ARCS Foundation, Metro Washington Chapter (MWC) Dec 2022 Newsletter |
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Dear fellow MWC members –
We are making some changes to when you receive ARCS-MWC communications to make it easier for you and your inbox.
First, we will send communications only once per week (except for Heartline, which has no fixed schedule), on Tuesdays around noon. We ask that you submit information for Tuesday communications by the end of day on the preceding Thursday. For example, for the Tuesday, December 13 email, please send us information by the end of the day on Thursday, December 8. We hope that this will allow you to more easily search for and find invitations and other important ARCS items.
Second, we are changing newsletter publication to the 1st of the month, and this is why there wasn't a November newsletter.
We hope you find this newsletter full of useful information. For future newsletter editions, welcome your input by the 15th of every month for inclusion in our publication at the start of the 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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bridge tournament fundraiser |
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Are you attending the 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 today to Karen Magley along with your check payable to ARCS-MWC. 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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ARCS National received its largest single gift in the organization's 64-year history. ARCS National announced that Barbara and Philip Silver, friends from the Oregon Chapter, reached out to say they wanted to gift ARCS National $2 million. The annual distributions from the endowment fund will be used to support the Foundation’s highest priorities in advancing the sustainability of the Foundation’s affiliated chapters, the engagement of ARCS Scholars and Scholar Alumni, and capacity building for the Foundation.
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ARCS-MWC celebrated and honored its 2022 Scholars during its Scholar Awards Reception on October 27 in the Great Hall of the National Academy of Sciences.
Members and guests learned about our scholars' important research during the poster session and while receiving their awards during the evening's program.
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Dr. Ori Fox, Staff Scientist, AURA Space Telescope Science Institute and ARCS-MWC Scholar alumnus gave the keynote address.
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Dr. Fox remarked afterwards, "Inviting me to give the keynote talk. It was a highlight of my career to be able to come back after so many years and reflect on how much the ARCS award meant to me and my career."
Many thanks to Johns Hopkins University for sponsoring the Scholar pre-reception. This gathering allows our scholars to engage in valuable networking across schools and specialities.
*Photo Credits to ARCS-MWC member Lorraine Nordlinger.
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Warmest welcome to Dr. Lubna Varcie-Zahir who recently joined our MWC chapter!
Dr. Varcie-Zahir is an internal medicine physician with a busy practice. She is also the mother of four wildly unique children in different schools, far and near. So, she quickly learned to juggle well, think on her feet, and always appear calm.
While it has been a journey, she feels fortunate to have been able to work in a field where she can help patients feel better. As a natural extension, she took these skills to the underprivileged where she realized that she was the one feeling better when giving out care.
She believes that science is the foundation of innovation and the future. As someone who has loved the lab, she feels excited at the prospect of being able to join a group of thinkers who feel that rewarding perseverance in science and technology will forge a better tomorrow for our youth.
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Ashley M. Frankenfield
Willard and Marilynn Sweetser Scholar
2nd Year Scholar, PhD Candidate in Chemistry from George Washington University
Research:
Ashley’s research focuses on the development of new analytical chemistry methods using mass spectrometry techniques to identify and quantify thousands of proteins simultaneously in biological systems, and the application of these methods to discover candidate disease biomarkers and molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases.
Describe the expected benefit of your research to society:
Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, are quickly becoming one of the leading causes of death within the United States. Currently, there is no cure for these disorders, but rather only treatments to slow down the progression. My research has the potential to benefit society by enabling the discovery of new biomarkers for neurodegenerative disorders. Discovering biomarkers is critical to the development of treatments. While these methods will be initially applied to neurons, they will also be applicable to other cell types and disorders allowing scientific innovation.
Indicate how an ARCS award will benefit your research:
The ARCS award will allow me to focus on research without concerns for financial limitations. As a member of a newly established lab, I’ve been trained on cutting-edge techniques and have been motivated by my mentor to innovate new methods. This award will allow me to further innovate and optimize new methods that will allow the detection of biomarkers with a high rate of specificity.
Career objectives:
While completing her PhD, I seek to gain the knowledge and skills needed to pursue a career in academia. I hope to one day have my own mass spectrometry lab, where I can further research the underlying causes of neurodegenerative disorders and mentor future researchers.
Recent publications:
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Frankenfield, A. M.; Ni, J.; Ahmed, M.; Hao, L. Protein Contaminants Matter: Building Universal Protein Contaminant Libraries for DDA and DIA Proteomics., Submitted, 2022.
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Frankenfield, A. M.; Ni, J.; Hao, L. Characterization of Neuronal Lysosomes Interactome with Proximity Labeling Proteomics. Submitted, 2022.
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Frankenfield, A.M; Houston, R.; Sekine, S.; Hao, L. Thiol-cleavable Biotin for Chemical and Enzymatic Biotinylation and its Application to Mitochondrial TurboID ProteomicsJ. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 2021, 32, 9, 2358–2365.
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Megan S. Anderson
ARCS-MWC Chapter Scholar
2nd Year Scholar, PhD Candidate in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from University of Virginia
Research:
Megan’s research uses ultrasound to measure the mechanical properties of biocompatible hydrogels, developing a non-destructive characterization method. Ultrasound is also used to vaporize droplets in those hydrogels, exploring a non-invasive payload delivery method.
Describe the expected benefit of your research to society:
The research will offer fundamental knowledge of acoustic droplet vaporization in 3D-printable biomaterials, potentially offering new targeted therapeutic delivery systems for payloads such as growth factors and cancer drugs.
Indicate how an ARCS award will benefit your research:
My experience with research has been inseparable from the scientific community. As an undergraduate student, I had the opportunity to present at national and international conferences through the Society of Physics Students. This motivated me to invest more time in research and, eventually, decide to pursue graduate school. Meanwhile, I met a supportive and diverse network of people, gaining friendships and insights. Now, as a PhD student who is passionate yet new to her field, I have continued to look for and find motivation through scientific societies. The ARCS award resonates with me because I see it as the perfect support for this time in my career; support from an organization that encourages research by encouraging researchers, both relieving them of financial stress and enlivening them through community.
Career objectives:
My dream job would be to run a government or industry lab at the interface of research and application while staying highly involved with the scientific community through the organizations (such as the Society of Physics Students, Society of Rheology, and Acoustic Society of America) that have inspired me.
Recent publications:
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Osborn, J., Anderson, M. S., Beddingfield, M., Zhang, L. G., & Sarkar, K. (2021). Acoustic droplet vaporization of perfluorocarbon droplets in 3D-printable gelatin methacrylate scaffolds. Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology, 47(11), 3263–3274
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Anderson, M., Strong, D., Baker, B. (2017). Activities to investigate wavelength-shifting optical fibers, Physics Education 52.4
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Activities: The activities council encourages you to sign up to volunteer and/or play at the bridge tournament.
Watch this space for a possible soirée en blanc social and fund raiser towards the spring.
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Development: The development council sent SAR programs to donors who were not in attendance along with a letter thanking them for their support. The council is also exploring ways to fund future events.
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Membership: The membership council continued its Coffee Club, a collection of small social gatherings to get to know other members, or introduce prospective members to our ARCS Chapter. Susan Trice graciously hosted a Coffee Club Book Club on Nov 16 at the Washington Golf & Country Club. Libations, snacks and interesting conversation was enjoyed by all. Keep an eye out for future Coffee Club events.
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Did you know Amazon will donate to MWC when you shop through smile.amazon.com? Contact VP-Development at mwcdevelopment@arcsfoundation.org to learn more, and she can help you sign up. Every little bit helps!
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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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