• Talley Named to Joint Chiefs • EMSI Offers Outreach Programs • Salvati Receives NSF CAREER Award Talley Named to Joint Chiefs In July 2003 Jeffrey W. Talley, assistant professor of civil engineering and geological sciences and colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, returned from extended service in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He had spent six months there serving as chief of operations for the U.S. Army’s 416th Engineering Command. Talley earned the Bronze Star for his service in Iraq. Since January 2004 he has been serving as a strategic planner for the War on Terrorism Directorate of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), one of a handful of reserve officers who have been appointed to the JCS. A full-time faculty member, Talley’s work for the Joint Chiefs is conducted during semester breaks and summer reserve service. In fact, a good part of this summer has been spent helping prepare Joint Staff Action Packages, white papers suggesting terrorism policies to JCS Chairman Gen. Richard Meyers, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and President Bush. Talley joined the Notre Dame faculty in 2001 after earning a doctorate in civil and environmental engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. He holds three master’s degrees -- in environmental engineering and science from The Johns Hopkins University, in history and philosophy from Washington University in St. Louis, and in religious studies from Assumption College. He specializes in the environmentally friendly remediation of contaminated groundwater, soils, and sediments. [back to top] EMSI Offers Outreach Programs One of the goals of the Environmental Molecular Science Institute (EMSI) at Notre Dame is to bring engineers and scientists together to investigate the interaction between microparticles and heavy metals in the environment. In addition to its research efforts, EMSI is involved in a variety of educational and outreach programs, one of which is the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. A 10-week summer initiative, students participating in the REU program receive hands-on experience in geomicrobiology, environmental mineralogy and geochemistry, and hydrology under the supervision of Notre Dame faculty. During the 2004 session, which ended on August 7, the following students participated, each focusing on a particular area of research: Brian Bucher, junior Valparaiso University “Determining the Abundance of Platinum Group Elements along Urban Roadsides” Elizabeth Hernadon, freshman Washington University “Determining the Reversibility of Bacillus Subtilis Adsorption to Mineral Surfaces” Todd Hoppe, sophomore Tulsa University “Mercury Speciation and Availability in Tidal Waters, Suspended Solids, and Sediments from the San Francisco Bay” Terri Huynh, sophomore University of California at Berkeley “Metal Adsorption onto Bacterial Consortia from Uncontaminated Geologic Settings: Building Predictive Models” Nathan Porter, sophomore Utah State University “Synthesis and Characterization of Uranyl Oxalate Compounds” Ginger Sigmon, junior North Carolina State University “Uranyl Peroxides” Rachel Thompson, junior Rockford College “The Effects of Nickel on the Growth of the Aerobic Bacterium Pseudomonas Mendocina” Petia Tontcheva, junior University of Illinois at Chicago “The Effects of Water-retention Parameters on Air Entrapment below the Water Table” At the close of the program, REU students were required to participate in a research forum by presenting a 15-minute seminar on their project followed by a question-and-answer period. The EMSI also hosts a high school outreach program for area students. This year students from three area high schools -- Marian, Clay, and Adams -- participated in hands-on projects which were presented at the annual Indiana Regional Science Fair. In fact, four of the students involved, all from Marian High School, won prizes at the fair for their efforts: For her project on “Monitoring High Nitrate Levels in Benin, West Africa,” Claire Shearer, a rising senior, won first place in behavioral and social science. She also received the Kodak Photographic Award and the American Society for Quality Award. Another student, rising senior Caleb Laux received a second place award in biochemistry. His project, “The Effects of Aluminum on the Formation of Natural Organic Matter Aggregate,” also received the second place Environmental Management Association Award. Deanna Lind, a rising freshman, presented “The Effects of Copper Ions on UV254 Measurement for DOC in Water.” She received a first place in chemistry, as well as the Stockholm Junior Water Prize and the American Society for Quality Award. Margaret Garascia, rising senior, received a first place in chemistry for her project, “Hydrothermal Alteration of Cement and Its Application to Nuclear Waste Disposal.” Although not as formal as the REU and high school outreach programs, EMSI also sponsors tours and special events for local middle schools. For example, in November 2003, the EMSI and Center for Environmental Science and Technology co-hosted a tour and lecture for 40 students from The Montessori Academy at Edison Lakes, located in Mishawaka, Ind. Discussions with students included the mission of the institute and how the environmental research occurring in the EMSI relates to their lives. For more information about the research initiatives and outreach programs in the EMSI, visit http://www.nd.edu/~emsi. [back to top] Salvati Receives NSF CAREER Award Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor Lynn A. Salvati has been named a recipient of the National Science Foundation’s Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. Salvati, a geotechnical engineer, is receiving the CAREER award for her proposal titled “Cyclic Behavior of Cemented Sands: Testing, Field Verification, and Modeling.” The highest honor bestowed by the government on junior faculty, the CAREER program recognizes and supports young faculty who exhibit a commitment to providing stimulating research and outstanding educational opportunities. Salvati joined the Department of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences in 2002. She received her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Brown University and her master’s degree and doctorate in geotechnical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. 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