Monday, November 13
Seminar: How do terrestrial ecosystems influence lakes and streams from local to continental scales?
Dr. Sarah Collins, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Abstract: Terrestrial ecosystems are strongly connected to freshwaters, but anticipating how human alterations to watersheds will influence lakes and streams remains challenging. In this seminar, I will summarize results from field studies to evaluate how watershed deforestation changes food web linkages, and compare the effects of watershed deforestation to the effects of introducing a non-native fish species. These field experiments can provide important mechanistic details, but are difficult to scale up across the thousands of lakes and streams that are likely to be influenced by stressors like land use change, invasive species or climate change. Hence, I will also discuss approaches for synthesizing data and examining what factors influence aquatic ecosystem function at the continental scale.
Monday, 4 PM, RNS 410
Tuesday, November 14
MSCS Colloquium: From Space Operas to Medical Residents: The Gale-Shapely Algorithm for Stable Matching
Lauren Milne, Computer Science Candidate
Abstract: Every year, the National Resident Matching Program matches over 40,000 medical students to residency programs across the country. Matching residents to programs in such a way that both sides are happy is a complicated process, but there is a surprisingly simple algorithm behind it all. We will cover this algorithm (which contributed to a Nobel prize for one of its authors), and we may even encounter some nerf-herders and princesses along the way.
3:30 pm, RNS 310
Wednesday, November 15
MSCS Research Talk: Creating Touch Screen Tools for Children with Visual Impairments
Lauren Milne, Computer Science Candidate
Abstract: From programming robots to teaching literacy, applications on touchscreen tablets such as iPads are becoming increasingly popular tools to teach educational concepts to children. This talk will cover my research on making these applications accessible for children with visual impairments, and how it fits into my broader research agenda: to work closely with people who are blind to discover and solve real-world accessibility problems that can be addressed with mainstream technology.
3:30 pm, RNS 203
Thursday, November 16
Seminar: Life after St. Olaf: Keeping the global food supply safe with a chemistry degree
Kurt Halverson ’87, 3M
Abstract:This presentation will utilize a case study approach to describe how new products are commercialized, starting from the initial invention through scaled-up manufacturing. A product recently developed for enhancing food safety will be used as an example, highlighting where chemical principles learned at St. Olaf were applied to solve challenging technical problems. Potential career options available with a chemistry degree will be described, with an emphasis on what it is like working as a scientist in a technology-based company (spoiler alert: it’s pretty cool)
3:15, RNS 310
Seminar: Stories from Streams: Exploring the dynamics of freshwater ecosystems from molecules to watersheds
Dr. Peter Levi, Drake University, Des Moines, IA
Abstract: Studying the processes and patterns of freshwaters reveals the health of the ecosystems themselves as well as that of the landscape surrounding them. Join us as Peter presents his research on the ecological value of streams in urban, agricultural, and forested watersheds.
Thursday, 4PM, RNS 410
Friday, November 17
2 MSCS Research Seminars:
Modeling Vaccination Strategies to Control White-Nose Syndrome in Little Brown Bat Colonies
Eva Cornwell ’19, St. Olaf Math Major
&
Mathematical Modeling of Oncolytic Virotherapy
Sawyer Jacobson ’19 & Marlyne Hakzimana
An oncolytic virus is a virus designed to specifically target, infect, and kill cancer cells while leaving normal cells alone. Oncolytic virotherapy is the use of these viruses as a form of cancer therapy and has the potential to usher in a new age of cancer treatment. While understanding the human immune system is a daunting task, mathematical modeling can be helpful to clinical trials by using simulations that optimize the effectiveness of the treatment method and answering questions such as: what form of treatment is most effective, and how sensitive is the adaptive immune system time delay?
3:40 pm, RNS 204