“That’s when things went wrong,” he recounted during a Suter Science Seminar on Friday morning. “The bus had no brakes.”

Loaded full of Eastern Mennonite students and their luggage, the bus barreled over sidewalks and hurtled through intersections without control, said Zapanta, reading aloud from a letter he sent his parents at the time. The driver pulled to a stop several times to fix the brakes, but they would soon malfunction again, sending them careening into danger. Eventually, the group of students piled out and waited along the side of the road for another bus to transport them.

It was harrowing moments of chaos like this one that proved formative for the EMU alumnus, who is now a highly accomplished otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat doctor) with Sovah Health in Danville, Virginia. After graduating from EMU, Zapanta earned his MD from the University of Virginia and completed his residency at George Washington University (GWU). He spent 16 years in academics, running the GWU otolaryngology residency program and teaching at the medical school. The doctor, who specializes in facial trauma and sleep apnea surgery, also is a U.S. Army colonel and has numerous awards through his deployments and mobilizations. 

Returning to campus to dispense some life lessons for today’s health science students, Zapanta shared the importance of intercultural experiences at EMU. Before his semester spent abroad, which took him to France in addition to the Ivory Coast, Zapanta said he was an introvert. Through “the power of immersion” and having to navigate conversations with his host families, he said “speaking in a second language tricked my mind into not being shy” and he broke out of his introverted bubble. Through the “organized chaos” of the Ivory Coast, he learned to be flexible and embrace the moment. All of these things, he said, taught him how to comfortably talk to his patients and to “be comfortable with the uncomfortable.”

In addition to stories from his time in the West African country—one other lesson: don’t rely on a photocopy of your passport—Zapanta spoke about his Christian faith, shared photos and tales of memorable trauma patients he operated on, and explained why he chose to leave Washington, D.C., to live and work in rural Danville. 

“I wanted to work in an underserved area,” he said. “I wanted to work somewhere I felt appreciated.”

Zapanta also spoke to students about the science of sleep apnea and introduced them to a new treatment called the Inspire device that protrudes and stiffens the tongue while asleep.

At the end of his lecture, in response to a student who asked what advice he would give his younger self, Zapanta said, “I would tell myself, ‘It will all work out. God has a plan.’”

Zapanta and his wife, EMU alumna Anne Charbeneau Zapanta ’97, have two adult kids and “a very naughty husky.”

There are two more Suter Science seminars scheduled for this semester! For more information on those, visit: emu.edu/science-seminars

Heim’s work focuses on the ways human-influenced environmental change impacts wildlife. Her series of photographs capturing the struggle between two rival owl species earned her last fall. She was named a this year.

She will present at a Suter Science Seminar on Friday from 10:15-11:15 a.m. in Suter Science Center 106. Her presentation, “Wild Heart: Bringing Empathy and Grace to Environmental Storytelling,” will teach audience members how to tap into their curiosity and creative processes and unlock new ways of seeing the world.

Later that day, at 4 p.m., Heim will host an opening reception for an exhibition featuring her photography at the Margaret Martin Gehman Gallery. The exhibition will run through Friday, Oct. 4.

Both events are free to attend and open to the public. Please see the campus map for parking information.

Heim used infrared techniques to photograph at night and limit disturbing the nocturnal owls. Her evocative images capture the last-ditch efforts being made by conservationists to try to save the northern spotted owl from extinction. One of those efforts includes the , which are outcompeting the spotted owl for habitat and resources. 

“This story poses a question with no easy answer: When is it acceptable to kill one wild species to try to save another?” Heim asks in her portfolio, “An Owl for an Owl.”

This won’t be the first time that students in EMU’s Visual And Communication Arts (VACA) program have seen Heim’s photography.

VACA Professor Steven Johnson has known Heim for nearly a decade and frequently showcases her work as an example of powerful environmental storytelling.

“Morgan’s photography is authentic, compassionate and engaging,” Johnson said. “She’s really at the top of her game, and her work aligns perfectly with EMU’s commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability.”

Heim, who lives in Astoria, Oregon, is the founder of , a storytelling and strategy platform for conservation. In 2020, she co-launched , which is aimed at raising the voices of diverse women in the craft of conservation visual storytelling. She is a Senior Fellow with the , and her work has appeared in National Geographic, Audubon, Smithsonian and The New York Times. She has been recognized in Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Siena International Photo Awards and the Big Picture Natural World Photo Competitions.

Each year at ��ݮ����, dozens of expert scientists visit campus to share their insights. Some focus on their cutting-edge research and work in the field, and some share perspectives on social reform and sustainability in the context of science. See more at: .

Each year at ��ݮ����, dozens of expert scientists visit campus to share their insights. Some focus on their cutting edge research and work in the field, and some share perspectives on social reform and sustainability in the context of science. See more at: http://www.emu.edu/science-seminars

As it turns out, scientists like , a professor of molecular neuroscience at George Mason University, already describe neural networks with computers. Blackwell, speaking at a recent Suter Science Seminar at ��ݮ����, showed how these computer models may provide researchers with the key to treating Parkinson’s disease.

Two computer programs for this modeling purpose, , which stands for GEneral NEural SImulation System, and , are available to any online user.

These programs cannot model the entire brain, but they can help neurologists examine small parts of it. Blackwell’s research focuses on a very small network in the basal ganglia, primarily including the substantia nigra, which is Latin for “black stuff,” and the striatum, which is Latin for “striped.” These sections are very close to the center of the brain, and are responsible for movement of muscles.

The substantia nigra itself plays a role in learning habits of movement, such as walking and driving.

“When you’re not paying attention and you’re listening to music, yet you arrive at your destination, it’s because your basal ganglia has, without you thinking about it, done all the correct right turns,” said Blackwell, describing how habits work.

The substantia nigra helps this process by providing dopamine, a chemical vital to basic brain function, to the striatum, another part of the basal ganglia.

When the substantia nigra begins to die, however, less dopamine is released into the striatum. This causes Parkinson’s disease, a medical condition characterized by a hunched posture, a shuffling gait, and trembling. Several treatments exist, including use of L-DOPA or deep brain stimulation. The effects of the L-DOPA wear off over time, and deep brain stimulation is extremely invasive. Blackwell hopes to find another, more effective treatment.

In order to find treatments, scientists must understand Parkinson’s disease. One interesting effect of the disease, according to Blackwell, is that “all of the neurons [in the striatum] are firing at the same rhythm.” In healthy neurons, such synchrony is only intermittent, instead of constant. If Blackwell could understand why this happens, she might be one step closer to treating the disease.

Using computer models that replicate a network of neurons, Blackwell and her team discovered that gap junctions, a kind of bridge between neurons, may be responsible for the synchrony in the striatum. She predicts that, if the gap junctions could be blocked, the nature of the disease might change. Chemicals that block gap junctions might even be a useful treatment.

Blackwell spoke as part of EMU’s Suter Science Seminar series. Lectures are presented by experts in their field and are free and open to the public. Nancy Johnston, a nursing professor from York University, will speak April 13 at 4 p.m. about how the practice of healing suffering has changed over time.

Jim Krauss, president of , wishes Americans would take more responsibility for their health, as if there were no doctors. Of course, people should visit their physicians when their medical concerns are serious and out of their hands, said Krauss at a recent held at ��ݮ���� (EMU).

Krauss’s first experience with healthcare was in a rural town in Paraguay, San Joaquin. His goal as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1980s was to identify and address health concerns in the community. He found an ignorance of germ theory, lack of hand washing, poor nutrition and hydration, unclean water, disease outbreaks, and uneducated midwives.

In San Joaquin, an hour by bus from the nearest market town, there were no doctors, and transportation was dependent on horses, donkeys, and dirt roads. Krauss was not a healthcare professional. How, then, could he address all these concerns?

In part, Krauss depended on a book titled , a book in constant print with updated editions since the 1970s. While this book could not replace a professional when it came to cases requiring specific knowledge and expertise, it did teach the basics of self-care.

Krauss was able to improve community health through education about germs and hygiene and through working with a team of volunteers on such projects as building a cement cistern to keep animals out of the public water supply.

When Krauss came back to the United States after two years in Paraguay, he worked in several hospitals in Florida before coming to in Virginia. He also serves on the EMU Commission for the Sciences.

In Paraguay, people were often able to improve their health “without having a physician present, without having the government authorize or condone a particular activity,” said Krauss. In the United States, the same is often true. Krauss listed several things under the control of ordinary people that affect health, including daily blood sugar tests for diabetics, awareness of sexually transmitted infections, diet, and exercise.

Krauss attributed part of the increase in healthcare costs to lack of individual responsibility, citing obesity and teen pregnancy as examples. He asked if it was “part of our American society that we shed personal responsibility… and then expect the doctor to bring us back to health.”

Krauss spoke as part of EMU’s series. Lectures are presented by experts in their field and are free and open to the public. Joseph Brewer, associate dean for research at Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine, will speak March 20 at 4 p.m. about how B lymphocytes, cells that protect the body from infections, learn to recognize invaders.

Each year at ��ݮ����, dozens of expert scientists visit campus to share their insights. Some focus on their cutting edge research and work in the field, and some share perspectives on social reform and sustainability in the context of science. See more at: http://www.emu.edu/science-seminars

Intuition might say that memory is very precise. Humans rely on memory for everyday habits, driving directions, performing tasks at work, and academic tasks. However, numerous studies in psychology indicate that memories can be created and distorted.

As it turns out, the answer to the question of memory’s precision is not so simple. , an assistant professor of at ��ݮ���� (EMU), explained how cognitive psychologists model memory in a recent Suter Science Seminar.

Cognitive psychology deals with how people “take in information content from the world and process that information and use it in a meaningful way that helps us interact and successfully navigate our everyday life,” said Koop.

Memory is just one way people process information. Humans rely heavily on memory, but Koop cited two studies that suggest memory is not reliable. A series of experiments by psychologist Elizabeth Loftus showed that wordings of questions regarding visual memory could change the details of the memory. Another study by Loftus showed that entirely new memories could be implanted into a person’s mind.

Koop, who has conducted research and published numerous studies on the memory and cognitive psychology, explained that memory can be divided into three sub-processes: encoding, storage, and retrieval. Encoding involves perceiving the world and processing it into memory. Once memories enter the brain, they are stored. They remain stored until the brain recalls, or retrieves, the memories.

Koop used a model developed by Richard Shiffrin and Mark Steyyers called Retrieving Effectively from Memory (REM) to demonstrate these processes. In REM, the process of encoding is assumed to be incomplete and subject to occasional errors. When memories are retrieved, the brain fills in additional details, which also opens the opportunity for new encoding errors.

To explain this model, Koop discussed an experiment in which a participant is asked to memorize a series of words. The participant is then given a second series of words and asked to identify which words are repeats and which words are new. People do this by retrieving aspects of the stored memory and comparing them with the aspects of a word in the second series.

Koop also explained that REM enables researchers to make computer programs that simulate human memory. Demonstrating the process, Koop input a series of to-be-remembered items which the computer then encoded, stored, and retrieved. Human memory can be modeled by changing the computer’s accuracy in encoding and other variables.

Koop spoke as part of EMU’s annual . Lectures are presented by experts in their field and are free and open to the public. Jim Krauss, president of RMH Sentara Medical Center, will speak March 9 at 4 p.m. about his healthcare career that began in Paraguay as a Peace Corps volunteer.

Wrong.

In fact, the United States military combats terrorism and climate change. Both are huge threats to national security.

In this week’s Suter Science Seminar on the ��ݮ���� campus, professor connected two related issues that are central to the university’s educational mission and values: peacebuilding and sustainability. A research professor at EMU’s , Schirch also serves as director of human security at the Washington, DC-based , which works to advance sustainable peace around the world.

Schirch’s perspective on climate change and global stability is bolstered by her wide travels; she has conducted conflict assessments and participated in peacebuilding planning alongside local colleagues in over 20 countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Kenya, Ghana, and Fiji. She earned a PhD in conflict analysis and resolution from George Mason University and is the author of a number of books and other publications.

After briefly explaining the science of global warming, Schirch focused on its political and social effects, rather than arguing for its existence. While much of the American public has varying responses and opinions to the concept of climate change, the view that global climate change is happening is uncontested in the Pentagon, as well as among the majority of the scientific community, she said.

The human response to climate change can be dramatic, Schirch said. When drought caused by global warming mixes with corrupt governments and religious extremism, terrorism can result.

In fact, retired naval commander Admiral T. Joseph Lopez, has argued that the conditions caused by global climate change will “extend the war on terror.” Lopez was among 11 retired military leaders contributing to a 2007 report, “.” Their findings and recommendations to the Department of Defense acknowledge the serious implications of political and social instability caused by the effects of climate change, Schirch said. (Schirch also referenced a 2014 report, “,” in which an expanded advisory board of 16 military leaders echoed the earlier findings.)

North Americans may be less aware of the implications of climate change, Schirch said, because “we actually are living in one of the most climate stable regions of the world.” Nations in the northern part of the globe are less affected by climate change. Ironically, these are the nations that tend to be the worst polluters of the atmosphere.

“As the sea levels rise in the decades and centuries ahead, there will be inundation of coastal areas with loss of settled areas and agriculture land, threats to water, and spread of infectious disease will stress the region,” Schirch said. The result will be forced migrations out of the most affected regions as land becomes unlivable.

Some activists claim that “climate migrants should have the right to move to the countries from which all these bad greenhouse gasses are coming from,” she added.

Though climate change poses serious threats, Schirch concluded with some hopeful ideas. “Climate change is a source of conflict, but it also has potential to be a motivator for collaboration and peacebuilding,” she said. Climate change has potential to bring humanity together with one common goal. She added that the Mennonite tradition has always supported the goals of peace and creation care, even before climate change was a problem.

In a formal response after the seminar, biology professor Jim Yoder described global climate change as a “wicked” problem, a thorny and complex issue that cannot easily be pinned down or solved. Ray Gingerich, emeritus professor of theology and ethics, reminded the audience that both a top-down and bottom-up response are required.

Schirch’s lecture was part of EMU’s annual , made possible by the Daniel B. Suter Endowment in Biology. Six seminars by experts in their field will take place this semester. Lectures are free and open to the public.

Each year at ��ݮ����, dozens of expert scientists visit campus to share their insights. Some focus on their cutting edge research and work in the field, and some share perspectives on social reform and sustainability in the context of science. See more at: http://www.emu.edu/science-seminars

Each year at ��ݮ����, dozens of expert scientists visit campus to share their insights. Some focus on their cutting edge research and work in the field, and some share perspectives on social reform and sustainability in the context of science. See more at: