cars that run on waterinstead of gas or electricity and devisenew ways that the average citizen canconserve energy.Animal survival will also be vital to ourEarth’s future. We will work to save dyingspecies, including the human animal.Polar bears and other arctic creaturesmay be gone, but we can still save theeagle and the elephant.continued on page 10spring/08pg 5

UNLV alumna Nicole Schmitt is pursuinggraduate research focused on preventionstrategies for hearing loss while completingher medical residency in otolaryngology atthe University of Washington.College of Sciences Alumna PursuesGraduate ResearchNicole Schmitt graduated from UNLV in 2001 with abachelor’s degree in biological sciences. She valuesher UNLV education and the preparation she receivedfor medical school. Schmitt takes a moment to sharewith the College of Sciences her experiences, goals,and future plans.How did you develop an interest in science?I was always fascinated by science and the innerworkings of the human body. I think that growing upwith parents who were artists led me to be interestedin work that is more objective; I was pleasantlysurprised to find out that there are also elements ofart and creativity in science and medicine.Do you recall any memorable faculty members,fellow students, or activities from your time atUNLV?I received excellent teaching and mentoring frommany of the faculty members, including Carl Reiber,Bob Winokur, Stephen DeBelle, and many others. Iloved studying in the newer, state-of-the-art libraryor sprawled on the lawn near the sciencebuildings.I remember my student life in those days as anice mixture of work and play. We all enjoyedthe nightlife and sunshine but also studied hardfor tough courses and for the MCAT (MedicalCollege Admissions Test). I remember that a lotof students from our graduating class of 2001-02 were accepted to great medical, dental, andother professional schools.How did UNLV prepare you for graduateeducation?I left UNLV with a wealth of knowledge in the basic lifeand physical sciences as well as good basic researchtechniques. I felt well prepared for medical schooland graduated in the top of my class. I also learned toapproach faculty members about research pursuitsand was able to get involved with research shortlyafter starting medical school.Scholarship Honors Former UNLV ChaplainFather Wally Nowak, the late professor of chemistry and university chaplain at UNLV, was awell known figure on campus in the 1970s. The Walter Nowak Prize in Chemistry, an annualscholarship for a deserving chemistry student, will be supported by a recently createdendowed fund.Robert Smith, former dean of the College of Sciences, recalled a course he co-taughtwith Nowak in the 1970s. “From my viewpoint, his theological background left him betterprepared than most academic scientists to approach non-science majors,” he said. “Wally’shumor and enthusiasm enlivened that course, helping to engage students who weredoubly reluctant due to their fear of both science and unfamiliar teaching strategies.”UNLV Photo Servicesspring/08 fall/06pg 46A new scholarship honors Walter Nowak, thelate professor of chemistry and universitychaplain.Nowak was a friend and mentor to countless UNLV students; as a scientist and a cleric,he showed unusual flexibility and willingness to continue experimenting with new ways toreach students.Anthony Wirtz, a friend of Father Nowak and a contributor to the Nowak Prize Endowment,said, “Father Nowak loved three things deeply, the University of Notre Dame, where hewent to school, UNLV, where he helped so many students, and chemistry, a field he lovedto teach. He would be pleased that this scholarship will help students at an institution thatgave him so much happiness.”

Life SciencesProfessor toStudy AridEcosystemsWhat are your proudest accomplishments?Balancing a happy marriage with a rigorousmedical school education followed by acompetitive surgical residency program. It ispossible! I received a Hughes Scholarship forthe four years I attended UNLV, covering my fulltuition and helping me graduate magna cumlaude. I also started the local chapter of BetaBeta Beta Biological Honor Society.What are you doing today?Currently my graduate research is focused onprevention strategies for hearing loss. I amdoing my medical residency in otolaryngologyat the University of Washington. Otolaryngologyis a medical specialty that deals primarily withdiseases and disorders affecting the ear, nose,and throat including hearing loss, balance,speech disorders, and tumors. I work withDr. Edwin Rubel at the Virginia Merrill BloedelHearing Research Center. I use the inner earsof both the zebrafish and the mouse to studycell signaling pathways involved in the death ofmechanosensory hair cells of the inner ear, whichleads to permanent hearing loss and balancedisorders. At this moment I am actually in Franceworking with a collaborating lab on a hearing lossstudy that uses guinea pigs.What are your future plans?I plan to pursue a career in academicotolaryngology, including clinical head andneck surgery duties as well as teaching and basicscience research in prevention strategies forhearing loss. If I hadn’t had such a positive initialexperience with research at UNLV, I probablywould never have pursued research activitiesin medical school or beyond. My education atUNLV prepared me well for the achievement ofall of my goals, and I look back on it with fondmemories.Professor Stan Smith in the Schoolof Life Sciences was awarded$488,774 from the Department ofEnergy, Program for EcosystemResearch for a two-year project,“Biotic Processes Regulatingthe Carbon Balance of DesertEcosystems.”The purpose of the long-termexperiment has been to examinehow an intact Mojave Desertecosystem will respond to anelevated atmospheric CO 2concentration expected to occurby the middle of this century.Globally, the scientific communityis highly interested in determiningif increasing atmospheric CO 2willstimulate ecosystems to store morecarbon and therefore counteract thenegative effects of elevated CO 2onclimate change. This experiment willprovide the first global estimate ofthis question for arid ecosystems.Galaxy Study to ProvideNew InsightsAssociate professor George Rhee has received a three-year $86,959 NationalScience Foundation grant for an observational and theoretical study of thedynamics and structures of galaxies. This is a collaborative project withAnatoly Klypin of New Mexico State University and will include an extensiveobservational and theoretical study of the dynamics and structure of galaxiesand will confront these with cosmological models. This detailed analysis ofthe central few kiloparsecs of galaxies is the only way to settle the smallscaledisagreement between observations and theoretical predictions in thestandard cosmological model.Associate professor George Rhee will study the dynamics andstructures of galaxies with a grant from the National ScienceFoundation.UNLV Photo Servicesspring/08pg 7

News from theCollegeRod Metcalf, associate dean of facilitiesand professor of geosciences, was namedexecutive director of InterdisciplinaryInitiatives and Science and EngineeringBuilding Facilities in December 2007. Metcalfreplaces Peg Rees, who will concentrateon her position as executive director ofthe Public Lands Institute and will return toteaching in the department of geoscience.Metcalf will report to the associate vicepresident for research and will work closelywith other administrators to encourageinterdisciplinary efforts across campus.NASA’s ambitious exploration effort toreturn humans to the surface of the Moonand provide a continuous robotic presenceon Mars is receiving a critical boost fromNevada scientists. Researchers from theUniversity of Nevada, Reno, the University ofNevada, Las Vegas, and the Desert ResearchInstitute were chosen to enhance thesuccess of future missions to the moon andMars. UNLV professors Brenda Buck andSpencer Steinberg, from the departmentsof geosciences and chemistry, respectively,are part of this statewide research team.Experiments will emphasize understandingthe links between microbiology, mineralogy,and oxidation in a dry desert environment.In addition, studies of controls on sedimenttransport and implications for rovertrafficability will be undertaken.Matt Lachniet, assistant professor ofgeosciences, has received two grants. Hewas awarded a three-year $182,670 grantfrom the National Science Foundation,in collaboration with Dan Lawson of theCold Regions Research and EngineeringLaboratory in Hanover, N.H., to documentthe sensitivity of arctic climate to globalclimate changes. The Arctic is an importantarea for research because climate changesthere are much larger than at lower latitudes,and it is a region expected to warmdrastically as global temperatures rise. Thisproject will measure detailed stable isotopicanalyses of ice wedges and ground ice—forms of ice associated with permafrostareas that contain a direct imprint of winterte m p e ratures — toprovide a highresolution proxydata source forunglaciated regionsof the Arctic. Thiswill fill an importantdata gap in ourunderstanding of iceocean-atmosphereinteractions in globalclimate.L a c h n i e t a l s oreceived a one-year$95,064 grant to usespeleothems–cavedeposits such asstalagmites–fromCentral America andSouthern Mexico.Speleothems in theseregions contain achemical fingerprint ofpast rainfall variability,much like tree rings,which can be usedto understand pastwater availabilityin the southwest. This project will allowthe development of a 100,000 year-longrecord of tropical rainfall, which will permitinvestigation of how and why rainfall varieson millennial time scales and how this rainfallvariability is linked to the waxing and waningof the large high latitude ice sheets duringthe last Ice Age. Both of these projects willuse the newly-established NSF-fundedLas Vegas Isotope Science Lab in thedepartment of geoscience for analyses.Hongtao Yang, assistant professor ofmathematics, has received a three-year$115,409 National Science Foundationgrant to develop, analyze, and implementnumerical methods for the valuation ofinterest rate models. This project willproduce reliable tools for economistsand practitioners in the financial industryto understand and evaluate the studiedfinancial derivatives and make better financialAssistant professor of geosciences Matt Lachniet has received twogrants from the National Science Foundation to pursue furtherresearch in climate change in the Arctic and in rainfall variability.decisions about the risk management oftheir portfolios.Assistant professor of geoscience BrendaBuck will lead a collaboration of scientistsfrom the Department of the Interior, Bureauof Land Management, and UNLV to conductresearch needed to assess the effects of dustemissions from public lands on air quality inareas of Clark County, Nevada. Buck and hercolleagues will provide technical assistanceto land management agencies under theGreat Basin Cooperative Ecosystem StudiesUnit. This project will enable UNLV to providean improved scientific understanding offactors contributing to dust generation andtransport from public lands in Clark County.This will improve the quality, efficiency, andcost-effectiveness of the Bureau of LandManagement’s efforts to mitigate dustemissions and comply with local, state, andfederal air quality regulations.spring/08pg 8

COLLEGE OF SCIENCES ADVISORY BOARDPat Mulroy, ChairpersonLas Vegas Valley Water DistrictSouthern Nevada Water AuthorityMerle BermanKay BrothersLas Vegas Valley Water DistrictSouthern Nevada Water AuthorityW. Douglas CrabbGenencor International Inc.Susan CrowleyTronox LLCJohn IandoloUniversity of OklahomaHealth Sciences CenterRandy InnisInnis Enterprises LLCLauren Kohut-RostClark County School DistrictPing LeeNational Security Technologies LLCHarry MortensonAssemblymanSandra S. Murdock, FACHE, DrPHNevada Cancer InstituteRobert F. D. PerretNevada Technical Services LLCDevinder SainiOxysense Inc.Peter Scully, F.C.A.P., F.A.S.C.P.Spring Valley Medical CenterFrank TussingNevada Alliance for Defense, Energyand BusinessKaren West,UNLV School of Dental MedicineEx OfficioRonald E. YasbinDean and Professor of MicrobiologyUNLV College of SciencesWilliam E. Brown Jr.Director of Planning andCommunicationsUNLV College of SciencesIn MemoriamProfessor Stephen W. CarperThe College of Sciences is saddened to announce the passing of a colleague,professor of chemistry Stephen W. Carper, Ph.D., on Nov. 27, 2007. ProfessorCarper was born on March 25, 1958, in Boise, Idaho, and received degreesfrom Eastern Oregon State College (B.S. Biology and B.S. Chemistry, 1981)and Utah State University (Ph.D., 1986). He also pursued post doctoral studiesin the molecular biology, radiation oncology department at the University ofArizona from 1986-88. Professor Carper was the founding director of the UNLVCancer Institute, now the UNLV Center for Molecular Medicine and RadiationBiology. He served the College of Sciences as a faculty senator and waselected to serve a one-year term as chair of the Faculty Senate. He was alsoinstrumental in the development and growth of the graduate biochemistryprogram.Stephen Carper authored numerous scientific articles, book chapters, andpublications. He developed a variety of patents, received external grantfunds, and advised many undergraduate and graduate students. During hisdistinguished career at UNLV, Professor Carper received numerous awards,including the 1997 Distinguished Teaching Award from the College of Sciences(UNLV); the 1997 Outstanding Faculty Award for the College of Sciences fromthe Consolidated Students of the University of Nevada; the 1997 OutstandingDepartmental Teacher, UNLV Alumni Association; the UCCSN Board of RegentsOutstanding Faculty Award for 1998-99; the 1999 Outstanding DepartmentalTeacher, UNLV Alumni Association; the 2000 Professor of the Year, Associationof Pre-Health Professionals; and the 2000 Outstanding Faculty Advisor,Minority Science Student Program.UNLV Photo Servicesspring/08pg 9

2057 Essaycontinued from page 5Our campus will look different. Newplants will sprout in the desert becauseof increased moisture created by a closerocean. Browns and grays will be replacedby green. Trees will be taller. Lush gardenswill thrive. But this newfound fecunditywill be a sad one, created by the death ofmuch of our nation. But we do not haveto wait until the dire predictions come trueto make changes. Al Gore, in the film “AnInconvenient Truth” said, “What changedin the U.S. with Hurricane Katrina wasa feeling that we have entered a periodof consequences.” Today we see forestfires, hurricanes, and tsunamis. These areconsequences that are making Americansand many around the world question howwe live. We are rethinking our lifestyles.We are recycling, building compost heaps,buying energy efficient cars, turning ourheat down, and conserving water.It will take more. We must change our lawsto require companies and businesses toreduce or eliminate their carbon footprint.It will be illegal to emit greenhouse gases.These laws will be enforced. The number ofcars must be reduced. We all must work tofind alternative ways to get around.It is not too late. We can save our world,our nation, and our university. We cansave California and by doing so save ourbeautiful desert. We can continue to studyliterature, history, art, and music. We canleave a clean world to our children andgrandchildren.The world will end someday, in a billionyears according to scientists. But that isa long way off. Our moral responsibility isto heal our sick world now and keep ouruniversity a diverse mecca of education.UNLV Photo ServicesStephanie Musetto is a senior biology majorwith plans to attend veterinary school aftergraduation. She wrote the winning entry inan essay contest describing what UNLV andthe College of Sciences would look like inthe year 2057.Professor Receives Soil Science AwardGeoscience associate professor Brenda J. Buck received the 2007 Marion L. andChrystie M. Jackson Soil Science Award from the Soil Science Society of America inNovember, becoming the first female scientist to be honored with the award.The award recognizes mid-career soil scientists who have made outstandingcontributions in the areas of soil chemistry and mineralogy. The award is administeredby SSSA and supported through a contribution by Dr. and Mrs. Marion L. Jackson tothe Agronomic Science Foundation.UNLV Photo ServicesBrenda Buck is the first female scientist tobe awarded the Marion L. and Chrystie M.Jackson Soil Science Award.“I’m extremely honored to receive this prestigious award, especially because I’mthe first woman to receive it and because it’s rarely given to pedologists. This awardis also a reflection of the outstanding program we have at UNLV,” said Buck.Buck is one of the world’s foremost experts in salt mineralogy and processes inarid soils. She has made outstanding advances in the fields of soil-geomorphology,landscape evolution, micromorphology, tectonics, paleoclimate, geoarchaeology,and heavy metal and radionuclide contamination. She is the founding director forthe Environmental Soil Analytical Laboratory at UNLV, where she has developed theonly soil science degree program within the state of Nevada.spring/08pg 10

DONOR HONOR ROLLThis roll of honor recognizes the contributions to the College of Sciences from March 1, 2007 to Jan. 31, 2008. The college wishes to thankthe following individuals, corporations, and foundations for their generous support. Every gift to UNLV is valued. It is important to us torecognize all donors correctly. Please notify the UNLV Foundation at (702) 895-3641 of any discrepancies.Andre Agassi Charitable FoundationAnonymousGwendalin Aranya ’92Natalie Baca ’05Beal Nevada Services CorporationBechtel SAIC Company LLCBarbara ’72 and Charles BerryAvnish Bhatnagar ’89Karuna and Pramod BhatnagarArchna and Rakesh ’78 BhatnagarNancy Birkner ’93Mary BokidesChristopher Brown ’01William E. Brown Jr.Chris Brown ConsultingJean ClineAudrey CohenStefanie CohenLily and John ColliasCharlene and Byron ’80, ’93 CorkJudith Costa ’87, ’97Lisa Danielson ’98Desert Space FoundationNora ’03 and Jay DragerMichelle and William DuganJudy and Boyd EarlBranda and David ’98 ElyShirley and David EmersonFlorence EntwistleExxon Mobil CorporationRoberta ’78 and Frances FarmerMelissa and Elliot FromeIra FromeGarrison and Rita Grawoig FoundationRonald GaryGeotechnical & Environmental Services Inc.Shirley GreifPat and Bob HaleKatherine and William ’90 HalliganAndrew HansonJana Harris ’91John B. and Mary N. Knight TrustLucille and Thomas KassisNancy and David KerleyMary and Mark ’76 KretschmarMarlene KrollChalette LambertWende Lestelle ’80Maureen Wruck Planning Consultants LLCLoretta Metzger ’91James Mills ’85George Morales ’05Helena Murvosh ’90, ’93National Security Technologies LLCJoan NationsNCOC Inc.Nevada Power CompanyColleen O’Laughlin ’94 and Leslie MonroeGrazyna Orzechowska ’93Patricia PetersonKathleen and Richard PrentkiBarbara and James RaymondLinda RohrFay and Jack Ross Family TrustMarlene ScibelliDonna Weistrop and David ShafferWalter Slack ’85Southern Nevada Gem & Mineral SocietyMichael Stojanoff ’94Stoller-NavarroJonathan Summer ’05Faye and Frank SutherlandWanda TaylorLaurie Thake ’01Patrick Thompson ’06Brian Thunstrom ’97Shana ’06 and John TighiIgor TroitskiJeanette and Gus TsiatsosUNLV Alumni AssociationWackenhut Services Inc.Brenda Whitfield ’85Michelle Williams ’03Rosalie and Anthony WirtzSherrill and Ronald YasbinArnie and Iris Zimbelmanspring/08pg 11

College of SciencesBox 4540014505 S. Maryland ParkwayLas Vegas, NV 89154-4001Non-Profit Org.U.S. PostagePAIDLas Vegas, NVPermit No. 200John Farley (left) and Kent Crippen are the two UNLVrepresentatives for Project PASS, which will provideprofessional development for K-12 teachers in Nevada.New Program Develops ScienceTeachers’ SkillsProject PASS (Proficiency and Success in Science) is a collaborativeprofessional development program for K-12 teachers funded by theNevada Mathematics and Science Partnership Program. This three-year,$750,000 project (2005-07) brings together the Curriculum and ProfessionalDevelopment Division of the Clark County School District, the UNLV Centerfor Mathematics and Science Education, and the Southern Nevada RegionalProfessional Development District. Principal investigators for Project PASS are:Loretta D. Asay, Clark County School District; Kent J. Crippen, UNLV Collegeof Education; and John Farley, UNLV College of Sciences.“I am so proud of our UNLV and CCSD colleagues for working together toimprove science education in our region. A science literate citizenry is essentialto improving the quality of life for everyone in southern Nevada,” said UNLV’sCollege of Sciences Dean Ron Yasbin.Project PASS supports K-12 curriculum development focused on integratedscientific inquiry. Annually, the program offers a two-week summer institute for50 high school science teachers. Project PASS creates an extended learningcommunity for teachers, giving them the opportunity to earn graduate school credits in science and education. To date more than 246teachers have participated in the program.“My students actually go home and point out science to their families. I have parents who come in for conferences, smile, and tell me howmy science lesson ended up being a family discussion. How fantastic! I have kids actually thinking about science outside the classroom,”said science department coordinator Rebecca Reichenbach of Western High School.Cyndy Kern, a science teacher at Green Valley High School noted that PASS has the potential of changing how you teach, how you reflect,and who you are, “Go into it with an open mind and a willingness to make changes and amazing things can happen. This is a powerfulprofessional development tool that has changed the face of science education in CCSD.”