When Taylor Wilson was 13, he built his first nuclear fusion reactor.

Wilson, a teenage nuclear scientist, will show off his innovations in the first Saturday Morning Science lecture Feb. 2 at 9:30 a.m. in Wolfe Hall Room 1205.

Wilson

Saturday Morning Science is presented by The University of Toledo College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. The annual, free public lecture series is open to students, faculty, staff and curious science lovers of all ages.

“This will provide an opportunity for the UT community and area residents to experience the excitement of scientific discoveries from the individuals who make them and write about them,” said Dr. John Bellizzi, UT assistant professor of chemistry.

During the first lecture, Wilson will present “The Boy Who Played With Fusion.” He built his first nuclear fusion reactor in the garage of his parent’s Arkansas home.

Currently 19, he lives in suburban Reno, Nev., with his parents and carries out research in applied nuclear physics at the University of Nevada-Reno.

During his presentation at UT, Wilson will delve into the technical aspects of nuclear physics and specific applications in nuclear medicine and anti-terrorism.

He is the youngest person to ever create nuclear fusion and the 31st person in the world to do it outside of government or industry.

Since doing so, Wilson has been offered federal funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Energy to further his work regarding an inexpensive new way to build Cherenkov radiation detectors.

Saturday Morning Science lectures will continue Feb. 16, March 16, March 23, April 20 and April 27. Other topics the series will cover include genetics, the psychology of handedness and Antarctic meteorites. The series is directed by Bellizzi and Dr. Joe Schmidt, UT associate professor of chemistry.

To learn more about Saturday Morning Science, contact Bellizzi at 419.530.5926 or john.bellizzi@utoledo.edu or contact Schmidt at joseph.schmidt@utoledo.edu.

Pennings and Elvis

Do dogs know calculus? It’s a question mathematician Dr. Tim Pennings would ponder whenever he would play catch with his dog since a typical calculus problem involves finding the optimal path from one place to another while traversing two different mediums involving variable speeds.

“A standard calculus problem is to find the quickest path from a point on shore to a point in the lake, given that running speed is greater than swimming speed,” Pennings said. “Elvis has never had a calculus course. But when we play fetch at Lake Michigan, he appears to choose pathsclose to the calculus answer.”

Pennings will bring his Welsh corgi, Elvis, to The University of Toledo to discuss “Do Dogs Know Calculus?” 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13 in Memorial Field House Room 2100.

Pennings will reveal what was found when Elvis’ ability was put to the test and Elvis will be on hand to field follow-up questions — and a few tennis balls.

You can catch a sneak peek of Elvis on “Nova Science Now” on PBS Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 10 p.m. when the calculating canine is scheduled to be featured. Elvis also has appeared on the BBC, NPR and FOX.

The free, public talk is sponsored by the UT College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, the UT Mathematics and Statistics Department, Monroe County Community College, and the Pi Mu Epsilon National MathematicsHonor Society, the Ohio Gamma Chapter, which will hold its annual inductionceremony at the start of the event.

“Anyone who is interested in math is welcome to attend,” said Dr. Ivie Stein Jr., UT associate professor of mathematics. “It will be a fun and interesting evening.”

Click here to download a photo of Pennings and Elvis.

For more information on the talk, contact Stein at ivie.stein@utoledo.edu or 419.530.2994.

Media Coverage
The Blade (Nov. 13, 2012)

Dr. Ei-ichi Negishi, winner of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, will visit The University of Toledo to discuss his research Monday, Aug. 27.

His talk, which is part of the Frontiers in Chemistry Seminar Series, will take place at 4 p.m. in Memorial Field House Room 2100.

Negishi pioneered metal-based reactions called palladium

Negishi

-catalyzed cross-coupling that allow for efficient synthesis of complex organic compounds.

This more precise method for coupling two carbon-containing fragments is used for synthesizing a wide array of chemicals used in medicine, agriculture and electronics.

For that work, Negishi shared the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Dr. Richard Heck of the University of Delaware and Dr. AkiraSuzuki from Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan.

Their methods are widely used in industry and research in a variety of applications, including pharmaceutical antibiotics that work on drug-resistant bacteria; agricultural chemicals that protect crops from fungi; and electronic light-emitting diodes used to produce ultra-thin monitors.

“Transition metals can help us synthesize a wide variety of organic compounds we need in high yields efficiently, selectively, economically and safely,” Negishi said. “My lecture will discuss the basic principle and concept, discoveries based on them, and their development andapplications with emphasis on catalytic asymmetric syntheses in these manners.”

“Having your work recognized by the awarding of a Nobel Prize is the ultimate achievement for any scientist. We are honored to have Dr. Negishi visit The University of Toledo to discuss his research with the faculty and students in the Chemistry Department,” said Dr. Ron Viola, Distinguished University Professor and chair of chemistry.

After graduating from the University of Tokyo, Negishi came to America to work on his doctorate. While studying at the University of Pennsylvania, he met Dr. Herbert Brown,professor of chemistry at Purdue University and a trailblazer in synthetic organic chemistry.

In 1966, Negishi went to West Lafayette, Ind., to work with Brown at Purdue as a postdoctoral researcher. He then was a faculty member at Syracuse University for eight years.

Negishi joined the Purdue faculty in 1979 — the same year Brown received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. In 1999, he was named the inaugural Herbert C. Brown Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, a title hestill holds. He also is the Teijin Limited Director of the Negishi-Brown Institute.

For more information on the free, public talk, contact Dr. Kana Yamamoto, UT assistant professor of chemistry, at kana.yamamoto@utoledo.edu or 419.530.1507.

The University of Toledo, Blue Water Satellite, Inc. and the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) have launched a pilot program of satellite monitoring that can provide early bloom daily tracking of the harmful algal blooms (HABs) that have been increasingly threatening Western Lake Erie for the last several years.

“This experimental research project uses collaboration between public and private entities to push the state of the art,” said Dr. Marie Colton, director of the NOAA GLERL lab in Ann Arbor, Mich. “GLERL, University of Toledo, and Blue Water Satellite each bring their unique knowledge and experience to the collaboration. This public-private sector collaboration can pave the way to new knowledge creation, and processes that may ultimately lead to job growth as the project transfers from research to commercial production.”

Using data from the NASA MODIS satellite, United States Geological Survey (USGS) LANDSAT 7 satellite and the DigitalGlobe WorldView 2 satellite, researchers from The University of Toledo and Blue Water Satellite, Inc., of Bowling Green, Ohio, will combine the data from each of the satellites. This data may in the future provide the public and governmental agencies additional ability to see toxic algae early bloom formation conditions in the entire Western Lake Erie region within 24 hours of each satellite overpass.

Low resolution satellite data will be processed daily by Blue Water Satellite using algorithms developed by Dr. Richard Becker, assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at UT. High resolution satellite imaging will be processed every 16 days and on demand by Blue Water Satellite using algorithms developed by Dr. Robert Vincent at Bowling Green State University and by Blue Water Satellite.

“The fusion of this low resolution and high resolution satellite data can provide additional insights into early HAB formation never before possible,” Becker said.

“Blue Water Satellite is pleased to be collaborating with NOAA and Dr. Becker at UT, and the opportunity to pursue a public-private collaboration,” said Milt Baker, CEO of Blue Water Satellite.

In addition to the HAB imagery and data, Blue Water Satellite will provide measurements of total phosphorus for the entire area. Increasing levels of total phosphorus are contributors to the severe HAB outbreaks in Lake Erie in recent years. BlueWater Satellite has developed the only algorithm in the world that performs this total phosphorus detection and measurement function using satellite data.

The Harmful Algal Blooms, which have formed in Lake Erie in recent years commonly contain cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae. Many cyanobacteria release toxins which are known to cause liver and nerve damage in humans, and kill pets and other animals.

This University of Toledo work is supported through the Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystems Research (CILER), as part of their goal to assist the Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) with near shore water quality management as a part of the US EPA’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). Once proven successful, the fusion monitoring project may become an ongoing service during HAB outbreak season, roughly April through October each year.

For more information contact Steve Holland, Blue Water Satellite, at 419.575.6563.

About The University of Toledo
Established in 1872, The University of Toledo is home to nearly 22,500 students across 13 colleges and six Ohio campuses. The University offers more than 230 doctoral, professional, graduate and undergraduate programs. Nearly 350 student athletes comprise 15 Division 1 Rocket athletic teams. UT has earned national and international acclaim for its expertise in solar and advanced renewable energy, environmental sciences, astronomical research, translational research and biomarkers. For more information visit utoledo.edu.

About Blue Water Satellite, Inc.
Blue Water Satellite, Inc. uses satellite images and patented image processing algorithms to monitor land and water resources for government agencies, utilities, environmental firms and lake managers around the world. Blue Water Satellite has a track record of serving some of the largest commercial firms in the world over the last four years. Blue Water Satellite is headquartered in Bowling Green, Ohio and is the only company in the world that offers satellite image processing for cyanobacteria, chlorophyll-a, phosphorus in water, phosphorus on land, and submerged aquatic vegetation. For more information visit bluewatersatellite.com.

About Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL)
Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory is one of seven federal research laboratories within the Oceanic and Atmospheric Research line office of NOAA. GLERL was formed in 1974 to provide a focus for NOAA’s environmental and ecosystem research in the Great Lakes and coastal marine environments.During its history, GLERL has made many important scientific contributions to the understanding and management of the Great Lakes and other coastal ecosystems. GLERL scientists thus play a critical role in academic, state, federal, and international partnerships, and GLERLresearch provides information and services to support decisions that affect the environment, recreation, public health and safety, and the economy of the Great Lakes. For more information visit www.glerl.noaa.gov.

The University of Toledo Ritter Planetarium and the Toledo Astronomical Association will celebrate Astronomy Day Saturday, April 28, with a series of free, public shows on Main Campus.

“Astronomy Day is an effort by amateur and professional astronomers to reach out to as many people as possible to share information about the wonders of the universe around us,” said Dr. Michael Cushing, UT assistant professor of astronomy and director of Ritter Planetarium.

Free shows at 1, 3 and 5 p.m. will explore different aspects of the vast space beyond Earth’s atmosphere:

• 1 p.m. — Planetarium children’s program, “Zula Patrol: The Weather Down Under,” and a presentation titled “From Disks to Exoplanets: A New Role for Ritter Observatory” by Dr. Karen Bjorkman, dean of the UT College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

• 3 p.m. — Planetarium program, “Two Small Pieces of Glass,” and talk called “Cloudy With a 30 Percent Chance of Stars” by Dr. Tom Megeath, UT associate professor of astronomy.

• 5 p.m. — Planetarium program, “Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity,” and a presentation titled “A Separate Light — New Views of Galaxies Near and Far” by Dr. J.D. Smith, UT assistant professor of astronomy.

Meanwhile, the Toledo Astronomical Association will have telescopes on hand outside the planetarium for solar and astronomical viewing by the public, weather permitting.

For more information about the Toledo Astronomical Association and its Astronomy Day efforts, contact Frank Merritt at frank.merritt@utoledo.edu.

Media Coverage
The Blade (April 25, 2012)
The Blade (April 25, 2012)
The Blade (April 25, 2012)
The Blade (April 26, 2012)