Research « Baylor Proud

Points of Pride — Research

Apr

2013

Undergrad’s research suggests ‘green’ laundry products could make children’s clothing less safe

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Academics, Research, Student life

Haley Moore at work This week was URSA (Undergraduate Research & Scholarly Achievement) Scholars Week at Baylor, an annual event designed to share the research being done by Baylor undergraduate students. Some 180 students and 70 professors participated in this year’s event, sharing details of their work through presentations and posters.

Here’s just one example: Haley Moore, a junior apparel merchandising major from Katy, Texas, found that all-natural cleaning products — an increasingly popular choice nationwide — may have unintended consequences.

Working with Dr. Rinn Cloud, the Mary Gibbs Jones Endowed Chair in Textile Science in the College of Arts & Sciences’ Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, Moore found that flame-resistant fabric (like that commonly found in children’s sleepwear) loses more of its protective properties when repeatedly washed with organic detergent (compared with washes using conventional detergent).

Moore’s research was supported by a grant from the URSA Small Grants program and was one of dozens of academic efforts on display in the Baylor Sciences Building’s Carlile Atrium this week.

Sic ’em, Baylor researchers!

[For more on Baylor's research efforts at the undergraduate, graduate and faculty levels, follow the new Research Tracks blog at blogs.baylor.edu/researchtracks and on Twitter at @BaylorOVPR.]

Apr

2013

Baylor prof testifies before Congressional subcommittee as expert on Gulf War Illness

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Academics, Research, Videos

Dr. Lea Steele For years, many veterans of the first Gulf War have suffered from a mysterious, multi-symptom sickness known as “Gulf War Illness.” Recently, allegations have been made that the Department of Veteran Affairs has not done everything possible to aid veterans suffering from the illness, which is still not fully understood even two decades after the conflict began.

As the director of Baylor’s Veterans Health Research Program and an expert on Gulf War Illness research, Dr. Lea Steele was called to testify last month before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations related to these allegations. Steele told the committee that the VA has been slow to clearly and accurately acknowledge the problem and has failed to establish an effective and strategic scientific research program to address Gulf War illness research questions. [Watch Steele's testimony here, beginning at the 1:35:38 mark, or read the transcript of her appearance here.]

Steele, who is also a research professor in Baylor’s Institute of Biomedical Studies, later was a guest on NPR’s “Science Friday” to discuss current research on the causes and possible treatments for Gulf War Illness. (She was able to appear live on the radio program from the studios of KWBU-FM on the Baylor campus.) [Click here to listen to the show.]

Baylor’s research on Gulf War Illness (led by Steele) last fall was awarded a grant of $1.6 million from the U.S. Department of Defense to address multiple aspects of the syndrome, from studies on the biological processes causing the varied symptoms to development of a nationwide network that would advance health research on the issue.

Sic ’em, Dr. Steele and Baylor researchers!

Feb

2013

Time, USA Today & NPR turn to Baylor professor for more on new health science study

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Academics, Research

A study by Swedish researchers released this month in the journal Science shows the effects human drugs can have on animals when those drugs find their ways into our wastewaters — a subject Dr. Bryan Brooks, professor of environmental science and biomedical studies, has been studying at Baylor for years.

The full effects on fish of the drug studied by the Swedish group are unknown (though this initial report shows substantial behavioral changes). But scientists do know that the drug works on people through a particular cellular receptor that many other species (including some fish) share. In coverage of the subject reported in national media outlets such as TIME, USA Today and NPR, Brooks called for more attention to be given to the subject, by pharmaceutical companies and the government alike.

From USA Today, for example:

“Bryan Brooks, director of the Environmental Health Science Program at Baylor University, said drugs could also be designed to break down more quickly in the environment, and the government could continue to run take-back programs where people drop off their unused and expired drugs at government locations.

“Brooks said he’s particularly concerned about drug effects on aquatic environments, like the Trinity River south of Dallas and the South Platte River near Denver, where the majority of the flow comes from treated wastewater. In the developing world, he said, the problem may be even worse, because of lax wastewater treatment and industrial regulations.”

Brooks, a professor in Baylor’s College of Arts and Sciences since 2002, is one of many Baylor professors who brings his students into research experiences and his research into the classroom. He mentors undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students in their thesis and other studies while each semester teaching classes from the 3000 level on up through graduate pursuits.

Sic ’em, Dr. Brooks!

You might also like:
* Baylor junior wins one of 40 EPA fellowships nationwide (Oct. 2012)
* National Geographic devotes two-page illustration to Baylor research (June 2010)
* Results of Baylor study garner media attention nationwide (March 2009)

Feb

2013

Baylor oral history archives tapped for PBS feature on ‘Lynching and Forgiveness’

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Academics, Research, Videos

A couple of years ago, a visiting scholar at Baylor, Dr. Angela Sims, interviewed more than 70 African Americans who had not only lived through an era where lynchings were common, but who had witnessed or narrowly escaped such treatment themselves.

Her interviews are now housed in Baylor’s Institute for Oral History; transcripts of some of those interviews can be read online here. PBS’ “Religion and Ethics Newsweekly” recently followed up with Dr. Sims and some of those who suffered through what the correspondent calls “one of America’s most shameful chapters” for this report:

They say that those who forget history are doomed to repeat. Baylor’s Institute for Oral History aims to make sure such history is never forgotten, so that it may never, ever be repeated.

Sic ’em, Dr. Sims and oral historians!

You might also like:
* Texas Historical Commission honors Baylor’s part in preserving the state’s history (April 2011)
* Baylor Institute for Oral History works to capture stories before they disappear (Oct. 2010)

Feb

2013

Young alum takes study of addiction from Waco to Maastricht to Atlanta

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Extraordinary Stories, Research

Rachel Cliburn, BS ’12, discovered the joy of research while just a sophomore at Baylor, then got to experience life overseas through a study abroad program as a junior.

Those experiences paved the way for her current work as a Fulbright Scholar in The Netherlands researching how the brain affects and is affected by addiction. With her master’s degree completed from the University of Maastricht (the same place she studied abroad through Baylor), this fall Cliburn will continue her research as she begins work on a doctorate in neuroscience at Emory University in Atlanta.

“I don’t think it’s realistic to cure addiction because the problem isn’t just within the pathological pathways of the brain,” Cliburn told the Chicago Daily Herald, her hometown paper. “But we can enable people who’ve struggled to have a more normal and healthy and productive life. That’s the goal, I think, of this research.”

“Rachel Cliburn might be the single most impressive student I’ve had the pleasure of teaching in my nearly 25 years at Baylor,” says Dr. Charles Weaver, BS ’84, a psychology/neuroscience professor at Baylor since 1989. “She is the kind of student all of us dream of teaching, and I have little doubt that in the not-too-distant future, I will see her recognized not only one of Baylor’s most accomplished graduates, but as one of the field’s emerging leaders.”

Sic ’em, Rachel!

Feb

2013

Journalism professor named to national industry ethics board

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Academics, Honors, Research

Marlene Neill As a leading Christian institution of higher education, it makes sense that Baylor would be recognized as a leader when it comes to ethics in the field. That has proven to be the case, whether it’s Baylor alumni serving as high-ranked ethics officials or Baylor programs being lauded by national publications for their focus on teaching ethics to students.

The latest example comes from Baylor’s College of Arts and Sciences, where journalism, PR and new media lecturer Dr. Marlene Neill was named this month to the national Board of Ethics and Professional Standards for the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Neill is one of just two university professors on the 17-person committee, which is comprised largely of high-ranking representatives from some of the world’s leading PR firms.

PRSA is the world’s largest organization of public relations professionals, with more than 21,000 members; Neill’s committee is responsible for helping guide those members in navigating the ethical issues that arise in the industry.

A professor at Baylor since 2006, Neill’s research has largely focused on ethics in PR and advertising. Her most recent study, published in Journal of Mass Media Ethics, examined whether PR professionals stand up to senior management when pressured or if they fold as “yes men.” The study’s results have been featured in industry publications such as prdaily.com.

Sic ’em, Dr. Neill!

Jan

2013

‘I’m thirsty!’: Alums’ product allows plants to text you when they need water

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Alumni, Research, Videos

When Eduardo Torrealba, BS ’11, and his wife, Lisa, BS ’10, left Waco after graduation, they were given a small basil plant as a going-away present. Upon arrival at their new home in Illinois, where Eduardo was beginning grad school, they began to look for a product that would monitor the soil moisture level so they would know when the plant needed watering. One problem: They couldn’t find a good one out there. So, Eduardo decided to simply build his own.

Recognizing that others might desire such a product as well, Torrealba and four other former and current University of Illinois graduate students — four of them Baylor graduates — have since formed a company, Oso Technologies, to turn that initial hacked-together version into something they could take to market.

Now known as Plant Link, the system monitors soil moisture level for plants and sends an e-mail or text message when the plant needs water. Through use of a smart valve, it can even automatically water the plant when needed. (See video below.)

Torrealba and his Oso Technologies team — including Michael Clemenson, BS ’10, Trevor Hutchins, BS ’09, and Bradley Sanders, BS ’10 — launched a 30-day fundraising campaign on Kickstarter.com last month that has reached its $75,000 goal with a week to spare. The funding will allow one of the team members to move from part-time to full-time and help move Plant Link into production.

The four alums aren’t the company’s only links to Baylor. “Oso,” of course, is the Spanish word for “bear”, and a Baylor business professor, Dr. Greg Leman, has served the company in an advisory role. And before the Kickstarter effort, some of the project’s early support came from the Baylor Angel Network, an investor group that provides early stage capital to entrepreneurs.

Sic ’em, Plant Link and Oso Technologies!

[We learned of this story from a Bear who shared his Baylor pride. Do you know of an inspiring story, news item, or just a fun link that makes you proud of Baylor and the Baylor family? Let us know! Click here to submit your point of pride!]

Jan

2013

Baylor geology prof featured in AMNH documentary

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Academics, Research, Videos

The short documentary embedded below explains how scientists work to re-create what an environment may have looked like thousands, even millions of years ago. Baylor’s own Dr. Daniel Peppe, an assistant geology professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, is heavily featured in the documentary, which is currently playing at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Peppe’s research focus is on using paleomagnetism, paleobotany and paleoclimatology to reconstruct past ecosystems and learn how they have reacted to climate change over time. A Yale graduate, Peppe primarily teaches upper-level geology courses at Baylor and works with students on their theses and dissertations.

Sic ’em, Dr. Peppe!

Jan

2013

Students design 400-square-foot housing for use following natural disasters

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Academics, Research, Service

After a major natural disaster hits, perhaps the most pressing, immediate need is shelter — even if it’s temporary. Baylor interior design students, working with other students and faculty from such diverse disciplines as psychology, engineering, and film and digital media, are working to fill that need. (Watch the video above to see their proposed design.)

A national contest sponsored by the Interior Design Educators Council and Florida International University’s Department of Interior Architecture calls for entrants to design a dwelling of no more than 400 square feet that can handle a family of four. The students have studied what worked (and what didn’t work) for victims of disasters ranging from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake to Hurricane Katrina.

Tents are not allowed. The 450 square feet must include areas for sleeping, food preparation and a bathroom. It must work in situations where water may not be fit to drink, and utilities (including waste management) may be unavailable. And on top of all that, it must be quick and easy to assemble and disassemble.

“We’ve never done anything like this project,” says Greta Buehrle, BA ’05, an interior design lecturer in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences. “It’s very schematic, all-encompassing, and it engages so many of Baylor’s Pro Futuris initiatives. This will definitely be a unique learning experience for everyone involved.”

Sic ’em, Baylor students!

Nov

2012

Baylor researchers find hypnosis helpful in reducing postmenopausal hot flashes

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in Academics, Research

Fire A new study from Baylor researchers holds promise for women suffering through postmenopausal hot flashes.

The researchers in Baylor’s Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory found that clinical hypnosis can effectively reduce hot flashes and related symptoms. In the study, published this fall in Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society, such symptoms were reduced as much as 80 percent.

Other treatments, such as hormones and antidepressants, have similar or better reduction rates, but come with several side effects such as increased risk of cancer or heart disease. The findings were quickly picked up by media outlets ranging from The Atlantic to WebMD.

Researchers involved in the study included Dr. Gary Elkins, professor of psychology and neuroscience in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences and director of the Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory, and Baylor doctoral candidates William Fisher and Aimee Johnson.

Sic ’em, Baylor researchers!

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