Divisional Reports

Geology and Geography

The Geology-Geography Division program consisted of 16 oral presentations and 2 poster presentations. Topics ranged from oil and gas geology to coastal geology issues and meteorological studies. The Mississippi Geological Society presented a cash award to the best student presentation in geology at the meeting. The award was presented to Paytha Elliot and Marlene Patterson for their poster presentation entitled "Long range plans for determining the petrogenesis of granite pegmatites in southern New Hampshire." Dr. David Patrick, University of Southern Mississippi, was elected chairman for the upcoming year, and Dr. James B. Harris, Millsaps College, was elected Vice-chairman. Following the tradition of accepting reports from the various geological agencies and university departments in the state concerning geological work and developments during the past year, the following reports are submitted:

The Department consists of 12 full time faculty including new Assistant Professor Doug Gamble, a physical geographer. Undergraduate enrollment is just over 80. Graduate enrollment is just over 40. In geology, research is being conducted on the geology of the Bahamas, paleomagnetism in Alaska and locally on: earthquake impact on the MSU campus, investigations aiding in determining the origin of the Kilmichael dome, clay identification from subsurface cores, and water resources investigations in the impact area of a proposed lignite mine and power plant in Choctaw County.

In meteorology, recent research includes tornado risk assessment, effects of El-Nino, and flooding in the region. In geography, research is being conducted on casino gambling, including a recent book co-edited by Dr. Klaus Meyer-Arendt. Research on coastal changes and land-atmosphere interactions are also being conducted. Additionally the Department has actively provided content for science teachers in the form of the National Geographic Alliance, which is housed at MSU and offering a cooperative course on Resources and the Environment with Phillips Coal Co. this summer. The Department is also developing a graduate program in Geosciences for Teachers consisting of distance learning courses, with the first courses planned for this fall.

The Mississippi Office of Geology has had another active year exploring the geology, paleontology, and mineral resources of the state and regulating all surface mining operations. Recently released publications include Bulletin 131, Atlas of Shallow Mississippi Salt Domes; Circular 6, Windows into Mississippi's Geologic Past: Open-File Report 65, Surface Mining Permits; OF1 7, Geologic Map of the DeKalb Quadrangle, Kemper County, Mississippi; OF51, Geologic Map of the Sturgis Quadrangle, Choctaw, Oktibbeha, and Winston Counties, Mississippi; and OF52, Geologic Map of the Ackerman Quadrangle, Choctaw County, Mississippi. These last three maps are from our new series of geologic quadrangles that are created in a geographic information system using ARC/INFO software and printed on an inkjet plotter. During the year our Web site became operational. You may visit it at <http://www.deq.state.ms.us/ domino/geoweb. nsf>. An abbreviated list of accomplishments follows.

The Surface Geology Division is mapping eight geologic quadrangles a year at the scale 1:24,000, with partial support from a federal grant. An overview on the geology of Mississippi is in progress. Another interesting project is extensive geochernical field sampling throughout the state in cooperation with USGS.

The Environmental Geology Division took delivery of two fully digital geophysical well logging units manufactured by Mt. Sopris Instrument Company in Golden, Colorado. These logging units will record 64-inch, 32-inch, 16-inch, and 8-inch electrical logs along with an 8-inch single point, natural gamma ray, and spontaneous potential, all on one trip into the test hole or well. Other tools include full sine-wave sonic, fluid temperature/fluid resistivity, and caliper. These tools can be run in several combinations and configurations depending on the data needed or borehole conditions.

The Energy and Coastal Geology Division recently published a bulletin compiling information on all of the state's shallow piercement salt domes. Work continues on surface exploration methods for oil and gas exploration. Other interesting projects include the Belle Fontaine beach nourishment experiment, development of oil/gas databases for publication on the Web site, an overview of production in the state, a study of NORM in produced waters, and an interactive oil spill response GIS database.

The Mining and Reclamation Division, in addition to regulating the hundreds of sand and gravel and clay mines in the state, is preparing for the state's first lignite mine. The staff have nearly completed a revision of the coal-mining rules and regulations. They are now reviewing the Mississippi Lignite Mining Company's permit application for the Red Hills Mine in Choctaw County.--Stephen Oivanki, Darrel Schmitz, and Michael B. E. Bograd

Health Sciences

The highlight of this years meeting was the symposium entitled Cardiovascular Diseases in Mississippi. Five experts from the University of Mississippi talked about various risk factors and consequences of cardiovascular diseases which make them so deadly in our state. Dr. John Hall, Chairman and Guyton Professor of Physiology and Biophysics talked on Obesity and Hypertension; Dr. Charles K. Moore, Assistant Professor of Medicine, and Medical Director of the Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant Program discussed Cardiovascular Disease and Heart Failure. Dr. Donald McClain, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Endocrinology talked about Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes; stroke was the subject of Dr. David Gordons presentation; he is Associate Professor of Neurology and Director of the Acute Stroke Unit. The symposium was concluded by Dr. Daniel Jones who discussed the present and future of the Jackson Heart Study.

Abstracts were solicited by mailing a packet, which included the abstract form and directions, to all members of the Health Sciences Division, and to all the University of Mississippi Medical Center faculty in the basic sciences, in the Health Related Professions, and to various other departments who provided mailing labels. Thirty-two abstracts were presented, 11 in the form of posters, the rest as slide presentations. The topics ranged from case reports of unusual manifestations of syndromes to molecular applications of diseases.

Mr. Bing-Zhong Chen received the Douglas-Walker Award, which includes a certificate and a monetary prize, for his talk Control of Eyelid Movements by Vertical Gaze Centers. Mr. Chen is a graduate student in the Department of Anatomy at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and is currently working on his Ph.D. thesis under the direction of Dr. Paul May who co-authored the abstract along with student Yan Pan.

The Divisional Business Meeting was held on Thursday afternoon. The Chair encouraged more member participation by volunteering to serve. Elections took place. Vice Chair Dr. John Piletz was elected Chair for the coming year by acclimation. There were two nominations for the position of Vice-Chair, one from the floor. Ms. Zelma Cason was elected; she is the Chair of the Department of Cytotechnology in the School of Health Related Professions at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.--Marcy F. Petrini and John Piletz

Marine and Atmospheric Sciences

1. We had papers from more organizations than we have ever had in the past at our annual meeting.

2. We had a large number of oral presentations and poster presentations as well covering a very diverse subject list.

3. Dr. Charlotte Brunner of University of Southern Mississippi, Institute of Marine Sciences, Stennis Space Center was elected as new vice chairman.

4. Best student presentation award went to Janet Cote of University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs (9 a.m. Thursday presentation) . Judging was very tough because we had 14 excellent student presentations over the two days of our meeting.

5. A presentation was included from the Clyde Q. Sheely Junior Academy of Sciences award winner, Thurston Drake, of Ocean Springs High School.

6. Dr. Dawn Lavoie assumed the position of chairman of division on Friday morning of our annual meeting.--Tom Lytle

Mathematics, Computer Science, and Statistics

Building on the success of the last year, the Mathematics, Computer Science, and Statistics division had a productive and successful meeting. There were twenty-one presentations by students, faculty members, and scientists from Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the University of Southern Mississippi, Jackson State University, Delta State University, Millsaps College, Murrah High School, the Naval Research Laboratory at the Stennis Space Center, Planning Systems, Inc., of Slidell, Lousiana, and the USDA Agricultural Research Service at Stoneville. Six of the presenters were students.

At the division's business meeting, Dr. Andrew Royappa, Millsaps College, was elected as division chair for next year's meeting, and Dr. Walter T. Brehm of the Keesler Medical Center was elected as division vice-chair. The Mississippi chapter of the American Statistical Association also held its business meeting, electing Dr. Dale Bowman of the University of Mississippi and Dr Zhijun Liu as vice-president and secretary/treasurer, respectively.

We have many to thank for the success this year, and in particular all who participated by making presentations. Special thanks go to Dr. Michael Li (MSU) and Dr. Zhijun Liu (MSU) for chairing sessions, and to Dr. Carolyn Boyle (MSU) for advice. We look forward to the continued success and growth of the division.--Govinda Weerakkody and Andrew Royappa

Physics and Engineering

The year 1997­98 was a successful one for the Physics and Engineering division. Twenty-six papers were presented at the sixty-second annual meeting in Biloxi during 26­27 February 1998. To encourage student participation in the annual meetings cash prizes were awarded to the best three presentations by young physicists and engineers. The prizes were underwritten by Litton Shipbuilding Industries, the largest employer in Mississippi.

This division needs to expand its base. More participation by the faculty and students of engineering departments at Mississippi State University and University of Mississippi is desirable. We should also like to hear from Mississippi industries about their applications of physical sciences in R&D and technology transfer, as well as in the operations. The term science might be frightening them! We need to think how to remove such a fear.--S. Kant Vajpayee

Science Education

Twenty-nine platform presentations and seven posters comprised the annual Science Education divisional meeting at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences. John Barker, Director of Organizational Improvement at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and Science Education division co-chair for 1997­98, directed the proceedings of the division. Theophilus King, 1997­98 division co-chair and science instructor at Murrah High School, was unable to attend the conference.

Thursday's proceedings featured seven presentations by students from the Cooperative Internship Program, a joint project between Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (Jackson County Campus) and the J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium. The internship provides the opportunity for honors biology students to participate in collaborative research projects with science experts. Session attendance averaged above 25 for the presentations, with over 50 MAS members crowding into the Deer Isle Room to see Christopher David Fain and Kimberly Damon-Randall's presentation of "Sharks Alive!--A Comprehensive Study of Captive Shark Biology."

Educational programs were discussed during Thursday afternoon's program, which featured the analysis of state science and mathematics achievement scores, the impact of an outdoor education program, Millsaps College's new institute for science teachers, and two presentations on the use of constructivist pedagogy in biology courses at the University of Southern Mississippi. Sherry Herron and several of her colleagues from USM demonstrated a constructivist approach to implementing two biology courses. Constructivism requires students to follow a learning cycle that includes engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation.

Presentations on Friday morning focused on multimedia applications in undergraduate instruction. Millsaps College professors Carolee Larsen, Johnnie-Marie Whitfield, and C. Eugene Cain showed MAS members in attendance various applications of software in student learning opportunities. Mudlagiri Goli from Mississippi Valley State University added information about Internet use in a chemistry course with the specific admonition that multimedia applications may be a key to keeping students awake during somnolent afternoon classes.

Biology experts from the J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium and high school teachers involved in the Base Pair program closed the divisional proceedings with interesting presentations. Sessions featuring sharks, snakes, and horseshoe crabs were again among the most well attended of the entire conference.

At the divisional business meeting, Sharon Walker of the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory was elected chair for 1998­99, and John Ammons, of Mississippi Delta Community College was elected vice-chair. Dr. Walker will preside over the division's proceedings at the annual meeting in Tupelo in 1999, with Dr. Ammons presiding over the annual meeting in 2000.--John Barker

Social Sciences

Social science, the newest section, of the academy, held its first regular sessions this year. In all three sessions were held (Thursday morning and afternoon and Friday morning). Sessions were well attended and audience response and participation were lively.

Six papers were presented in the Thursday morning session (one having been withdrawn due to illness) covering topics from the reconstruction of subsistence prehistoric subsistence through occlusal dental wear analysis to narrative analyses of rape stories in "true-crime" novels. Presentations were drawn from all four sub-disciplines or anthropology (archaeology, physical anthropology, cultural anthropology and linguistic anthropology) and from sociology.

On Thursday afternoon, the division hosted a poster session for undergraduate research papers. In all 13 posters were presented by 20 undergraduate students representing a wide variety of academic disciplines and third level institutions. Some 120­150 society members visited the session during the afternoon.

Friday morning saw a very interesting workshop on the ethical implication of genetic research. Forty to fifty people attended the session organized by Darrel Degraw and Rob Rockhold. Discussion ranged from the ethics of cloning to the implications for genetic research of beliefs in reincarnation.

At the Business Meeting held on Thursday at the end of the morning session Dr. James G. Flanagan was re-elected Chair for another term. Dr. Ann Marie Kinnel was elected vice-chair. Both Dr. Flanagan and Dr. Kinnell can be reached at the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, Box 5074, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406.--James G. Flanagan

Zoology and Entomology

Six oral and three poster presentations were made within the Zoology-Entomology Divisional meeting. An attentive and appreciative audience of ca. 30 individuals attended the oral presentations and numerous visitors perused the individual posters.

At the business meeting, a suggestion was made to create an annual award for the best student presentation. Debora Mann, Millsaps College, will advise the division as to the feasibility of the suggestion at the next MAS board meeting. Tim Lockley was re-elected as chair of the division for the upcoming Ii ear and Alex Acholonu of Alcorn State University was elected as vice-chair.--Tim Lockley