Science and Tech
Alumna Unearths an Ancient Warrior Queen
Olivia Navarro-Farr, Ph.D. (B.A. ’98), and a team of archaeologists made a career-defining discovery in the summer of 2012: In a collapsed chamber in Guatemala was the tome of Lady K’abel, a powerful Maya queen who ruled the ancient city of El Perú-Waka’ with her husband more than 1,300 years ago.
Engineering a Better World
Among her areas of study, Amber McClung, Ph.D., lists creating models for high-temperature polymer-matrix composites. Stay with me here.
Professor Asks, “Why Do Mammals Have Big Brains?”
Scientists have wondered for decades why mammals’ brains are so large relative to their body size, but for the most part all they could do was guess. The fossils that could give paleontologists clues to the earliest development of the mammalian brain are hard to come by.
The Secret to Their Success
For almost 30 years, a federally funded program with a long name and lofty goals has been quietly helping talented St. Mary’s University students find their purpose in research careers toward which they might not otherwise have gravitated.
From the Ground Up
You could say that watching grass grow is as exciting as, well, watching grass grow. But for Zack Valdez (B.S.’10), it is not only stimulating work but also the focus of his high-profile research fellowship from the National Science Foundation.
Form Meets Function
Biological sciences professor Marshall McCue, Ph.D., wants to learn not just how living things work, but why they work the way they do. Why can a snake survive without food for up to one year whereas some birds can only tolerate one day of fasting? What happens when bats sleep?
Pursuing Her Passion
Ewa Nowara, a junior Biophysics major and a citizen of Poland, had wanted very much to perform undergraduate research at St. Mary’s. However, because most undergraduate research is funded by federal agencies whose primary mission is to aid American students, professors are often bound by strict hiring criteria that exclude international students.
More Than Meets the Eye
Biological Sciences Professor Colette Daubner has a doctorate in biological chemistry and spends hours squinting at spectrophotometer readings to find clues about how enzymes influence ways the human brain works.
No Boundaries
In the new Environmental Science program, classrooms don’t always have walls. For professors Evelyn Mitchell, Ph.D., David Turner, Ph.D., and Melissa Karlin, Ph.D., who are leading the School of Science, Engineering and Technology’s newest degree program, the world is their laboratory.
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Director of Student Records continues mother’s work
Every St. Mary’s University School of Law student record since 1987, from grades to certifying J.D. degree requirements, has crossed the desk of Yvonne Olfers (B.A. ’80), Director of Student Records.
Rattlers mascot celebrates a century at St. Mary’s University
The emblematic snake that charms the hearts of students and alumni became part of the official verbiage for St. Mary’s University Athletics 100 years ago. The reptilian references evolved later into the beloved mascot, Rattler Man.
Twin brothers share love and experience of music with future musicians
Damien and Fabien Chavez look forward to spreading their love and knowledge of music to the next generation after graduating from St. Mary’s University this May.