Angiosperms to Dipeptides: publications by Altheimer, Manish, Moore, et al.

Two recent publications by faculty and alumni, as indexed in Web of Science:

Altheimer, Benjamin D. (OC '12), & Mehta, Manish A., Professor of Chemistry (2014). Effects of structural differences on the NMR chemical shifts in isostructural dipeptides. Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 118(14), 2618-2628. [access at ACS, for subscribers]

http://systbiol.org

Drew, B. T., Ruhfel, B. R., Smith, S. A., Moore, Michael J., Associate Professor of Biology; Briggs, B. G., Gitzendanner, M. A., Soltis, P.S., Soltis, D. E. (2014). Another look at the root of the angiosperms reveals a familiar tale. Systematic Biology, 63(3), 368-382. [access at Oxford Journals, for subscribers]  Published by Oxford on behalf of the Society of Systematic Biologists.

Eco Tour app available for download - share it!

Bridget Flynn, OC's Sustainability Coordinator, made the following announcement today:
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Oberlin College's Eco Tour app [for iPhone, iPad or iPod] is now live and available for download on the Apple App Store. This app highlights various sustainability-related places of interest on campus.

The campus sustainability map can also be viewed in a Google map online and will be up on the OES website by the end of this week.

OES student intern Parker Oka-Wong developed the app, with guidance and support from CIT, Communications Office, and others over the past year.
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Congratulations to the OES team.  Even if you know Oberlin very well, you'll learn something new and interesting and enjoy the images on the app - give it a try!

Keystone & Beyond -- download the ebook, understand the issues.

This information is taken directly from a message from Inside Climate News.  This is important reading/viewing for understanding the complexities surrounding the debate over the Keystone XL pipeline and development of Alberta tar sands.  Free download of this ebook (can be viewed on your computer) is available for just one week.  

"Keystone & Beyond: Tar Sands and the National Interest in the Era of Climate Change traces the Keystone’s origins to energy policy decisions made by President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney in the first months of their administration, and to expectations about energy development that have turned out to be wrong.

"The Keystone has since divided the nation on the fundamental questions of how we should respond to climate change and what our energy future should look like.

"Standing at this crossroads is President Obama who must decide whether or not to approve a project started under his predecessor’s administration. What are the implications for our country and our climate? John H. Cushman, Jr., former reporter for The New York Times, answers this and other questions by constructing a comprehensive and authoritative account of the Keystone saga."

New Publications: Faculty and Students in Chemistry and Geology

Oberlin affiliated authors are indicated in bold:

Journal home page @ ACS

Easterday, Clay C. (OC’11), Dedon, Liv R. (OC’12), Zeller, M., & Oertel, Catherine M., Associate Professor, Chemistry. (2014). Helical (1)(infinity)[Pb2O] chains in polymorphs of Pb2O(C6H5COO)(2). Crystal Growth & Design, 14(4), 2048-2055. [full text at American Chemical Society, subscribers only]

Qiao, X., Schmidt, Amanda H., Assistant Professor, Geology; Tang, Y., Xu, Y., & Zhang, C. (2014). Demonstrating urban pollution using toxic metals of road dust and roadside soil in Chengdu, Southwestern China. Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment, 28(4), 911-919. [full text at Springer, subscribers only]

Exams, Day 1. The place is busy, with an intense quiet.

Day 1 of Exams and the concentration is apparent.  Laptops, headphones, all checked out.  Calculators will be next…

Printers and the stapler are getting a near constant workout.

Best wishes for a successful end to the semester for everyone!

Going to Hell in a hand basket

"We are all going to Hell in a hand basket" was something my grandmother said, and who can blame her?  She lived through two World Wars, the Cold War and two regional wars, plus enormous social change throughout the world. The proverbial hand basket is carried by more than one entity, to be sure, and some are gathering us up in bushel loads and with front-loaders… forget the hand basket.

If you have any doubt, read the latest IPCC report (note - authored by qualified scientists, not political/economic pundits), and consider its implications beyond your immediate vision.  The latest issue of EcoAméricas will also open your eyes and thinking.