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On Collaboration

Posted March 9, 2010 by Andy

Over the last two years, portions of my own research and undergraduate research have intersected in the virtual world of Second Life^TM. With one of my students, David Kobilnyk, I developed to-scale atomic orbital models. These orbitals we released as freely available tools to the Second Life scientific community.

David did such a good job, that we presented a paper about our work together at the regional American Chemical Society conference. This paper, Visualizing Atomic Orbitals Using Second Life, was later published in the Journal of Virtual Worlds Research.

With another student, David Bulger, I created a red-tide simulation for the American Chemical Society. This simulation is located on ACS Island. David and I presented our work at last year’s Honors Program Research Extravaganza here at ORU.

David is also collaborating with me and other scientists from around the world on other research projects outside of Second Life.

As regards to Second Life and my own research, I have collaborated with Jean-Claude Bradley of Drexel University on the development of Open Source chemistry research, education, and visualization tools. Our work has been very fruitful and has resulted in a highly accessed paper together on Chemistry in Second Life. In our paper, Jean-Claude and I acknowledge the debt we owe to others for their help, inspiration, and collaborations that resulted from our work. Jean-Claude and I will be presenting our paper together at this month's national American Chemical Society meeting in San Francisco.

My point is that the cool things I have done over the last two years in Second Life are a direct consequence of the collaborative and open research I have done with others. This is why I felt blessed today when I found out that I have won an award, a 2010 DaVinci Institute Fellow Award for "accomplishments [that] reflect a creative approach and a high degree of innovation to complex issues and have made a significant contribution to their academic discipline." An award for the collaborative research I have been doing in Second Life and the Open Source chemistry visualization tools I have co-developed. This is a clear example of how working and collaborating in an open way leads to things that wouldn’t be possible any other way.

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YAY FOR SPRING BREAK!!!!

Posted March 9, 2010 by Jessica

Well, Spring break is almost here! The half-mark of the semester has arrived! Many of you are planning trips, vacations, going home or chilling on campus. Here is a list of fun things to do while you on are on break:

Sleep- time to relax and get some shut eye. Midterms = all-nighters, energy drinks, candy, and just overall exhaustion.

Explore- whether you going home or visiting a new city; find something that intrigues you. Look for something new and interesting. Go to a new restaurant and try foreign foods.

Rekindle relationships- during the school year it is difficult to reconnect or keep up with friends because of chaotic schedules. During this break spend time with friends, get coffee, go out, and have fun!

Quite time- set aside time and spend it getting to know God better. Draw yourself closer to His word and build your relationship with Him.

I am sure many of you will be extremely busy on break but try to take this time to recoup. It has been a hard semester for many of you and its time to RELAX!!!!

HAVE A SAFE SPRING BREAK! SEE YOU SOON!

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Campus Worship 2010

Posted February 22, 2010 by Jessica

Ever feel down, discouraged, or stressed from life? Need to be renewed and rejuvenated? Well, Campus Worship does just that. Every Sunday at 7:00 p.m. students flock over to experience spirit filled worship. This is not your typical service; a personal one-on-one time with God is the primary focus. Coming back from work on Sunday, I had been upset that I was called into work during the only church service hours. When I got back on campus I was wondering how I could attend a service, then I saw a banner for Campus Worship on the dorm, floor wall. I was extremely excited that I could go to a service after work. This was especially helpful for me. Going to Campus Worship was a experience like non other. Sitting in the pew, the room was dim and worship music played softly. I felt as if I could concentrate on God and me. Nobody was looking around or worried about appearances. This was a personal, intimate time. Sometimes in life we need to get away. Everything can get stressful and seem overbearing. What better way to handle worry and stress than to go before your creator? Cast your cares upon Him for He cares. If any potential students, or visitors have the privilege to stay around campus till Sunday night I would highly suggest experiencing God move at Campus Worship.

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I guess..you say...what can make me feel this way??

Posted February 12, 2010 by Ronnie

Hey hey!! I hope that you have everything primed and ready to go. You do know what is coming in just a few short days don't you? VALENTINES DAY!! Can't you smell that??....the smell of love in the air. MMMMMMM...smells like mom's homecookin', but better...(don't tell her I said that) lol

Guys, I know that this day can bring on some pressure for us because we are supposed to "surprise" the ladies and do all this romantic goopalee-goop! lol But take this as a challenge...sort of. Why not make this Sunday a good day for the little lady that you may be eye-ing (or maybe she's been eye-ing you...) *wink* *wink*

Whatever the case may be, make sure to have a wonderful Valentines Day, and like my old man always says , "make it a great day for someone else!"

Ronnie

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Food for thought

Posted February 11, 2010 by Jessica

Feeling frustrated with trying to find healthy food or eating on the run?

For many college students the "freshman 15" seems to lurk upon them and by the end of the semester they are wondering how they have gained so much weight. Stress could be the cause, or late night munching but for students at ORU weight gain is not a huge problem.

The cafeteria on campus does an excellent job in providing foods for any picky eater. They have a fully loaded salad bar, vegetarian bar, hamburger, pizza and sandwich stand. Even when a student doesn’t have time to go to the cafeteria, there are healthy choices at the Deli or The Green Cuisine.

Here are some healthy tips to jump-start your day for great college eats.

1. Yogurt and fruit parfait- this gives not only calcium from the yogurt but it provides carbohydrates and fruit. A perfect snack or meal replacement in a cup.

2. Spinach wrap-Gives you veggies for the day and provides essential nutrients to make you feel satisfied and less hungry.

3. Deli- Custom makes sandwiches.

4. Find anything with protein- protein is going to give you energy and stamina to survive through the day.

5. Eat six small meals a day- your metabolism will be revved and it keeps you less hungry throughout the day. For a college student maintaining energy and stamina is prevalent.

6. Grab a granola bar-Make sure the bar is under 200 calories and has less than 3 grams of saturated fat. Look at the sugar content do not exceed 12 grams of sugar.

7. Drink your meal- Nutritional drinks are provided all over campus grab a shake but make sure it is not full of sugar or processed fruit.

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Ice storm

Posted February 7, 2010 by Jessica

Oklahoma brings many surprises with the weather. For many students a snow or ice storm means a “SNOW DAY”, much to the dismay of teachers.

Coming to ORU in the fall of 2007 I experienced my first ICE STORM. I had always heard Oklahoma had tornados but never experienced an ice storm. Well, It began a normal day when rain turned to ice and it created an ice rink on campus. I will never forget going down the hills on any device available (many took trays out of the cafeteria). We had snow ball fights and played. It was a perfect break from the stress of school.It also brought problems for getting anywhere. Scraping ice off a car is never anyone's idea of fun. Regardless, it taught me an important lesson.

Natural disasters are horrific, but they can also bring people together and make them realize what is truly important. My favorite memory from the ice storm was having devotionals with the girls on my floor. It was the first time we were all able to come together and just share what God was doing in our lives. Life can get extremely busy, and sometimes it takes a “storm” to make us all stop our busy lives. We all need a break to realize that life is short and in the end people are truly what count.

ORU allowed me to meet amazing instructors, staff, and of course friends that will last a lifetime. My encouragement to any person, don’t take this time for granite.God brings people in your life for a reason, relax and enjoy.

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GET READY TO ROCK!!!!

Posted February 5, 2010 by Ronnie

ARE YOU READY??!! hello.....I said, ARE YOU READY!!??

Well, you should be really excited...can you guess what is coming up? HOMECOMING! This is the time where you can get you and your "boo-thang" can get all nice and dressed up and have a lovely evening filled with fun, laughter, and just all around goodness! Homecoming week usually is one of the highlights of the Spring semester, and always has its surprises. Make sure that you come out to the Battle of the Bands! It will take place next Tuesday starting at 7. Ten bands will be performing originals tracks along with covers and all that good stuff. I will also be performing with my band "Lifeguard!" So just come on down and enjoy an evening of good music that will make you laugh, cry, and maybe even make you dance a little. lol

This Homecoming week should prove to be one of the best yet so GO GO GO!!!

yay! =P

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