CalCon symposium held in honor of Richard D. Sheardy, PhD

09/19/19

To honor Richard D. "Doc" Sheardy, Ph.D., a special symposium was held in recognition of his 70th birthday during the Seventy-fourth Calorimetry Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The symposium focused on Sheardy’s research contributions to the scientific community, and his positive impact on his colleagues and students. The symposium, held on Monday, July 29, 2019, was organized by Nasrin Kohan, Ph.D., of Texas Woman’s University with help from David Remeta, Ph.D., and Conceição Minetti, the co-chairs of CalCon. This conference was selected to celebrate Sheardy’s birthday since he is the Conference Chair for the international organization. The organizers invited esteemed collaborators, current and past undergraduate and graduate students who worked with Sheardy over the years at Seton Hall University and Texas Woman’s University. There were eight contributed talks.

The first part of the symposium was focused on Sheardy’s scientific contributions. His collaborators and friends highlighted results of their investigations with Doc. Jonathan B. Chaires, Ph.D., a distinguished professor from University of Louisville, James Graham Brown Cancer Center, reminisced about the old days working with Doc on various and unusual DNA structures (e.g., Z-DNA and B-Z junction and G-quadruplexes), which are his areas of expertise. Chaires delivered an overview on the importance of these unusual DNA as well as their published manuscripts in prestigious journals such as Biochemistry and Journal of Molecular Biology. Another longtime friend, John Correia, Ph.D., from the University of Mississippi Medical Center dedicated his talk to Sheardy. He highlighted the effects of pH and salt concentration on the hydrodynamic properties of i-Motif DNA (a DNA sequence found in nuclei of human cells). Dr. Charles Spink a pioneer in the area of Paranemic crossover DNA (PX), from State University of New York presented details on thermodynamic properties of PX, a structure formed between two parallel double helices. The results of this work could have implications in the understanding of the mechanism by which genetic information can be exchanged.

Reid Bishop, Ph.D., from Belhaven University summarized a series of established partnerships between Belhaven University and Texas Woman’s University. He specifically focused on the ongoing project working closely with Doc to develop a serious of courses for students engaging them in the science and culture of the lower Mississippi River. This course is being designed to study stewardship of the natural and human communities connected to the Mississippi River.

Cynthia Maguire, Senior Lecturer in the TWU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, spoke during the symposium. She reflected on Doc’s impact in transforming the department since he came to TWU in 2006. Dr. Sheardy has been a changemaker. Under his visionary leadership, new degrees have been designed and enrollment is increasing. The department has a new name—Chemistry and Biochemistry, reflecting the degrees offered. As he has encouraged faculty to participate in the SENCER community of practitioners since 2007, the department has been transformed into an engaging, civically involved way of presenting chemistry topics to students.
In the process, Doc has developed what he has labeled the “Know ‒ Care ‒ Do Model” of chemical education. "

"Our students learn chemical principles and how to apply their new knowledge to civic issues in their community. By doing civic work, they also learn to care and become involved citizens, hopefully throughout their careers. Our colleagues in other disciplines have also adopted this real-world context style in their courses. Doc’s commitment to civic engagement and getting our faculty and students involved in our community has transformed our institution and impacted many others. Over a decade later, the rewards are obvious, as TWU’s chemistry program received national recognition twice in 2018 for innovative and engaging teaching," said Kohan.

The Association of American Colleges & Universities recognized the department as a model for how to make civic learning and democratic engagement an expectation for all students who major in chemistry or biochemistry. The National Center for Science and Civic Engagement also recognized TWU for its extraordinary contributions to science education after more than a decade of using civic engagement to successfully draw students’ interest in courses for non-science majors. The department also hosts the SENCER Center for Innovation‒Southwest, part of a national program founded by NCSCE.

Several current and former students presented during the symposium. Enrique Diloné, Ph.D., a 1998 graduate of Seton Hall University who is now the Senior Vice President of Technical Operations at Amicus Therapeutics, recalled being advised to “choose your mentor very carefully.” “I think I made an excellent choice. My time in the Sheardy lab was a time full of scientific, and nonscientific, discussion and fun. There was great scientific rigor that prepared me for a career in science, but there was also great camaraderie; and the unspoken lessons of decency and honesty.” Current students seemed to agree as they talked about Doc’s impact on their education at TWU. Sara Williams and Skylar Wappes, both now master’s students in Kohan’s research group, and Claudette Fraire, a May ‘19 graduate, were passionate in their descriptions of how Doc has opened doors of opportunity for them. Skylar recounted the unforgettable opportunity to take a study abroad course that allowed her to visit Brazil and learn water chemistry in a cross-cultural environment. The result was a change in her career focus; she is now looking at her work through an environmental lens and is focusing on water issues, both quality and supply. Sara and Claudette emphasized that through Doc’s mentorship they have learned the importance of civic engagement and how to effectively communicate scientific ideas to people of all backgrounds, stating that “Dr. Sheardy is a great influencer and encourages us to follow our dreams and passions wholeheartedly. Doc is always willing to lend an ear to listen. Ultimately Doc has taught us how to be better people, confident scientists, and most importantly – how to have fun! We couldn’t thank Dr. Sheardy enough for all he has done for us and for being a great educator, mentor and friend.”

Kohan concluded the symposium by delivering messages from those who could not attend, including professor Nicholas Snow, Seton Hall University; professor Mahrukh Azam, West Chester University of Pennsylvania; TWU alumna Brenna Tucker, Ph.D., University of Alabama–Birmingham; TWU alumna Courtney Johnson, a graduate student at Duke University; and Courtney Hawkins, the department's administrative assistant. Their messages were full of gratitude and admiration for Doc. The speakers emphasized Doc’s role in inspiring and assisting students, faculty and staff throughout various stages of their careers; his impact their lives; and his help with their progress in their education as well as their professional and personal lives.

Page last updated 11:25 AM, September 23, 2019