Two NDSU students are attending the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s “Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering” workshop in Washington, D.C., from April 12-15.
Though studying different subjects, NDSU students attending the workshop have a common denominator. They focus on helping people. Alison Brennan from Minot, North Dakota, and Fargo native Houda Abdelrahman will attend the workshop designed to help students learn about the role of science and policy-making and to provide them with tools to communicate about science throughout their careers.
“I care deeply about the role of scientific research in public policy, and this will be an excellent opportunity to learn a great deal about research funding and policy-making,” said Brennan.
Brennan is pursuing her doctorate in developmental science at NDSU. She has assisted in conducting research to evaluate what is known as the Nurtured Heart Approach, a training program for parents, based on research and developmental science. The program is designed to assist families with members experiencing behavior disorders. With her mentors, Brennan has published one manuscript about her research in the journal Family Process, with another article in progress.
With varied research interests, Brennan is involved in a variety of projects with several faculty members that seek to understand how children, adolescents and young adults develop for the Early Risers Project, the Rural Adolescent Health Survey, and the Study on Sexuality and Related Topics. In Brennan’s nomination to attend CASE, James Deal, professor and head of Human Development and Family Science at NDSU, noted her contributions. “She is passionate about using her knowledge and expertise to make a difference in the lives of others,” he said.
“Alison has worked with Extension Service professionals to develop a program for children and their parents to help them deal with the difficult transition from elementary to middle school,” said Deal. “Next year, she will complete an internship in the Center for 4-H Youth Development. Alison’s service experience has been immensely rewarding, as it has helped her to formulate future career goals of working in applied settings to promote healthy development.”
Brennan, who earned a master’s degree in human development from NDSU in 2014, said the availability of research opportunities for graduate students was a factor in choosing to attend NDSU. “I have been able to directly apply course content in research, and the research experiences afforded to me in the developmental science program have really reinforced my in-class learning,” she said.
At the CASE workshop, gaining skills that will be useful throughout her career is Brennan’s focus. “It is crucial that research scientists be able to articulate their findings in a way that is convenient and understandable for policy makers. If I know more about the processes involved, I can be more attuned to my audience when trying to communicate research findings,” she said.
Abdelrahman is a senior at NDSU majoring in zoology, with minors in chemistry and sociology. She has worked as an undergraduate research assistant at NDSU, studying molecular biology and developmental physiology in the Department of Biological Sciences.
During her undergraduate career at NDSU, Abdelrahman earned a summer research internship at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and participated in the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program at University of Nebraska Medical Center.
“I believe that science needs more public attention through funding and education to encourage creativity and research for many generations. Events like the CASE workshop continue this spirit of supporting science and educating students who will go on to be active in science careers and projects,” said Abdelrahman.
In scientific labs at NDSU, Abdelrahman gained research experience with faculty studying bees. “Alfalfa leafcutting bees are used as alternative pollinators for the honey bee,” said Abdelrahman. “Hypoxia is basically low oxygen conditions, which are normally considered dangerous for living organisms.”
Abdelrahman noted that extended hypoxic storage for bees is being explored as a way to potentially improve bee storage methods for agricultural industries. “This research showed that although hypoxic storage does have benefits, there are negative effects that influence how the bees function as pollinators,” she said.
Abdurrahman contributed as a main author on a paper about the pollinator bee research in the Journal of Insect Physiology. “Working in a lab gave me the initiative to dig deeper in difficult concepts, learn from mistakes, build new skills, and gain exposure outside of the classroom. Participating in research makes me more confident in discussing science, which is something that I did not know how to do as a freshman,” she said.
Her presentation on bee research received a first place award at the 2014 NDSU EXPLORE undergraduate research symposium, sponsored by the Office of Research and Creative Activity.
Abdelrahman’s interests comprise other areas in addition to science. “Houda has written for the NDSU student newspaper as a feature writer and has published short fiction and poetry by participating in annual writing contests in the Department of English,” said Robert Gordon, associate dean of the College of Science and Mathematics at NDSU, in nominating Abdelrahman for CASE. “She has also participated in tutoring and teaching in her community and at NDSU, and has over 300 volunteering hours.”
After graduation in May, Abdelrahman plans to pursue a career as a physician. She is currently vice president of the College of Science and Mathematics Ambassadors.
Students from around the country attending the CASE event in Washington, D.C., discover tools for civic engagement and ways to effectively communicate about science. According to the event’s website, “By the end of the workshop, students will have an opportunity to learn about ways to remain engaged through on-campus activities.”
The event is expected to draw approximately 100 students from around the country from more than 50 universities and organizations. NDSU students are sponsored by the Office of Research and Creative Activity.
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