RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP
The Department of Biology supports research in a wide range of subdisciplines from the molecular and cellular to the organismal to the ecosystem level.
AREAS OF RESEARCH
Aaron M. Bauer, PhD, Phylogenetic systematics and biogeography of squamate reptiles; evolutionary morphology of tetrapod vertebrates
Stephanie Campos, PhD, Chemical signaling in lizards; Chemical Communication, Territoriality, Chemical and Behavioral Ecology, Hormones, Neuroethology
Samantha Chapman, PhD, Ecosystem processes and influencing biotic factors; Impacts of plant biodiversity on carbon and nutrient cycling and microbial diversity
Vikram K. Iyengar, PhD, Behavioral ecology, entomology, chemical ecology, sexual selection and its consequences, evolution of arthropod mating systems
Todd Jackman, PhD, Evolutionary genetics of salamanders and lizards using DNA sequence data
Adam Langley, PhD, Global change ecology, microbial ecology, marsh sustainability
Elizabeth Lee, PhD, Muscle repair and nerve regeneration; neuromuscular junction formation and signaling in cnidarians; cell contractility in wound healing
John Olson, PhD, Metabolic & muscle physiology; ecophysiology; thermogenesis in birds and mammals; mechanical muscle performance of invertebrates and vertebrates
Dana Opulente, PhD, Microbial ecology, evolution, genomics, and bioinformatics.
Michael Russell, PhD, Basic and applied marine ecology, population biology, and fisheries science
Alyssa Stark, PhD, Functional morphology and biomechanics.
R. Kelman Wieder, PhD, Ecosystem ecology & biogeochemistry, wetland ecology; carbon cycling & accumulation/release in boreal peatland ecosystems
Shelby Ziegler, PhD, Marine community ecology and conservation; fish-habitat linkages; spatial variation in food webs; parasites in ecosystem engineers.
Anil Bamezai, PhD, Regulation of CD4+ T lymphocyte development in the thymus and responses to protein antigens in the peripheral lymphoid tissues
Sarah E. Fritz, PhD, RNA biology and gene expression control; function of RNA helicases and RNA-binding proteins in gene regulatory pathways
Megan Povelones, PhD, Cellular and molecular parasitology and host-parasite interactions
Louise A. Russo, PhD, Cell biology & physiology; establishment of the uterine receptive state and fertility; regulated expression of specific cell surface adhesion receptor proteins and degradative enzymes
Troy R. Shirangi, PhD, Neural circuit structure, function and development in Drosophila
James W. Wilson,, PhD, Bacterial pathogens, novel bacterial genes, rotating wall vessel (RWV) culture. Cloned type III secretion systems
Dennis D. Wykoff,, PhD, Molecular genetics of yeast, bioinformatics
Matthew J. Youngman, PhD, Molecular genetics and cell biology of aging; innate immunity and stress resistance
THE GREENHOUSE
The Greenhouse features 2950 square feet of climate-controlled growing space for various projects, including faculty and student research and instructional laboratory use, and houses some of our permanent teaching and research plant collection.