NatSci's 12th annual Classes Without Quizzes held at new STEM Teaching and Learning Facility
Classes Without Quizzes (CWQ) was back—in a classroom—for the first time since 2019. The event, hosted by the Michigan State University College of Natural Science (NatSci), had been held virtually the past two years due to COVID-19 restrictions.
On Saturday, April 23, more than 100 alumni, friends and guests attended the event (a hybrid of in-person and online), which was held in the new STEM Teaching and Learning Facility. CWQ gives participants a chance to meet with NatSci faculty members and students, while getting an insider’s look at some of the latest research activities being undertaken on the MSU campus.
The event consisted of three presentations by MSU faculty.
Kay Holekamp, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology, presented “No Laughing Matter: Scientific Discovery among the Hyenas.” The spotted hyena, also known as the laughing hyena, is an exceptionally interesting animal that can teach us a great deal about topics as diverse as social inequality, cooperation, the evolution of intelligence, disease resistance and even automotive paints, according to Holekamp, who has been studying them in Kenya since the 1980s.
Gemma Reguera, a William J. Beal Distinguished Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, presented “Microbes to Power!” The audience learned what makes these particular microbes ‘electric’ and how Reguera’s lab is harnessing their power to solve critical problems threatening economic and environmental sustainability.
Robert Quinn, assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, presented “A Deep Dive into Mucus, Poop and Tropical Reefs.” Quinn’s talk focused on three areas of research: the microbiome in cystic fibrosis lung mucus, bile acids in the human gut and the response of coral reefs to global warming.
Two Dean’s Research Scholars—Cade Dembski, physics major; and Mariam Sayed, physiology and French major—also presented their research to the audience.
Many of the attendees were return visitors to CWQ.
Deborah Tieman (B.S., ’92, biology; M.S., ’98, biology, Wayne State University), of Sterling Heights, Mich., attended Classes Without Quizzes for the third time. She said she was fascinated by the microbiology presentation last time she was here, so she wanted to come back.
“Being able to bring current research into my classroom is a big part of what I do,” said Deborah, who teaches high school AP biology, as well as biology courses at a community college.
Her daughter, Sydney Tieman (B.S., ’21, zoology, Lyman Briggs College), attended for the first time. She was especially interested in Holekamp’s presentation, since she was in Holekamp’s online course last year but never got to meet her in person. Disappointingly, her goal—to travel to Africa—was not realized because of COVID. She interned at ZooTampa in Florida last summer and is now involved with white rhinoceros research at The Wild in Cumberland, Ohio.
Kyle Lewallen (B.S., ’84, geological sciences), a now-retired geophysicist from The Woodlands, Texas, attended the event once before, online, but this was his first time attending in person.
“Online, there is no interaction with people. The side conversations here are valuable; they complement the presentations, and that adds to the experience,” said Lewallen, who is a member of the NatSci Dean’s Board of Advisors. “The talks have been exceptional today—these professors are world experts. And the Dean’s Research Scholars are very impressive. The presentations have been extremely interesting, fun, informative and captivating.”
Carl Lindquist (B.S., ’63, zoology) and Joy Vietinghoff of Viroqua, Wisc., have attended several times in the past.
“NatSci has changed so much since I was a student here,” Lindquist said. “It never hurts to learn something new—or learn more about something.”
“The young minds that are here today are amazing,” Vietinghoff said. “We look forward to this event every year; we’ll be back.”
The event wrapped up with a tour of the repurposed building; the central structure of the new STEM facility, which was completed in 2021, is the former Shaw Lane Power Plant, which was decommissioned in 1975. The building that once powered campus is now empowering Spartans to innovate ways to learn and share knowledge about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
The 13th annual Classes Without Quizzes will be held April 22, 2023, and is open to all MSU alumni and friends. For more information, or to be added to the mailing list, contact Sara Ford, alumni relations coordinator, at fordsar2@msu.edu.
Banner image: Robert Quinn, assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, presented “A Deep Dive into Mucus, Poop and Tropical Reefs.” Quinn’s talk focused on three areas of research: the microbiome in cystic fibrosis lung mucus, bile acids in the human gut and the response of coral reefs to global warming.
