Everything Nac

Standing a safe distance from the flame, Stephen F. Austin State University Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry graduate student Amanda Raley took her turn extinguishing a fire as fellow graduate students Amey Gonzalez, Antonio Trevino, Darean Bague and Celeste Keith look on.

The students participated in fire extinguisher training in August on the steps of the Chemistry Building on the university’s campus. The training’s purpose was to help educate chemistry graduate students in hazard communication, safety data sheets and fire safety and was conducted with the aid of the SFA Department of Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management.

The demonstration was the first in a series of hands-on safety activities to be offered and was organized by Jennifer Edwards, chemistry and biochemistry inventory control supervisor. Future safety opportunities include training in chemical spills, laboratory inspection and chemical storage, among others.

Dr. Stephen Mullin, chair of the Stephen F. Austin State University Department of Biology, had a chapter published in an Oxford University Press book that provides techniques for biologists who conduct conservation-oriented research.

“My chapter is titled Experimental Applications and deals with ways by which biologists can work with reptile species, in either field or laboratory settings, to examine behavioral, physiological or ecological responses to manipulative experiments,” Mullin explained. “As both scientists and the general public know, Earth is not static — think climate change, for example. So, it is important to understand how different species can respond to changes in the various parameters with which they interact in their habitats. My chapter describes the current state of our knowledge about those experimental applications that are specific to conservation objectives and that involve species of reptiles.”

The book, “Reptile Ecology and Conservation: A Handbook of Techniques,” is the 13th in a series published by Oxford titled “Techniques in Ecology and Conservation.” Proceeds from the sale of the series are used to ship free copies of books to scientists based at institutions or agencies in developing nations.

“This is a fairly narrow area of biology, but one that I’ve been working in for more than 25 years,” Mullin said. “The book is meant as a resource for researchers who want summaries of current techniques and their applications to conservation objectives.”