Looking back at science and technology in 2014

From bats to blue-footed boobies and beyond, 2014 was a memorable year for Wake Forest when it came to science and technology news.

STEM incubator project partners and mentor, l-r, Jack Janes, Dominic Prado, Paul Pauca and Ran Chang.

Sonar-assisted human navigation

A STEM incubator brings students from different classes and disciplines together, fostering horizontal relationships where they learn from each other, but also vertical relationships with their faculty mentors.

Junior Pierre Duncan explains his chemistry research project.

Research Day, a hallmark event

Research Day is a highlight of the academic year, showcasing the personal interaction and intellectual exchange between students and faculty.

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Evening the odds

Despite losing her vision three years ago, Kathryn Webster entered Wake Forest last fall with the goal of pursuing a dual degree in mathematics and business. Faculty and staff found a novel suite of technologies to help her see math clearly.

Ellen Miller on Egyptian dig site.

Fossil has lips like Jagger

When anthropologist Ellen Miller discovered a fossil for a new species with large, signature lips, it gave her great “satisfaction” to name the creature after Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger.

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Tomorrow’s tomatoes look to the past

The key to developing drought-resistant tomatoes may be hidden in the genes of their ancestors. Junior Kathleen DiNapoli is on a hunt to find it.

BFBO iguana

Blue-footed boobies’ survival threatened

Blue-footed boobies are on the decline in the Galápagos. A recent study shows a low-sardine diet could be the reason behind the 50 percent drop in population.

Stretching about 25 miles long and located about 50 miles off the coast of Belize, Lighthouse Reef Atoll is one of the most pristine marine environments in the Caribbean Sea due to its remote location.

Diving into biodiversity

Lighthouse Reef Atoll is one of the most pristine marine environments in the Caribbean Sea due to its remote location. Students taking an Ecology and Conservation of Coral Reefs class spent their spring break exploring the Atoll’s startling array of biodiversity.

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The birds and the bees of proteins

The birth of a protein is one of the most fundamental aspects of life as we know it, yet, surprisingly, there is still a lot that scientists do not know about them. A split-second snapshot of the mysterious process developed by Wake Forest researchers could someday lead to more effective antibiotics.

Wake Forest sophomore Tim Lee ('16) demonstrates the robot arm that he has programmed to paint pictures, in Huffman Residence Hall on Friday, January 24, 2014.

Painting robot lends surgeons a hand

Would you let an artist perform life-saving surgery on you? You might someday, if the artist is a painting robot. Timothy Lee (’16) built a robotic painting arm that could one day lend doctors a hand in practicing complex, robot-assisted surgeries without having to step foot in an operating room.

MASus

Plotting a green career path

A new masters program created by Wake Forest’s Center for Energy, the Environment & Sustainability (CEES) will give students and early career professionals the diverse skillset they need to carve out a place in the burgeoning global sustainable business market.

Categories: Faculty, Research, Student, Sustainability, Top Stories