ARCS Foundation, Metro Washington Chapter (MWC) Oct 2022 Newsletter |
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from the communications committee |
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Dear fellow MWC members –
This fall is a busy time for our chapter. We are hosting our Scholar Awards Reception (SAR) event in-person on Thurs, Oct 27. Read the info below to register and donate.
We held our fall member meeting and networking event with Business Women's Giving Circle on Sept 29 at the Inova Schar Cancer Institute. You can see pictures and read a recap below.
Upcoming in-person events include a bridge fundraiser and a holiday gala. Keep reading for info on both.
We hope you find this newsletter full of useful information. For future newsletter editions, welcome your input by the 1st of every month for inclusion in our publication mid-month. Simply send your news to mwccommunications@arcsfoundation.org. Be sure to include pictures, pdfs and website links.
Best regards,
ARCS/MWC Communications
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Have you registered for the 2022 Scholar Awards Reception to be held on Thurs, Oct 27 at the National Academy of Sciences Building?
You won't want to miss this celebration of the 2022-23 scholar class. Our featured speaker is Dr. Ori Fox, staff scientist at AURA's Space Telescope Science Institute (STScl), James Webb Space Telescope Project Scientist and former ARCS/MWC scholar.
Reception and scholar posters begin at 6:30 pm. Speaker and awards presentation begin at 7:30 pm.
Tickets are $150. Click here for info and to register before it's too late. Questions? Contact Miriam Swydan Erickson 703-201-1954 or Anne Wingo 703-568-4708.
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Going Once! Going Twice! SOLD!
The 3rd Annual ARCS Silent Auction is set to launch on Sun, Oct 30 with many amazing items. We have beautiful jewelry, hotel nights, local excursions, restaurant gift certificates and so much more. The auction is a great way to get started on your holiday shopping and support a great cause.
Click here for the auction site. Share the link with friends and family too. The Auction committee is happy to make local deliveries or ship items to the winners.
Donations are still being accepted, so please contact Mary Jo Ruane at (703) 965-9098 or maryjoruane@yahoo.com
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bridge tournament fundraiser |
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Remember the wonderful “Bridge at the Embassy” events that Mary Kennedy and her committee of many helpers used to arrange every year at one of the Foreign Embassies? Or the small fundraisers Marathon Bridge and open bridge parties we held until COVID interfered?
Join us for a bridge fundraiser on Sat, Dec 10 at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Great Falls, VA. The fee is $50. Click here for the registration form. Mail it to Karen Magley along with your check payable to ARCS-MWC by Dec 3. We are able to accommodate about 64 players. The format will be partnership rotation.
We need many volunteers—spouses, teens, adult children—to assist with the tournament preparation on Dec 9 from 2-4 pm and the tournament itself on Dec 10, especially from 3:30-5 pm. Volunteers will assist with set up, greeting guests, checking in players, and clean-up. To volunteer, click here for the form and mail it to Karen Magley.
Paid reservations for Saturday, player and/or helper, include morning food, beverages and lunch. You will be asked to show proof of vaccine for COVID as you enter. Masks are recommended, but not required.
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About 40 members from ARCS-MWC and the Fairfax County Business Women’s Giving Circle (BWGC) met at the Inova Schar Cancer Institute on Sept 29. ARCS-MWC and BWGC held separate meetings for their members. Then, Inova hosted a networking social hour and a moderated panel for, and small group tours of, the Inova Cancer Screening and Prevention Center.
Did you know that ARCS-MWC and BWGC are both led by women and committed to the advancement of STEM education and research? ARCS focuses on STEM research at the college level. BWGC promotes access to STEM activities for primarily middle and high school women.
Special thanks to Patty Sparrell and Beverly Swaim-Staley for helping to organize this event.
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Congratulations to our new ARCS Light, Patty Sparrell.
Patty came to our chapter just six years ago, but made an immediate impact. Drawing from her distinguished career as a chemical engineer and research manager with the Exxon-Mobil Corporation, she had both the technical expertise and passion for mentoring that made her a perfect fit for ARCS, our Chapter and our Scholars.
Never one to shy away from a challenge, our new Light has served in multiple chapter leadership roles, first as VP of Development, then later as President, and now as a Member at Large. With her at the helm, our chapter held wonderfully successful events which included hosting of the All Member Conference and honoring distinguished Eagle awardees such as Justice and Mrs. Anthony Kennedy, former Shell CEO Chad Holliday, and Director of the NIH, Dr. Francis Collins, the latter being conducted seamlessly during the COVID Pandemic.
Patty’s list of contributions continues to the National level where she served as Chair of the Council of Presidents and now as VP of Administration where she is called upon to support all chapters and multiple committees within the National organization.
Our new Light makes her biggest impact through the example she sets for our scholars as an inspiring leader in STEM and her willingness to share valuable experience and guidance behind the scenes. We are grateful for all Patty has done for our chapter and congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition!
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Micaila D.E. Curtis
Danaher Corporation Scholar
1st Year Scholar, PhD Candidate in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from Georgetown University
Research: Micaila’s research involves growing patient-derived pancreatic tumors on a microchip mimicking perfusable human tumors with vascularization. The 3-D print design includes a microfluidics chamber with extracellular matrix and lumen, allowing study of the tumor with its microenvironment.
How ARCS Funding will Benefit Micaila’s Research
Currently, Dr. Cheema’s laboratory uses multi-omics-based systems biology approaches for studying PDAC. It’s an aggressive disease that is diagnosed in late-stages impacting overall survival. However, the role of endothelial cells on cancer progression and the role of apelin endothelial signaling in pancreatic cancer remains unexplored within our group despite the availability of strong preliminary data. As such, funding from this fellowship will allow me to study this mechanistic link and elucidate some of the unexplained biochemical phenomena in PDAC, such as the downregulation of lipid and sterol synthesis. The technology of choice to study these interactions is the organ-on-a-chip since mimics an in vivo situation, which would otherwise not be pursued. In summary, the ARCS award will quite literally set the foundation of the rest of my thesis research. I would be beyond humbled to receive this award, as this is a generous amount that would help me pay for the pancreas-on-a-chip technology and multi-omics analysis, which will provide substantial data that will benefit my future experiments and also contribute tremendously to the scientific community in a field that would otherwise be left untouched.
Future Objectives: Throughout my Ph.D., I aim to learn multi-omics and EV-related experimental techniques and analysis, among other techniques, as I am passionate about biochemical research that can be directly translated to clinical practice. I plan to attend medical school after completing my Ph.D. in hopes to gain the ability to apply my findings in the lab to clinical practice and study in clinical settings to directly give back to the people in my community. I worked for five years as a nurses assistant during high school and my undergraduate degree, deeply enjoying my time serving patients, but always feeling I could be doing more to help. This is why I am pursuing a Ph.D. and hope to attend medical school. Being involved with scientific research, such as with the proposed study, will help me pursue this life goal to serve my community as a scientist-physician, but also contribute abstract and novel ideas to the scientific community in hopes to improve our understanding of the human body and the underlying biochemical mechanisms.
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Megan D. Haase
ARCS-MWC Chapter Scholar
1st Year Scholar, PhD Candidate in Biomedical Engineering from University of Virginia
Research: Megan’s research aims to understand the cellular interactions during muscle regeneration and how estrogen influences these mechanisms using multi-scale computational modeling and experimental studies. The goal is to use these techniques to identify optimal estrogen-specific interventions for enhanced muscle recovery.
Expected Benefit of Megan’s Research to Society
My research has an interdisciplinary focus by integrating skeletal muscle research and endocrinology while also addressing sex bias in research. The estrogen-specific model will allow for testing interactions between estrogen and growth factor interventions. The experimental data generated through in vivo calibration and validation of the model will also act to further knowledge in the musculoskeletal research community by providing new information on how growth factors are altered at varying levels of estrogen. Considering the larger scope of the project, this will ultimately further the modeling community by providing a novel model for muscle regeneration that demonstrates how sex differences can be incorporated. The research will justify the need to consider sex when developing computational models and treatment options. This information could be used by clinicians to understand different treatment outcomes across populations with varying levels of estrogen. Knowledge of the importance of considering sex when designing experiments and analyzing data will be furthered with the completion of this project. Model predictions will suggest new treatments and provide clinicians with guidelines for synchronizing growth factor treatments with estrogen levels during the menstrual cycle or post-menopausal conditions to achieve accelerated muscle recovery and reduced fibrosis, increasing patient quality of life. By understanding how combined growth factors interact with estrogen to potentially enhance muscle regeneration in healthy muscle, these factors can then also be analyzed in the context of muscle diseases, including cancer cachexia and sarcopenia. This novel research will reveal the importance of considering patient variations in estrogen levels when treating muscle injury. It will also prompt clinicians to consider the role of sex differences when treating muscle injuries and diseases. I have also made participating in outreach activities that benefit society a priority so my research can help share the importance of eliminating sex bias in research and getting underrepresented youth interested in STEM. By helping organize a middle school event for National Biomechanics Day, I was able to engage students with my research and get them excited about STEM. I also mentor underrepresented youth in my community through the Computers for Kids organization to work with them on STEM-related projects to engage their interest in the field and help break down stereotypes that prevent them from pursuing STEM careers.
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Administration: Are you familiar with all the administration council does for our chapter? The vp of administration oversees the parliamentary protocols during board and general meetings. The administration council also coordinates administrative functions for the Chapter:
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oversees biennial review of the Bylaws, Standing Rules, Policies, and Procedures;
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assists board members and councils with submission of information to ARCS National, as required;
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leads the review and revision of board member job descriptions;
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prepares board training and introductory materials;
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maintains board member conflict of interest forms; and
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assists with the filling of vacant board positions.
Questions? Would you like to become a member of the administration council? Contact Sarah Doverspike, vp of administration, at (724) 244-5165 or sdoverspike@gmail.com.
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Membership: The membership directories are here! If you didn't pick up yours at the fall membership event, you can pick it up at the SAR event. After that, watch for it in your mailbox. Looking for a way to get more involved in ARCS-MWC? Take a minute to check which council you are on or might like to join, then reach out to the council chair(s).
The membership council held a lovely brunch at Julie Hohl's home on Oct 7. Members enjoyed the chance to be together and talk about all the exciting ARCS events planned for
the rest of the year. Save the date! Nov 16 at 7:30 pm is our next membership event at Susan Trice's home.
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Endowment: The endowment council is meeting soon to decide how many awards will be issued for the 23-24 academic year. They will send applications to the universities right after the meeting.
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Activities: The activities council has been busy planning the virtual silent auction and the bridge tournament.
Save the date! Our Baby, It's Cold Outside holiday party will take place on Dec 3 at Riverbend Country Club in Great Falls, VA. Sponsored by Jane Riddle, the evening will include a sit-down dinner, music and dancing. A visit from a Northern entrepreneur will culminate the evening with gifts and merriment. The cost is $150 per person.
Watch this space for a possible soirée en blanc social and fund raiser towards the spring.
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Did you know Amazon will donate to MWC when you shop through smile.amazon.com? Contact Patty Sparrell at mwcdevelopment@arcsfoundation.org to learn more, and she can help you sign up. Every little bit helps!
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Oct 27: Scholar Awards, 6:30 pm, National Academy of Sciences Building, 2101 Constitution Avenue, Washington, DC 20418
Oct 30: Silent auction opens
Nov 13: Silent auction closes
Dec 3: Holiday Party, Riverbend Country Club
Dec 10: Bridge tournament fundraiser, 9 am - 4 pm, Great Falls, VA
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P.O. Box 60868
10221 River Road
Potomac, MD 20859-0868
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