Category: Professional Notes

Dave Toth, assistant professor of computer science, and his collaborators published two papers in the Journal of Computational Science Education (http://www.jocse.org/).  The new issue was released December 1.  “Using Supercomputing to Conduct Virtual Screen as Part of the Drug Discovery Process in a Medicinal Chemistry Course” describes how Toth and his collaborator, Dr. Jimmy Franco of the Merrimack College Chemistry Department, taught students in Dr. Franco’s Medicinal Chemistry course how to perform virtual screening with a supercomputer to identify potential drugs.  Toth and Franco are finalists for the 2012 Undergraduate Computational Engineering and Sciences (UCES) Award for on this work.  The winners of the award will be announced in February 2013 at the SIAM Conference on Computational Science and Engineering.  “A Performance Comparison of a Naive Algorithm to Solve the Party Problem using GPUs” describes research Toth and his former student at Merrimack College, Michael Bryant, did with GPUs.

Jason James, associate professor of anthropology, will discuss the cultural struggles that persist in post-Nazi Germany during an interview scheduled to air on the “With Good Reason” public radio program. The show, “After the Berlin Wall Came Down,” will air beginning Saturday, Dec. 1.

The program will focus on James’ argument that “there are still divisions within German culture – between the ‘good’ former West Germans and the ‘bad’ former East Germans – and that both sides struggle with a problematic past that includes Nazi and Fascist associations.”

“With Good Reason” airs weekly in Fredericksburg on Sundays from 1-2 p.m. on Radio IQ 88.3 Digital. To listen from outside of the Fredericksburg area, a complete list of air times and links to corresponding radio stations can be found at http://withgoodreasonradio.org/when-to-listen/.

Elizabeth F. Larus, professor of political science and international affairs, presented a paper, “The Challenges of Economic and Social Development Faced by the CCP’s Fifth Generation Leaders,” at the International Conference on the Chinese Communist Party’s 18^th National Congress – Transition of Power and Policy Outlook [中共『十八大之權 力 傳 承 與 政 策 動 向」國  際 會 議 ], in Taipei, Taiwan, Nov. 12-13. Larus was the sole female participant at the two-day conference, and the only participant from a liberal arts university. Professor Larus participated in the conference at the invitation of Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Institute for National Policy Research. During the conference’s round table discussion, Larus was able to offer to the diplomatic community in attendance comments on recent developments in China. Elizabeth Freund Larus is author of Politics and Society in Contemporary China.

Mehdi Aminrazavi published a book review of the following volume: Mohammad Azadpour’s Reason Unbound: On Spiritual Practice in Islamic Peripatetic Philosophy (New York: SUNY Press, 2011). The review appeared in the recent issue of the International Journal of Middle East Studies (IJMES), pp. 175-177.

Nicole Crowder, assistant professor of chemistry, presented the results of her research at the 2^nd Biennial Carbon Dioxide Symposium held at Princeton University on Nov. 9. The symposium was focused on the chemical reduction of carbon dioxide and featured leading experts in this area of research. Her presentation, entitled “Characterization and Quantitative Determination of Surface Loading of Phosphonate Monolayers on Copper for Electrocatalytic Reduction of Carbon Dioxide,” included the latest results from her research that aims to use carbon dioxide as a carbon feedstock material for the production of organic molecules or alternate fuels. Undergraduate research students Karmel James ’13, Eric Johnson ’14, and Sarah Almahdali ’11 were co-authors.