2008 Assembly of Delegates:
Baccalaureate Colleges Constituency Director

2008 Sigma Xi Annual Meeting and Student Research Conference

November 20-23, 2008
Marriott Renaissance Hotel
Washington, D.C.

Name: Gretchen Edwalds-Gilbert

Present Position: Associate Professor of Biology
Organization: W.M. Keck Science Center of The Claremont Colleges

Address: 925 N. Mills Avenue
Claremont, CA 91711
United States

Telephone: 909-607-7068
E-mail: gedwalds@jsd.claremont.edu

Chapter Affiliation: Claremont Colleges Chapter

Candidate's Statement: My experience as a delegate to the national meetings as well as my leadership of The Claremont Colleges Chapter of Sigma Xi have prepared me to increase my involvement in Sigma Xi as Director of the Baccalaureate Colleges Constituency Group. Our constituency serves a small but active group within Sigma Xi that initiates the most new members to the organization. As the Director of the Baccalaureate Colleges Constituency Group, I plan to continue the strong leadership we have had. In addition to making the organization aware of the contributions from our group, I hope to facilitate interactions between our constituency and others who can help us and the undergraduate students we mentor. I have participated in Sigma Xi at both the local and national levels, serving on committees and as a judge at the annual student research conference, and am confident that I will be able to serve effectively as the primary liaison between the Board of Sigma Xi and the chapters in our constituency group. If elected, I will commit myself to doing the best job possible to represent the Baccalaureate Constituency Group while keeping in mind the interests of the entire organization.

Sigma Xi and Other Activities: I have served on the Committee on Nominations as the Baccalaureate Constituency Group representative (2005-2008) and have served on nominating committees in both the Baccalaureate Constituency Group and in the Southwest Region. Additional service: Past President of The Claremont Colleges Chapter (2002); Vice-President (2001). Delegate to Sigma Xi Annual Meeting, 2002-2004. Member, Committee on Meetings, 2004-2005. Recording secretary in Southwest regional Group 2003, 2004. Women in Science Advisor at Scripps College; Irvine Diversity Fellow, 2004-2005, Pitzer College; Chair, Institutional Review Board, Scripps College.; Community outreach includes bringing grade school students to my lab to isolate DNA, speaking to community groups on molecular biology and the human genome project. Participant in "Germany Today, 2002: The New Politics of Life Sciences in Germany and in Europe" Reviewer, Bios, 1999-present. Review article submissions for the undergraduate scientific research journal.

Biographical Information: Gretchen Edwalds-Gilbert: Education: Ph.D. Weill Medical College of Cornell University/Sloan Kettering Institute, 1993; B.A. Biology, Swarthmore College, 1982. Employment: Assistant Professor, The Claremont Colleges, 2000-2005; Associate Professor, The Claremont Colleges, 2005-present. Post-doctoral research at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School (1993-1997) and at The City of Hope (1998-2000); Assistant Professor, North Central College (1997-1998). Grants and Awards: NIH AREA Grant, 2005-2008; NSF proposal pending; W.M. Keck Foundation; Mellon Foundation; Claremont McKenna College Faculty Research Grant; Scripps College Faculty Research Grant; Research: Active undergraduate research program focusing on regulation of spliceosomal ATPase activity using yeast as a model system.

Name: Charles Edward Kriley

Present Position: Professor
Organization: Grove City College Chapter

Address: Department of Chemistry
Grove City College
100 Campus Drive
Grove City, PA 16127
United States

Telephone: 724-458-2976
E-mail: cekriley@gcc.edu

Chapter Affiliation: Grove City College Chapter

Candidate's Statement: I have been an active member of Sigma Xi since 1995 and have learned the importance of the Baccalaureate Colleges Constituency Group. Colleges and Universities have different needs and it is the job of the Baccalaureate College Constituency of Sigma Xi to make sure that these needs are met. This will be my fourth annual Sigma Xi meeting and I would like the opportunity to start serving Sigma Xi in a more active manner. Sigma Xi has been an extremely positive influence on the faculty and students of Grove City College and has provided a means for the various departments to interact on a scientific level. This office will provide me an avenue to ensure that my many colleagues will have the full benefit of Sigma Xi.

Sigma Xi and Other Activities: Sigma Xi: member Northwest Indiana, 1995-98; Founding member, Grove City College Chapter, 1998. Treasurer, Grove City College Chapter 1998-present; Delegate to annual meeting 1999, 2001-2007; Baccalaureate Nominating Committee 1999-01, Committee Chairman 2001; Sigma Xi Undergraduate research grant Fall 2000; Sigma Xi Science, Math and Engineering Education Grant 2003 for "Grove City College Summer Science Camp". Member of Phi Lambda Upsilon. SACP Advisor 2000-present (Student Society of Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh). Co-advisor Student Chapter of American Chemical Society 1996-present.

Biographical Information: Education: Ph.D., Purdue University, 1993; B.S., Chemistry, Grove City College, 1988. Employment: Professor, Grove City College 1996-present; Research Consultant, Purdue University, summer 1999; Visiting Scientist, B.F. Goodrich, summer 1997/98; Assistant Professor, Purdue University Calumet 1993-96. NSF Grant, "Incorporating FT-IR into the Laboratory Curriculum," 1995; Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh College Grant, "Fiber Optic CCD 440 Array UV-Vis Spectrophotometer," 2000; Sigma Xi research Grant, "Polymerization of Cyclic Olefins using Nickel Catalysts," 2001. Chemistry Outreach: Chemistry Show Coordinator 1999 - 2007 for preschool children to 3rd grade with an emphasis on minority and home schooled children. Chair of the Grove City College Sigma Xi Chapter Committee for the selection of the Sigma Xi Outstanding High-school Science and Math Teacher, 1998-present. Programs Administered: Northwest Indiana Regional Science Olympiad Purdue University Calumet, Event Coordinator, 1994-96; Expanding your Horizons in Mathematics and Science Conference, Purdue University, volunteer. Research Interests: Active undergraduate inorganic/organometallic research program. Research involves the preparation, characterization and reactivity of metal-phosphines and their use as catalysts for polymerization reactions.

Name: David Colin Lever

Present Position: Associate Professor of Chemistry
Organization: Ohio Wesleyan University

Address: Department of Chemistry
Ohio Wesleyan University
61 S. Sandusky St.
Delaware, OH 43015
United States

Telephone: 740-368-3521
E-mail: dclever@owu.edu

Chapter Affiliation: Ohio Wesleyan University Chapter

Candidate's Statement: A significant research experience is an important part of the transition from undergraduate student to professional scientist. However, the special challenges faced by faculty at primarily undergraduate institutions are not always fully appreciated by funding agencies and by colleagues at larger institutions. One important role of the Baccalaureate Colleges Constituency Group within Sigma Xi is to help others understand the challenge of trying to combine high quality teaching with active undergraduate research programs, with the goal of strengthening interaction between scientists. I would happily accept the continuing responsibility of bringing your interests and concerns to the Board of Directors with the goal of strengthening the research component of the undergraduate curriculum.

Sigma Xi and Other Activities: Dave Lever was president of the Ohio Wesleyan University chapter for the 2002-2003 academic year, and the three-year period from fall 1998-spring 2001, and has represented the chapter as a delegate to the National Meeting for many years. He served as Associate Director of the Constituency Group in 2003 and 2004 and is the current Director. In addition, he served on the Executive Committee of the Board for two years, on the search committee for current Executive Director Jerry Baker, and has recently been appointed Chair of the Development Committee.

Biographical Information: B.A. Colgate University - 1986, magna cum laude. Ph.D. University of Utah - 1994. Human Genome Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow (Funded by D.O.E.) from 1992-1994 at Duke University with Michael Pirrung. Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Ohio Wesleyan University from 1994-2000, Associate Professor 2000-present. Elected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1986. Chair of Safety Committee for the Ohio Academy of Science, State Science Day, 1995-2000. Coordinator of Interdisciplinary Science Lecture Series at Ohio Wesleyan University from 1999-2003. Lever has received funding from the National Science Foundation, Collaborative Research at Undergraduate Institutions for his research into the characteristics of keratinase enzymes from bacterial sources, and from the NSF CCLI program for incorporation of GC and GCMS instrumentation into the first and second year chemistry laboratories. He has also been funded by the Agilent Corporation Higher Education Philanthropic Grants Program.