News

Garner Describes the Solar Eclipse From an Animal’s Perspective

Cat in the sun with a flower
A solar eclipse can be downright confusing for wild animals and pets who depend on the sun to know what time of day it is.

Awe, amazement and wonder are a few of the reactions humans have to a solar eclipse. The extremely rare occasion of being in the path of totality—where the moon’s disk completely blocks the sun for a few short moments—captivates audiences and inspires a sense of excitement.

While the phenomenon of a total solar eclipse may be fascinating to humans, it can be downright confusing for wild animals and pets who depend on the sun to know what time of day it is. Austin Garner, a biology professor in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), studies animal behaviors in his research on the biomechanics of animal movement and attachment. He recently sat down with A&S Communications to talk about what animals experience in the leadup and aftermath of a total solar eclipse.

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Anupam Pandey’s Nature-Inspired Research on Banned Species

Apple snails are one of the most invasive species on our planet. Consuming several plants that provide food and habitats for various wildlife, and disrupting entire ecosystems, these snails have earned a permanent ban from the United States, only allowed in the country for research. Along with the damage they leave in their slow path of destruction, these shelled creatures also possess an ability unique to their species.

By wiggling its flexible foot underwater, an apple snail can create a flow that brings floating food particles to itself, a process known as “pedal foot collection,” by biologists. Fascinated by the snail’s unique ability, this would inspire the latest research conducted by Anupam Pandey, a mechanical and aerospace engineering professor in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Pandey’s findings were published in the high-impact science journal Nature Communications.

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BioInspired Adds Research Subgroup Blending Arts, Sciences, Humanities

A new subgroup focused on the study of posthumanities topics has been formed at BioInspired Institute. It is designed to provide space and funding for research and creative activities that push the boundaries of traditional scientific inquiry and innovation through activities and collaborations between the arts and the humanities and the science-based disciplines that have been the core of the institute’s activities.

Posthumanities is an emerging group of fields in which researchers examine the historical concepts of humans questioning those definitions and adapting them based on contemporary developments and knowledge. Where human thinking, skills and characteristics were once only able to be performed by human beings, today’s technology and scientific advancements, such as robots, artificial intelligence, genetics and bioengineering, are changing the reality of those previous interpretations.

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‘There is a Place for You Here’: Recruiting Local High School Students for Physics Lab Internships

To second-year environmental engineering major Emma Kaputa, one good turn deserves another.

As a student in the Syracuse City School District (SCSD), she was chosen for a six-week summer program that allows high schoolers to work as paid interns in Syracuse University physics labs. Kaputa wanted others to have the same positive research experience she had enjoyed, so, after her first year on campus, she returned to her former high school to recruit more students for the program.

The program that left an impression on Kaputa was Syracuse University Research in Physics (SURPh), which aims to inspire students to take up science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies and potentially pursue careers in those areas. About two dozen high schoolers have participated in the program over the past two years. They work on cutting-edge research in University physics labs alongside College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) faculty. Continue Reading

Leaders Redefining the Future of STEM

Historically, women have been underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). But at Syracuse University, many of our award-winning and nationally recognized faculty in the STEM fields are women. They are doing innovative research that will shape our future and, through their mentorship and teaching, supporting the next generation of STEM leaders.

Recently, Syracuse Stories wrote a spotlight on five nationally recognized faculty members from across the university and their groundbreaking research. Two of them are members of the BioInspired Institute.

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Yiyang Sun Receives Young Investigator Program Award

Assistant professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering Yiyang Sun has received the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Young Investigator Program (YIP) Award. She has been awarded for her research efforts and contributions to unraveling multi-modal interactions in fluid flows using modal analysis, a cutting-edge technique in analyzing and understanding intrinsic physics in unsteady aerodynamic problems. Continue Reading

Nature-Inspired Research

Apple snails are one of the most invasive species on our planet. Consuming several plants that provide food and habitats for various wildlife, and disrupting entire ecosystems, these snails have earned a permanent ban from the United States, only allowed in the country for research. Along with the damage they leave in their slow path of destruction, these shelled creatures also possess an ability that’s unique to their species.

By wiggling its flexible foot underwater, an apple snail can create a flow that brings floating food particles to itself, a process biologists refer to as “pedal foot collection.” Fascinated by the snail’s unique ability, this would inspire the latest research of a mechanical and aerospace engineering professor, Anupam Pandey, whose findings were published in the high-impact science journal Nature Communications. Continue Reading

Biomedical and Chemical Engineering Professor Mary Beth Monroe Receives Young Investigator Award from the Society for Biomaterials

Headshot of Mary Beth Monroe
Mary Beth Monroe Portrait

Assistant professor in biomedical and chemical engineering Mary Beth Monroe has received the Young Investigator Award from the Society For Biomaterials. This award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated outstanding achievements in biomaterials research.

The Society For Biomaterials is a group of multidisciplinary professionals from various fields including academia, healthcare, government, and business. They aim to advance biomaterial science and education to improve professional standards for human health while promoting excellence in biomaterial science, engineering, and technology.

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Bedrock of Success: Ivany Carries on a Legacy of Mentorship

In the College of Arts and Sciences’ (A&S) Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES), women have served as leaders and mentors dating back to the early 1980s, a time when the field was predominantly comprised of men.

The legacy of high-impact research and stewardship by women came to the fore beginning in 1983 with the hiring of Professor Cathryn R. Newton. A leading expert in the study of modern and ancient biodiversity, her work on one of the major mass extinctions pushed researchers to examine the fossil record for clues to the catastrophic causes for extinction in the history of life. Newton was the first woman to be named chair of the department (1993-2000) and the first woman to serve as dean of A&S (2000-08). During her time at Syracuse, she has been an ardent advocate and mentor to women in the sciences, co-founding the University’s Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) program. Continue Reading