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1. Fostering inclusion and diversity through research, teaching, mentoring, and outreach

   https://doi.org/10.1091/mbc.E19-07-0379  

   Torres, Jorge Z. (November 2019, Molecular Biology of the Cell)

   I am deeply humbled and honored to receive the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) Prize for Excellence in Inclusivity. Thank you to the ASCB for recognizing the contributions of faculty to inclusion and diversity in STEM and the importance of this for the advancement of science. Thank you to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) for your generous support of inclusivity. The prize money will be used to fund outreach activities aimed at increasing inclusion in science and to create research opportunities for students from underrepresented groups in the sciences. In this essay, I share bits of my life’s story that I hope will resonate with a broad audience, especially students from underrepresented groups in STEM, and that drive my passion for inclusion and diversity. I provide points of consideration for students to enhance their preparation for science careers and for faculty to improve the current landscape of inclusion and diversity in STEM. 

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2. Synthesizing JIT Compilers for In-Kernel DSLs

   https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53291-8_29  

   Van Geffen, Jacob; Nelson, Luke; Dillig, Isil; Wang, Xi; Torlak, Emina (January 2020, Computer Aided Verification)

   Modern operating systems allow user-space applications to submit code for kernel execution through the use of in-kernel domain specific languages (DSLs). Applications use these DSLs to customize system policies and add new functionality. For performance, the kernel executes them via just-in-time (JIT) compilation. The correctness of these JITs is crucial for the security of the kernel: bugs in in-kernel JITs have led to numerous critical issues and patches. This paper presents JitSynth, the first tool for synthesizing verified JITs for in-kernel DSLs. JitSynth takes as input interpreters for the source DSL and the target instruction set architecture. Given these interpreters, and a mapping from source to target states, JitSynth synthesizes a verified JIT compiler from the source to the target. Our key idea is to formulate this synthesis problem as one of synthesizing a per-instruction compiler for abstract register machines. Our core technical contribution is a new compiler metasketch that enables JitSynth to efficiently explore the resulting synthesis search space. To evaluate JitSynth, we use it to synthesize a JIT from eBPF to RISC-V and compare to a recently developed Linux JIT. The synthesized JIT avoids all known bugs in the Linux JIT, with an average slowdown of 1.82x in the performance of the generated code. We also use JitSynth to synthesize JITs for two additional source-target pairs. The results show that JitSynth offers a promising new way to develop verified JITs for in-kernel DSLs. 

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3. A turbulent-entropic instability and the fragmentation of star-forming clouds

   https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa230  

   Keto, Eric; Field, George B; Blackman, Eric G (March 2020, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society)

   ABSTRACT The kinetic energy of supersonic turbulence within interstellar clouds is subject to cooling by dissipation in shocks and subsequent line radiation. The clouds are therefore susceptible to a condensation process controlled by the specific entropy. In a form analogous to the thermodynamic entropy, the entropy for supersonic turbulence is proportional to the log of the product of the mean turbulent velocity and the size scale. We derive a dispersion relation for the growth of entropic instabilities in a spherical self-gravitating cloud and find that there is a critical maximum dissipation time-scale, about equal to the crossing time, that allows for fragmentation and subsequent star formation. However, the time-scale for the loss of turbulent energy may be shorter or longer, for example, with rapid thermal cooling or the injection of mechanical energy. Differences in the time-scale for energy loss in different star-forming regions may result in differences in the outcome, for example, in the initial mass function. 

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4. Profiles of readiness: Using a blended framework to explore what it takes for faculty to be ready to change instructional practice

   https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2021.1878573  

   Hauk, Shandy; St John, Kristen; Jones, Megan (February 2021, Journal of Geoscience Education)

   null (Ed.)

   In answer to calls for research about professional change, this study addressed the question: What is involved in college science faculty readiness for change in instructional practice? The setting was a professional development experience in oceanography/marine science and paleoclimatology among 32 faculty from 2- and 4-year colleges. Ten of the 32 participated in interviews, and all provided survey responses and documents used in the study. Cycles of inductive analysis generated three example case stories to illustrate a new model for exploring faculty readiness for change in teaching. The model blends results from the health sciences on readiness for behavioral change with research on the personal, external, professional, and consequence domains of a professional change environment. The blended model attends to how an instructor draws on the domains to (a) see an instructional challenge as requiring intentional action to be resolved; (b) notice new significance (for the instructor) in some aspect of instructional practice; (c) feel able to manage instructional stressors/challenges; (d) have commitment to initiate/sustain change; and (e) perceive adequate support in undertaking change. Profiles of instructional readiness for change are represented by composite cases named Lee, Pat, and Chris. In the case of Lee, factor (c) drove change efforts; for Pat, factors (a) and (b) were in the forefront; and for Chris it was factors (d) and (e). The three cases are valuable both as sketches of the blended model in use and as touchstones for future research and development related to postsecondary faculty professional learning. 

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5. Mentoring across difference and distance: building effective virtual research opportunities for underrepresented minority undergraduate students in biological sciences

   https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.01452-23  

   Knox, Corey J.; Ab Latif, Faqryza M.; Cornejo, Natasha R.; Johnson, Michael D. (January 2024, mBio)

   Freitag, Nancy E. (Ed.)

   The National Summer Undergraduate Research Program (NSURP) is a mentored summer research program in biosciences for undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Conducted virtually over 8 weeks every summer starting in 2020, NSURP provides accessible and flexible research experiences to meet the needs of geographically diverse and schedule-constrained students. Drawing from mentee reporting and surveys conducted within the NSURP framework involving over 350 underrepresented minority undergraduate students over three cohorts (2020–2022), matched with mentors, this paper highlights the potential benefits of students participating in virtual mentored research experiences. In addition to increased access to quality research experiences for students who face travel or academic setting constraints, we found that virtual mentoring fosters cross-cultural collaborations, generates novel research questions, and expands professional networks. Moreover, this study emphasizes the role of virtual mentorship opportunities in fostering inclusivity and support for individuals from underrepresented groups in STEM fields. By overcoming barriers to full participation in the scientific community, virtual mentorship programs can create a more equitable and inclusive environment for aspiring researchers. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on the effectiveness and the potential of virtual research programs and mentorship opportunities in broadening participation and breaking down barriers in STEM education and careers. IMPORTANCESummer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) are established to provide platforms for interest in scientific research and as tools for eventual matriculation to scientific graduate programs. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of in-person programs for 2020 and 2021, creating the need for alternative programming. The National Summer Undergraduate Research Project (NSURP) was created to provide a virtual option to REUs in microbiology to compensate for the pandemic-initiated loss of research opportunities. Although in-person REUs have since been restored, NSURP currently remains an option for those unable to travel to in-person programs in the first place due to familial, community, and/or monetary obligations. This study examines the effects of the program's first 3 years, documenting the students’ experiences, and suggests future directions and areas of study related to the impact of virtual research experiences on expanding and diversifying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 

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