GALAXY 500: THE BIG FREEZE ISSUE
Nothing like a hot cup of science to warm those cold winter toes!

Dear Readers,

Youve got the second issue of all that is Oglala Lakota Colleges Math & Science department news in your hands. Once again we are in the clutches of winter. When the weather doesnt agree with our spiritual schedule there is a certain level of complacency that seems to linger hidden deep inside all if us. We ask ourselves how much more we have to give. How much more can I take? Am I making the right decision? The best decisions are always the hardest to make. All I can offer as advice is to surround yourself with the most interesting and supportive non-judgmental people, because in the instance that you make a mistake they will not crucify or ridicule you for it and may even help you out of a tough spot! With that being said believe in yourself and learn to trust yourself, it is your educational journey and you hold all the keys to the doors youre looking to open. Anthony Valella
The scientific theory I like best is that the rings of Saturn are composed entirely of lost airline luggage.

Mark Russell

OLC AISES Chapter wins Outreach & Community Service award second year running!
Domination comes in various forms: OLCs AISES chapter (American Indian Science & Engineering Society) has again won recognition for hard work with our community based activities. Good job everyone! Co-advisor Misty Brave and students Rich White (chapter President) and Helene Gaddie (chapter Historian) were present to accept the award at the National AISES conference in Portland, Oregon in November at the National AISES Conference.

Vol. 1., Issue 2.

Rich White and Helene Gaddie accepting the AISES award
Currently our Officers for the 2009-2010 year are President: Richard White; Vice President: Anthony S. Valella; Secretary: Krystal Brave Eagle; Treasurer: Wallace White Dress; Parliamentarian: Patrick White Cow Killer; Historian: Helene Gaddie. The chapter advisors are Misty Brave and Tawa Ducheneaux. OLCs AISES chapter members provided many hours of service providing informal science education at Family Science nights at schools across the reservation, mentoring at Little Wound School and assisting with the OLC Reservation-wide Science Fair. Science Fair Coordinator Misty Brave said, The fair would not have happened without the concentrated efforts of Dylan Brave, Beau White and Krystal Brave Eagle. They were instrumental in set-up, take down and awards. Those three could probably run the fair without me at all! The only thing I really did was get the word out to the 14 schools on the reservation and do the paperwork for the prizes and supplies. Other chapter members and OLC faculty were judges. Science Fairs were first used by AISES to provide positive STEM experiences for Native Americans. These grew to student and teacher summer programs and now NAISEF, which is a regional fair for the International Science and Engineering Fair. Our AISES Chapter members truly carry on the idea of what AISES was first built on Science Fairs. Outreach & Community Service Award - Oglala Lakota Colleges AISES Chapter has always focused on Outreach and Community Service. The AISES mission to substantially increase the number of American Indian students in STEM careers starts at a grassroots level with the OLC Chapter. Our student chapter members and mentors stay active in local efforts providing outreach and mentoring youth.

it saves me seven minutes by not shaving. Roughly about an hour later I leave and it is COLD outside. I feel as though I am driving a refrigerator sixty miles per hour down Omaha avenue. I continue to think about my order of operations when we descend upon the battlefield for today. I have to first run a solo search rescue and extract mission for Wowokiye, the Helper. Hes my robot, a lazy good for nothing robot. I wouldnt call him lazy if he could write his own commands. But, today is the mission and today is his day.
"Hey man, I brought the posters so who has the coffee?"
I feel drained, wore out and we just finished the semester, but I know that everyone feels the same: sleep is not an option. I circle our target for today we plan to lay siege to the Rapid City Civic Center. Oh yes, today the mother ship will land. LNI is a time where we work with the NASA SEMAA project for the massive outreach event of the year. Efforts from the past year in conjunction with the proper alignment of the stars and a lot of dedication make this day possible to be a success. Spending most of the year either in class or working on our own projects, this is a good time of the year to unwind. At LNI we are part of a movement to reach our youth. With hands-on science, we love to inspire questions, create wonder, and inspire them to do well in school. We want to see kids accept challenges see themselves immersed in everyday science, to see future careers, not only as a way to provide for
LNI: The annual OLC Science Winter Classic
Fifteen more minutes, oh God, just fifteen more minutes. This time I say it out loud unlike the last two times. Its approaching six oclock in the morning and I need to shave but I dont have a razor or cream in my dingy hotel room but thats all right,
their families, but to be confident about their place in the world and as the future caretakers of the world. Sounds like quite the task? It is, but hands-on science is as much fun as it is work. We assembled our team and entered Lacroix Hall with a mission: much to be done and not a lot of time to do it. Thirty minutes later, posters were mounted, robots assembled, StarLab inflated, and the flight simulator was ready for lift off. Next: completion of indigenous fishpond with macro invertebrates and the Chemistry Magic station which included a demo on how to make space age polymers and how to turn copper into brass. Astrobalm, the preferred lip balm of astronauts, was ready for the mob as was our very own Dr. Hannan LaGarry, providing rock, mineral, and fossil identification. The best of the best, winners of 2009s OLC Reservation-wide Annual Science Fair were also on hand with their projects on display. Mission complete: the day was worth all the effort. When we do these events I feel a great amount of pride and honor to be a part of OLCs math and science department. We are committed to creating the opportunity of success for those who follow in our footsteps. The luxuries I enjoy have a direct correlation to the sacrifices made before me. I would like to thank the department facility for all of their hard work and guidance thought the year as well as the interns for basically putting up with me. I cant wait for domination in 2010.

"I am Helene and I can do anything!" Helene, Oglala Lakota, is daughter of Robert Quiver, Sr. and Leola Bear Runner Quiver, and the paternal granddaughter of Sophia Romero and the late Joe Quiver. Her maternal grandparents are the late Oscar and Grace (Rock) Bear Runner. Her grandmother Sophie raised Helene near Wanblee. Helene has held positions leadership positions thought her scholastic career as far back as high school. She competed in the National American Indian Science & Engineering Fair (NAISEF) and placed several years. In 1997, Helene was a grand prizewinner at NAISEF and went on to be a finalist at the International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF). Upon graduating Little Wound High School, she attended college and completed her Nursing degree from OLC in 2002. In the spring of 2007, Helene returned to OLC to pursue a degree in Earth Science. She has interned in various research projects, most recently being the Great Plains Riparian Protection Project and collecting data for the geology of Ghost Canyon. In December 2009, Helene completed a BS degree in Natural Science with an emphasis in Earth Science. Currently, Helene is taking a graduate course and teaching Human Biology here at OLC. She just doesnt quit! I think leadership comes naturally for Helene: she is a positive force who is organized and also takes time to mentor newbie interns (unofficial mother of interns which seems to be held by a number of women in the department (we can use the guidance)).
Student spotlight: Helene Gaddie
I met Helene last year when I was new to the program: I was a wide-eyed intern, broom in hand, and becoming acquainted to all that was soon to become my second home. After a week of anxiety filled dreams about my new surroundings and wondering if I was going to make it in this new arena, Helene was the first of that welcomed me in as family. I soon realized that I wasnt special-she treats everybody like that- so I think that makes her the one who is special.
As for a positive force, Helene is like a hurricane of energy, joy, and empathy. I find it hard to come to work in a foul mood when Helene is working, she just wont let a student get discouraged. And remember not to step on her toes or you will see a true volcano!

swift foxes in Wyoming (Fig. 2) and Colorado in collaboration with the Oglala Sioux Parks & Recreation Authority (OSPRA), coordinated by Dr. Trudy Ecoffey (Fig.1). After the soft release, 54 foxes are now relocated in Shannon County, on the west side of the Pine Ridge Reservation (part of its historical range). During the trapping fieldtrips, OLC students had many opportunities interacting and learning with professionals (i.e. biologists, veterinarians, park rangers, etc.) from various agencies as CO and WY Division of Wildlife. Here a few of their comments:
SWIFT FOX REINTRODUCTION PROJECT

By Alessandra Higa

The swift fox (Vulpes velox; tokala in Lakota) is one of the most important carnivore species of the Northern Great Plains that is declining due several factors including habitat loss and fragmentation. However today, the swift fox population, through reintroduction efforts, reappears in small number in several portions of its historical range including South Dakota. Yet, the population remains small and scattered, thus the swift fox still considered as a state threatened species (South Dakota Codified law 34A-8). The Wamakaska (mammals) Project, coordinated by Prof. Alessandra Higa (Fig.1), had an extremely excited field success during the Fall 2009! OLC Math and Science students and faculties went trapping
Curtis Belile, freshman (Fig. 3 -) wrote: This was a real opportunity for me to do real research. I am honored to have been offered this opportunity. I look forward to do more research which will benefit the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. These field experiences promote and enhance handon activities as the best ways to teach and delivery STEM curriculum. Moreover, it fosters recruiting and maintaining students passionate by science, as witnessed by the aforementioned testimonials, said Professor Higa.
the search will expand with aerial surveys planned for the end of January, according to Dr. Ecoffey. In addition to be a critical conservation effort, increasing the local species diversity and promoting range expansion, the swift fox reintroduction has other important meanings, namely a cultural significance for the Lakota people as one of the warrior societies for young men, the Tokala Society. The tokala was recognized by been aware of their surroundings, blend into the environment as part of it, and provide protection. Besides acting as an umbrella project by providing the conservation of other local wildlife species, the success of the Swift Fox Reintroduction Project might bring back the cultural meaning of the tokala to the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Rhonda Kihega, sophomore, wrote (Fig. 4 -): The hands-on trapping was influential to me and I enjoyed it very much. I got to hold a swift fox while the others gave them their shots [vaccinations], pit a chip in it and a radio collar. I found that very rewarding to me personally. Before I went on this trip I really didnt know much about the swift fox but while on this trip, I found out what kind of habitat they like, their predators, what the fox likes to eat and they are not very big. Thank you all so much for giving me the opportunity to do this. It will be a lasting memory.

For more information about additional research contact Alessandra Higa (ahiga@olc.edu) or Trudy Ecoffey (trudy_ecoffey@hotmail.com).
Currently, one of the OLC alumni students, Michael Thompson (Fig. 5), is working as a graduate field assistant performing weekly telemetry tracking surveys of foxes released with radio-collars (Fig. 6). Presently, about 30 foxes had been located and soon
Hydrology, GIS Remote Sensing, and Aquatic Ecology Research in the OLC Math and Science Department
By Charles Jason Tinant The fall 2009 semester was a very exciting semester for OLC student interns working on research projects in hydrology, GIS remote sensing, and aquatic ecology. A student team consisting of Delaine Peterson, Brandon One Feather, and Lester Richards worked with SDSM&T graduate student Chris Nichols to create three-dimensional images of rock outcrops near Rockerville, SD using a Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) camera. The LiDAR camera creates very accurate images three-dimensional images that can be used to create models of buildings, paleontological sites, mines or stream banks. The three dimensional models can be compared over time or studied using a GIS program to better understand how a land surface is changing or what factors might be of greatest importance. The purpose of our project was to better understand surface and ground water interactions in the Black Hills with an emphasis on ground water protection. The next step will be for our students to bring what they have learned back to the Pine Ridge reservation on a proposed study of the erosion rates of badlands and tablelands stream banks. The Great Plains Riparian Protection Project (GRIPP) is providing us with new directions for future hydrology and ecology research through GIS Remote Sensing. Over fifteen OLC students, including OLC graduates: Helene Gaddie, Don Belile, Devon Wilford, Beau White, Elvin Returns, and Michael Thompson participated over two summers in gathering information on Pine Ridge reservation streams and riparian tree communities. Over the past year, student interns Dylan Brave, Michael

Dubray, Devon Wilford, and Don Belile used the remote sensing program ERDAS Imagine to create maps of land cover of the Pine Ridge reservation from Landsat-7 satellite images. Don Belile and Devon Wilford also used ArcGIS to develop the first high-resolution watershed map of the Pine Ridge Reservation. The watershed map, which is accurate to a scale of about 1:100,000, provides land managers and researchers with additional information about how a particular watershed will respond to rainfall events. The last step in the GRIPP project is ecological niche modeling for cottonwoods. Don Belile is using GIS layers for soil properties, elevation, land cover, and climate in a Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model to predict the distribution of cottonwoods across the Pine Ridge Reservation. The MaxEnt model can also be used to predict the distribution of rare species on the Pine Ridge Reservation, such as the Ornate Box Turtle and the Short-horned Lizard. We are beginning a project to study the ecology of Pine Ridge Reservation streams. The project is an outcome of what we learned from GRIPP and from the Fall 2009 Watershed Assessment and Laboratory Equipment courses. As part of the course, Helene Gaddie, Rich White and Dylan Brave researched a section of lower Bear-in-the-Lodge Creek. At the same time student interns Elisha Yellow Thunder and Linda Not Help Him began to research upper Bear in the Lodge Creek and Black Pipe Creek hydrology and Delaine Peterson refined the GIS layer of these watersheds to a 1:24,000 scale. We have discovered some very interesting things about the hydrology and community ecology of Bear-in-the-Lodge and Black Pipe Creeks streams that we shared with the scientific community at the 2010 South Dakota EpScoR Student Research Poster Presentation for the South Dakota Legislature in February.

Who We Are

Mr. Jason Tinant, Co-Chair, Engineering Faculty Dr. Hannan LaGarry, Co-Chair, Geology Faculty Ms. Tawa Ducheneaux, Grants & Media, SEMAA Ms. Alicia Provost, Administrative Assistant Mr. Elvin Returns, LNSFC Coordinator Ms. Michelle Salvatore, SEMAA AEL Coordinator Mr. Patrick Lee, Chemistry Lab Coordinator Mr. Kevin Ellis, Chemistry Lab Tech Ms. Alessandra Higa, Wildlife Biology Faculty Ms. Misty Brave, Earth Science Faculty Dr. Albrecht Schwalm, Chemistry Faculty Ms. Ida Red Bear, Math Faculty Dr. Deig Sandoval, Chemistry Faculty Dr. Andrew Silva, Math Faculty Ms. Michel Melvin, Natural Resources Faculty Mr. James Dudek, IT Faculty Ms. Christine Sarmiento-Stagnetto, IT Faculty Ms. Susie White Thunder, IT Faculty

Student interns Lester Richards (l.), and Dave Herman working in the chemistry lab. In closing, wed like to thank all our students, staff, and faculty for working so hard to achieve the mission of our department. We are working hard each day to further the goals of serving as a bridge between scientific research and our local communities, promoting research as a means of improving our peoples health and economic well being, preserving our Lakota values, and bringing an improved quality of life to the Pine Ridge Reservation. To achieve this, we aim to expand the representation of Native Americans in all STEM areas. It is our hope that our graduates will work with Oglala Sioux Tribal programs to improve water quality, wildlife, and resource management, and K12 STEM education for the benefit of all. Tawa Ducheneaux
Hahaha! I laugh at your silly non-scientific ways. Dylan Brave
Rhonda Kihega with a student at Porcupine School during the Little Shop of Physics event in January.

Scientific trivia

1. On average women say 7,000 words per day. Men manage just over 2,000.
2. More germs are transferred shaking hands than kissing.
Patrick White Cow Killer programming Wowokiye, OLCs PackBot robot with students at LNI in December.
3. The risk of being struck by a falling meteorite for a human is one occurrence every 9,300 years
4. Only three kinds of animals fight battles in formations: humans, crows and ants.
Patrick Lee working chemistry magic with Dr. Gerry Giraud at LNI in December