Why is Science So Important?

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Why is Science So Important?

• W. Malcolm Byrnes, PhD
• Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Howard University
• Washington, DC

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What I Plan to Talk About

• Something About Me
• STEM is Central
• Ernest Everett Just
• Four Role Models in STEM Today
• Emerging Areas in Science
• What Does It Take to Succeed?
• Questions for Discussion

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So Who is this guy?

• Grew up in rural Louisiana town (Ethel)
• Attended rural High School (Clinton HS)
• College Xavier University of Louisiana
• Taught high school
• Graduate School LSU in Baton Rouge
• Did research at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY
• Now Associate Professor at Howard University
• Study how enzymes work

Howard University
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And Why is Science Important?

• We live in a technological age.
• Our problems require technological and scientific
  solutions.
• Global climate change
• Antibiotic resistance
• Infectious disease
• Society needs to be scientifically informed in
  order to make good decisions

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toxicology
medicine
ecology
STEM
politics (?!)
drug-making
astronomy
climate science
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But science also allows us to be creative and
satisfy our curiosity about the natural world.
It helps us findour placein the universe.
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Ernest Everett Just

• Curious
• Creative
• Passionate
• Persistentovercame great obstacles
• Was rejected
• But ultimately was successful
• Now theres agreement that he was right about a
  lot of things.

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EE JustEarly Days

• Born in Charleston, SC, in 1883
• Grew up on James Island
• As a child, educated mostly by his mother
• Attended
• SC State College,
• Kimball Union Academy and
• Dartmouth College (1907)

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Howard University and Woods Hole
Howard University

• Taught at Howard University (1907)
• English? Biology? Zoology Departments
• Did research at the Marine Biological Laboratory
  (MBL) at Woods Hole, MA
• PhD in embryology at University of Chicago (1916)
• Studied fertilization in marine invertebrates

Woods Hole, MA
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Fertilization

• Union of sperm and egg to produce a new organism
• Steps
• Sperm attracted by egg
• Sperm and egg cell membranes fuse
• Sperm nucleus released into egg cytoplasm
• Fast and slow blocks to polyspermy occur
• fertilization membrane forms
• Nuclei fuse

Available at http//www.sidwell.edu/us/science/vl
b5/Labs/Urchin_Lab/
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Marine Invertebrates Whose Eggs E. E. Just Studied
A B C

• ASand Dollar
• BMarine Worm (Platynereis dumerilii)
• CParchment Worm DMarine Worm (Nereis limbata)
• ESea Urchin

D E
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Later Years

• Spent a lot of time doing research in Europe
• Naples, Italy
• Berlin, Germany
• Roscoff, France
• Moved there permanently in 1938 (Roscoff)
• Had to leave when Nazis invaded France
• Died in 1941

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Lessons from E. E. Just

• Follow your passion
• Never give up
• Prepare for success
• Work hard
• Believe in yourself
• Dont be afraid to challenge authority

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Four Role ModelsWarren Washington

• Climate modeler
• Grew up in Portland, OR
• College degree in physics PhD in metrology
• 2nd African American to earn doctorate in the
  atmospheric sciences
• Shared Nobel Peace Prize in 2007
• Awarded National Medal of Science by President
  Obama in 2010

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James Hildreth

• Expert in HIV-AIDS
• Discovered that cholesterol plays role in entry
  of the AIDS virus into cells
• College degreeHarvard PhDOxford (immunology)
  medical degreeJohns Hopkins
• Formerly at Meharry Medical College in Nashville
  now at UC-Davis

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Omayra Ortega

• Mathematical epidemiologist
• From Queens, NYC parents from Panama
• College degreePomona College PhDUniversity of
  Iowa
• Now Assistant Professor at Arizona State
  University
• Her advice
• Practice a lot
• Stick with it and keep trying
• Look for mentors and a supportive community
• Take advantage of supportive programs (REU, EDGE)

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Tyrone Hayes

• Herpetologist (studies frogs)
• Grew up in South Carolina
• Loved to track down snakes, turtles and toads
• CollegeHarvard PhDUC-Berkeley
• Now professor of integrative biology at
  UC-Berkeley
• Discovered that pesticides (atrazine) can cause
  feminization of frogs at low doses
• Recent disdovery atrazine can act as
  environmental trigger for breast cancer

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Three Important New Areas in Science and Medicine

• Alternative Energy
• biofuels
• Personalized Medicine
• Sequencing human genomes to predict disease risk
• Genetics versus societal factors
• Bioethical issues
• Health Disparities Research How can we make sure
  everyone gets equal health care?
• HIV-AIDS
• Prostate cancer
• Breast cancer

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What You Need to Succeed in STEM

• Passion and persistence
• Take as many classes as you can in science and
  mathematics
• Never believe anyone who says You cant do
  that.
• Use each experience as a stepping stone to the
  next
• Seek help along the way
• Draw strength from role models

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Questions for Discussion answer one or more of
these

• Name an experience that made you more interested
  in science or mathematics. Describe what
  happened.
• Name a person who helped you become interested in
  science or mathematics. What did he or she do?
• What are your plans?