Appalachian Lab Monthly Newsletter
Dear AL Community,
I’m thrilled to share my plans for the fall semester in this month’s newsletter. As a 2024 recipient of the Boren Fellowship, I recently arrived in Kazakhstan and am settling in for the next 6 months. I am looking forward to improving my Russian language skills through conversations with scientists at Chokpak ornithological station, participating in structured language courses, and immersing myself in Kazakhstan’s vibrant culture.
During the first two months, I’ll be collaborating with the Kazakhstan Academy of Sciences at the Chokpak ringing (banding) station. My research will involve collecting feather samples for the second chapter of my dissertation, where I’ll study the migratory patterns of several bird species using stable isotopes. After fieldwork, I’ll return to Almaty for the duration of my time. I plan to start drafting the first chapter of my dissertation and preparing for my comprehensive exams.
If you’re curious about Central Asian culture, come visit!
See you all in the new year,
Nicole
New AL Faces
Chun Dai, Graduate Research Assistant
Chun is a graduate research assistant studying for her PhD beginning this fall semester with Xin Zhang. Before starting here, she completed her M.S. in agricultural management at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research at the Chinese Academy of Science. Her research interests focus on food trade, agricultural sustainability, and land system change. In her spare time, Chun likes to travel, play badminton, and watch movies.
Jenny Saville, DNR Wildlife and Heritage Service
Jenny joins the AL community as a Western Region Biologist with the Wildlife and Heritage Service of the DNR. Prior to that, she worked in Annapolis in Environmental Consulting. You may remember Jenny from when she worked with Ed Gates and Juliet Nagel as a field assistant on their bat research. She is thrilled to be starting her dream job at the DNR.
Recent Happenings & Announcements
New UMCES Video
Back in the fall Maryland Public Television filmed many members of the lab community in the field and in the lab. The video about UMCES was published last month. You can check it out here:
Internship Update
Our Summer 2024 Undergraduate interns wrapped up last week with their amazing lightning talk presentations. In addition to preparing their presentations, during their last month they visited the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia in Morgantown, WV and participated in a Career Day activity. Congratulations to all interns for their incredible work!
Here’s one of the photos that Liv Childs took from their Avian Conservation Center trip:
Maryland Stream Health Over Time
Maryland DNR recently published a report detailing the health of Maryland’s non-tidal streams. The results came from data collected through 30 years of the Maryland Biological Stream Survey, an assessment program with which a number of AL researchers have been involved with over the years, including Ray Morgan, Keith Eshleman, and Bob Hilderbrand. AL’s Water Chemistry Lab has performed all of the water chemistry analysis for the project. Visit the DNR website to learn more about the results.
Altoona Curve Game
On August 3rd, a group of us attended an Altoona Curve baseball game. See some photos from the event at right.
Dr. Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm’s Visit to AL
New UMCES President, Dr. Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm will be visiting AL on Thursday, August 29th. There will be opportunities for the AL community to participate and everyone is strongly encouraged to join in. He will also be attending the Johnson Environmental Education Award Ceremony that same evening. View the schedule.
International Radar Aeroecology Conference
Emily Cohen, Claire Nemes, and Brian Tsuru attended the fourth International Radar Aeroecology Conference in Delaware in July. Brian and Claire both presented posters, which are now hanging in the third floor hallway if you’d like to check them out. Emily shared some photos from the trip.
General Announcements
Fall Seminar Series: There are still one or two open slots for our Fall Seminar Series if you would like to invite a colleague to present. View the seminar schedule spreadsheet.
Solar Panels Project: The solar panels project is expected to begin in October. Disruption to your work should be minimal during this time.
Air Handler Installation: The replacement of our air handler is expected to occur in late September. This will affect access to our facility, but we have tried to schedule it to minimize disruption to your research. It has been tentatively scheduled from September 19th through September 23rd. We will confirm once the dates are certain. Everyone will need to plan to work remotely on those dates. Lab activities will be absolutely prohibited because there will be no exhaust ventilation during this process.
Wired and Wireless Network Upgrades: The wired network upgrade is still in progress and is expected to be completed this semester. After completion of the wired upgrade, the wireless upgrades will be made. Everyone will be notified in advance of any planned network downtime.
CBL Open House: Rhonda will be traveling to Solomons on September 7th for the CBL Open House. If you’d like to attend to represent AL with her, please let her know.
Spotlight on Safety - Autoclaves
Autoclaves are used here at AL to sterilize media and labware, as well as to process samples for analysis of total nitrogen and phosphorus. They pose risks to users from the high temperatures and high pressures associated with their function. Serious injury can result if you don’t take appropriate precautions when operating an autoclave.
To avoid injury, be sure to observe the following precautions when using autoclaves:
Before the Cycle:
- Only load materials that are compatible with autoclaves.
- Before loading containers of liquids into the autoclave, loosen the caps.
- Ensure that the autoclave door is closed and locked before beginning the cycle.
- Never operate prior to receiving training from your supervisor.
After the Cycle:
- Always allow the chamber pressure to return to zero before attempting to open the door.
- When the cycle is complete, open the door cautiously. Leave the door cracked for at least 10 minutes to allow the steam and heat to dissipate.
- Do not remove items from an autoclave until they have cooled.
- Wear appropriate PPE, including a lab coat, apron, eye and face protection, closed-toe shoes, and heat-resistant gloves to remove items.
A recent accident at another institution illustrates the risks:
Researchers were alerted to a problem with their autoclave when several bottles inside exploded while the cycle was running. Three workers responded to the noise and one immediately entered the room and opened the autoclave door. While standing in front of the open autoclave door, additional bottles exploded causing broken glass to fly 25 feet out of the autoclave at the employee. They received second degree burns and injuries to their hands and face from the glass shards. They were only wearing safety glasses at the time.
Lessons Learned:
- Never fully tighten caps or lids on containers. It could result in excess pressure build-up and explosions.
- Always stand away from the autoclave door when you open it.
- Always wear appropriate PPE when working with autoclaves.
Administration Reminders
Are you unsure of what to do if you are involved in an accident in a fleet vehicle? Here are some general guidelines:
- Stop as near to the scene as is safely practical; avoid blocking traffic and otherwise minimize danger to yourself and others.
- Dial 911 to notify the police and appropriate medical and/or fire/rescue authorities. Request that a police officer respond to the scene and prepare a police report. Cooperate fully with police and emergency authorities.
- Do not admit negligence or fault or offer settlements.
- Provide identification to involved parties.
- Obtain contact information for involved parties and witnesses.
- Protect University of Maryland property.
- Notify the Director or Associate Director as soon as possible.
- Complete a detailed accident report that can be found in the fleet vehicle binder.
These tips can also be referenced in the fleet vehicle binder:
DEI Update
The AL DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) group would like to welcome all new faces to AL! We invite you to join us for our monthly meetings, which happen on the last Wednesday of each month from 10-11AM. You can find our meeting times on the AL EVENTS calendar, and communications/reminders about AL DEI group meetings are sent via email and on our slack channel. As a reminder, all AL-ers are welcome at all DEI meetings and we would be more than happy to see new faces. Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, August 28 at 10AM. Please join us! See more details below:
Dr. Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm will be visiting the lab on Thursday, August 29. The AL DEI group has been given the opportunity to meet directly with the new UMCES president. In preparation for the meeting, we have been revisiting our group goals, objectives, and key activities. Please join us on Wednesday, August 28 at 10AM to help finalize the presentation on these group initiatives that we plan to present to Dr. Miralles-Wilhelm. Hope to see you there!
Mark Your Calendars
- Start of Semester Picnic – August 24th @ Dan’s Mountain State Park at NOON
- First day of classes – August 26th
- Dr. Miralles-Wilhelm visit to AL – August 29th
- Richard Johnson Environmental Education Award – August 29th @ 7 pm
- CBL Open House on September 7th
- Watershed Moments Community Learning Event – September 24th @ 6:30 pm at Garrett College
- MEES Colloquium at HPL – October 25-26th
- Western Maryland STEM Festival at FSU – October 26th
Do you have an announcement or update you’d like to include in a future newsletter?
AL’s monthly newsletter is issued during the second week of the month. Please submit any announcements and updates to Katie Kline or Heather Johnson before the close of business on the first Friday of each month to ensure that your content can be included in that month’s newsletter.
