July 25, 2005

Thomas to share research at geological conference

By Eric Ramirez
Public Relations Student Assistant

Dr. David J. Thomas, associate professor of biology at Lyon College, has been invited to share research at an upcoming conference for geoscientists, Earth System Processes 2.

The Geological Society of America and the Geological Association of Canada are organizing the meeting. Earth System Processes 2 will be held August 11 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Approximately 350 geoscientists are expected to attend.

Dr. Thomas’ research covers a topic known as the “Oxygen Paradox.” The paradox states that photosynthetic organisms would need antioxidant systems to protect them. So, according to the paradox, it would be necessary for photosynthesis and antioxidant systems to evolve together. Photosynthesis is the process that some organisms use to convert sunlight and water into energy to produce oxygen. Antioxidants are important to all life because we all require oxygen, and some bi-products of using oxygen, called free radicals, are harmful and cause cellular breakdown. Put simply, antioxidants protect us. And antioxidants protect photosynthesis too. Which leads to the real question behind all of this: Which came first?

“It’s a chicken or the egg type problem?” Dr. Thomas said. Thomas tested two different organisms under an environment and atmosphere similar to primordial Earth and his results yielded that photosynthesis might have evolved first.

This all began in 1995 when Dr. Thomas was working with antioxidants for his dissertation. The Oxygen Paradox had been posed sometime between the late ’70s and early ’80s. His current research started over a year ago when Dr. Thomas received a grant from the NASA/Arkansas Space Grant Consortium. Lyon students who have helped with the research include CaSandra Spurlock and Christy Schuchardt, both of whom graduated from Lyon this year, as well as John Boling and Tiffany McSpadden, two undergraduate students at Lyon.

“I know that I don’t want to do this for a career, but I certainly know how to grow bacteria,” said Tiffany McSpadden, who was busy moving test tubes into the refrigerator.

Dr. Thomas’ research tells a lot about early life on Earth. According to Thomas, “We take photosynthesis for granted. The first organisms to photosynthesize were actually poisoning nearby organisms.”

And what about other planets? He remembered sitting with Dr. Julian Hiscox from the University of Leeds in England and discussing what kind of anatomy a Martian would need to survive on Mars. Thomas said that the surface of Mars was highly oxidized, much like rust, and that in order for anything to live on Mars it would require “very robust antioxidant systems.”

All of Dr. Thomas’ research was performed at the laboratories in the new Derby Center at Lyon College. Thomas pointed out that one of the greater things about Lyon College is that post-graduate students can do significant research.

Dr. Thomas holds a Ph.D. and teaches at Lyon College. He is the NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador and editor of Marsbugs: The Electronic Astrobiology Newsletter.

Students and chaplain attend national campus ministry conference

Lyon College students Watson Neal and Ben Thielemier, along with Lyon Chaplain Nancy McSpadden, recently attended the PEER 1 Campus Ministries Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

Held June 15-19 on the campus of the University of Louisville, the event was sponsored by the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Presbyterian Association for Collegiate and Higher Education Ministries. The PEER 1 conference was a training event for undergraduate student-leaders at Presbyterian-affiliated colleges or who participate in a local church or on-campus ministry. Also included in the conference were campus chaplains and ministers who work with college ministries in local churches.

Students and adults participated in workshops, discussion groups, Bible studies, worship development, a service project and more -- all focused on the skills needed to be a leader in campus ministries. Participants in the conference came from all over the United States as well as from small colleges and large universities — from Lyon (500 students) to the University of Michigan (50,000 students).

Each student and adult spent one day of the conference at a mission site. The Lyon group, along with students from the Westminster House at the University of Memphis, painted the community room of Central Presbyterian, a multi-cultural mission church in downtown Louisville. Before leaving for the work site, the entire conference group worshipped together at the Presbyterian Headquarters with the denominational staff.

During the conference, Ben Thielemier was elected to a three-year term on the national Presbyterian Student Strategy Team, and will help plan the next event, scheduled for June 2006 in Birmingham, Alabama. Watson Neal will be part of a committee preparing a guideline handbook for campus ministry leadership.

Masons donate oral history film to library

The Scottish Rite Freemasons of Arkansas are donating an oral history film on World War II to the Mabee-Simpson Library at Lyon College.

“World War II Remembered: An Oral History of Arkansas Veterans,” a 20-hour oral history film featuring 40 Arkansas veterans of the war, was directed and edited by Gabe Gentry of Little Rock and funded by the Scottish Rite Freemasons of Arkansas.

Encompassing 10 DVDs, “World War II Remembered” contains first-hand accounts of a war that changed the course of history. 

“The inspiration for the project grew out of a conversation with Wilbur Johnson of Sherwood, Arkansas,” Gentry said. “He fought in the European Theater of War, and as we talked about his experiences one day and how it had affected him in the years afterwards, I became struck by the descriptive words he used. He could talk about how cold it was or what it smelled like. These are words I would never be able to read in a text book.”

Gentry gathered video testimony and personal photographs from veterans of both theaters of war and all branches of service.  Eventually 40 Arkansans who fought in WWII were interviewed. With each interview, Gentry  collected artifacts that the veterans had held since returning from conflict so long ago. The personal photographs, letters and artifacts are included with each veteran’s story.

The Scottish Rite Freemasons of Arkansas are donating copies of the DVD to Arkansas libraries so they can help tell Arkansas’ and the nation’s history.

“The only tragedy greater than the war itself would be its lessons lost to the careless custodianship of our nations history,” said Dwane Treat, head of Scottish Rite Masonry in Arkansas. “History is more than a series of facts needing memorization. It is a story that’s ending has yet to be written. The Scottish Rite Freemasons are proud to record these primary source stories while they still remain.”

Questions concerning the film can be directed to Genry at (501) 733-6267 or to gabegentry@msn.com.

Sports

Coach McClure leaving Lyon for hometown job

David McClure, women’s basketball coach at Lyon College, resigned from the position July 7 to return to his hometown of Gravette as coach the Gravette Lions boys basketball team.

“It’s a family reason totally, to get my wife and daughter to Northwest Arkansas because both my family and my wife’s family are there,” McClure said.

McClure’s parents live in Sulphur Springs, a few miles from Gravette in northwest Arkansas. McClure’s wife’s family is from Fayetteville. McClure also has a brother in Rogers.

Lyon College Athletic Director Terry Garner said “We hate to see him leave. We feel like he’s done a good job with our women’s program, but we understand the reason and family.” 

McClure coached the Pipers to a 47-46 record in three seasons. He spent the three previous three years as an assistant to men’s basketball coach Kevin Jenkins.

McClure was a standout for Gravette in his high school days. In his last game, McClure scored 41 points in a 63-60 loss to Green Forest in the Class 1-AA District Tournament.

At Hendrix College, he was a member of two NCAA Division III national tournament teams. McClure graduated from Hendrix in 1996, and then received his master’s degree in physical education from the University of Arkansas in 1999.

McClure has been an assistant coach at the high school level, with short stays at Lonoke and Shiloh Christian. He said there is a significant difference in coaching at the college level as opposed to high school, but hopes what he has learned from coaching a college team will help at Gravette.

Nichols accepts head coaching position in Kansas

Derek Nichols has resigned as the head women’s soccer coach at Lyon College. Nichols submitted his resignation July 15 and will take the job as head coach of the women’s soccer team at Newman University in Wichita, Kansas.

Nichols, who has been at Lyon for two years, became head coach of the Pipers in 2003, the women’s soccer team’s first season. The Pipers were 3-12 last season and 2-14 in their inaugural season in 2003.

Before coming to Lyon, Nichols was a graduate assistant soccer coach at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. He has also served as an assistant coach for men’s and women’s soccer at Hendrix College in Conway.

Nichols was a member of the first soccer team in UCA’s history (1996-97) and was team captain. He started every game during his two years as a player and led the team to the conference tournament and a No. 3 ranking in the nation in the second year of its existence.

He transferred to UCA from Allen County (Kansas) Community College, where he was a two-year starter on the soccer team. He led the team in assists and was team captain his sophomore year. Nichols played high school soccer at Winfield, Kansas, where he made the All Ark-Valley first team his junior and senior year.

Nichols also served as assistant men’s soccer coach. Jeremy Bishop is the head coach of the men’s soccer team.

Krug resigns from golf coaching position

Brian Krug, head coach of the women’s golf team and director of intramurals at Lyon College, has resigned to pursue other career opportunities. Krug submitted his resignation Tuesday.

Krug recently completed his fifth year as head coach of the Pipers golf team. Under his guidance, the Pipers won Lyon’s first TranSouth Conference championship in 2002 and repeated in 2003 and 2004. Krug was named TranSouth women’s golf coach of the year all three years as well.

He also coached the Pipers to an eleventh place finish in the NAIA National Tournament in 2004 and was also named NAIA Region XI Coach of the Year. The Pipers also won NAIA District XI tournament that year.

Athletic Director Terry Garner said, “I want to express my appreciation to Brian for what he’s brought to the women’s golf program, winning three consecutive conference titles, and for his work as director of intramurals. I hate to see him leave and I wish him well.”

Krug has coached two NAIA All-Americans, Adriane Barnett ’05 (first team in 2002 and honorable mention in 2004) and Julie Church ’04 (honorable mention in 2004).

The Pipers finished second in both the conference and NAIA District XI tournaments last spring. The Pipers lost three seniors to graduation this year: Barnett, Chelsea Gilliam and Leslie Bragg.

Krug is a 1993 graduate of Batesville High School and a 1998 graduate of Lyon College, receiving a bachelor’s degree in history. While at Lyon, he played baseball for the Scots and later served as a student assistant. After graduating from Lyon, Krug attended Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville and was a graduate assistant in the university’s baseball program, earning his master’s degree in physical education.

Krug is the son of Fred and Carole Krug of Batesville.

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