< Back | A to Z Index | Search | Home
Biology Department Newsletter
Volume 6 Number 7 May 2, 2003
Letter from the Editor (menu)
It's hard to believe that this is the last newsletter of the academic year. As always, the time just seems to fly by. It has been a particularly "quick" semester for me since I've been on sabbatical. I've had a great semester writing ("Spring wildflowers of St. John's"), making maple syrup, working in the herbarium, and upgrading my Plant taxonomy teaching materials.
I am also looking forward to my summer. In addition to working with Sarah Hegg on a project to study the airborne pollen and mold flora of campus, during June I'll be teaching a course at the University of Minnesota Lake Itasca Biological Station. Later in the summer I will spend a week or so surfing near Myrtle Beach (SC). I hope that you have equally exciting plans and look forward to seeing you all in the fall.
To our graduating seniors I want to wish you all the best. Please don't hesitate to visit or contact us - you are always welcome.
Have a great summer!
Student News (menu)
Greg Dukinfield recently defended his thesis research on creatine supplementation in frogs.
Matt Hiemenz recently gave a presentation on campus entitled, “Regulated targeting of a protein kinase into a flagellum: understanding molecular addresses for proteins
Karolanne Hoffman received the 2003 Caritas Award. Congratulations!
Trisha McIntyre & Sara Scott recently gave a poster presentation entitled, “Medicinal Plants of Bagaces, Costa Rica” at CSB/SJU Scholarship Day, the St. Cloud State Creativity & Research Conference, and the annual meeting of NCUR (National Conference for Undergraduate Research) that was held in Salt Lake City.
Shenique Albury & Matthew Novak presented a poster entitled, "Transmission mechanism of a rust among leaves of eastern leatherwood (Dirca palustris)" at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research meeting that was held in Salt Lake City, UT.
Julianne Carvelli & Jason Bauer presented a paper entitled, "Fluctuating asymmetry as an indicator of environmental stress in Drosophila melanogaster" at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research meeting that was held in Salt Lake City, UT.
Laurinda Showen presented a paper entitled, "Behavioral responses to models in relatin to the visual communication system in adult dragonflies (Odonata : Anisoptera)" at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research meeting that was held in Salt Lake City, UT.
Robert M. Crowley & Shenique Albury presented a poster entitled, "Vegetation history of Collegeville, Minnesota derived from lacustrine fossil pollen" at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research meeting that was held in Salt Lake City, UT.
Kent Willette writes that he is currently with the MN DNR Scientific and Natural Areas Program. "I'm a leadworker and have a crew of 2-4 people and we restore prairies and woodlands I love my job!"
Congratulations to Nate Rose (Senior, Biology), Emily Drake, Cindy Panek and Sara Keane who were accepted to U-MN Vet School.
Julie Frieler (Deters), a Biology grad, is currently working as an Associate Consultant with Prairie Land Management in Glenwood. She loves what she is doing – she originally started out doing a lot of “hands-on” work and has progressed to a supervisor and more of a land management planner now.
Katrina Viegas (Biology '03)recently gave a poster presentation entitled "Response of Helianthus annuus roots to changes in soil density" at CSB/SJU Scholarship Day and the St. Cloud State Creativity & Research Conference.
James Wollock recently gave a poster presentation entitled “Is spring coming earlier? An analysis of flowering data from Hepatica americana" at CSB/SJU Scholarship Day and the St. Cloud State Creativity & Research Conference.
Anna Norman recently defended her honors thesis entitled, “Genetic Engineering of Embryonic Stem Cells Using the Cre/lox System.”
Carrie Otis (left) writes that she “recently finished up a huge project
of cutting, piling, and burning 14 acres, affectionately called "ANA" (which stands for Ashland Natural Area). We are almost done with another 7 acre parcel of land as well.” She and Megan Kleibacker have been developing a service-learning based environmental education curriculum as part of their Americorps experience in Oregon.
Faculty News (menu)
Dr. Larry Davis (and Johanna Davis) gave a Friday Forum presentation entitled, "Dutch Oven Cooking."
Dr. Bill Lamberts gave a Friday Forum presentation entitled, "My Trip to China." Bill (and S. Saupe) also served as botanical consultants to analyze algae in water samples from Pelican Lake.
Dr. David Mitchell reports that his Merck/AAAS grant was renewed.
Dr. Stephen Saupe was one of three winners of the Tom Creed Award for Effective Electronic Pedagogy. The committee stated that Dr. Saupe “…has displayed outstanding use of the Web, including most notably the development of a Web-based newsletter alerting students and faculty of events, opportunities, and others’ work in the Biology department. The committee appreciated the thoroughness and personality reflected in his extensive personal and class Web pages." Steve also presented a Friday Forum ("Tales from the Crypt: The CSB/SJU Bailey Herbarium"), was invited to speak at Kirkwood Community College (Cedar Rapids, IA) on “Spring Wildflowers,” and he worked with Dr. B Lamberts as a botanical consultant to analyze algae in water samples from Pelican Lake.
Dr. Shawn Thomas, currently at Delta State University, will join the CSB/SJU Biology faculty in the fall. Among her responsibilities will be teaching courses in anatomy & physiology. Please be sure to extend a Benedictine welcome to Dr. Thomas when she arrives.
Dr. Manuel Campos won the Sister Mary Grell Teacher of Excellence Award for 2002 - 2003. This is the most prestigious award issued by our institutions. Congratulations to Mani for this well-deserved recognition.
Dr. Elizabeth Wurdak won the Natural Science Division Advisor of the Year (2002 - 2003) Award. This award is given to recognize individuals for their outstanding work with students. Congratulations!
Curriculum News (menu)
Biology Major Field Test results have arrived!
The graduating seniors took the Biology Major Field Test in January, and we (finally) have all of the results. The exam is a broad-based one encompassing all aspects of biology from macro ecology to microbiology and everything in between. This is an exam taken by Biology majors from many other institutions, so we can compare scores of our students to those of other schools. Shenique Albury and Geraldine Nefzger tied for top score among all students. Emily Grose and Anna Norman were the next highest CSB students. Greg Dukinfeld was the top scoring SJU student, Sean Laidig and Justin Pattee were the next highest. Students who want the results of the Biology MFT should contact Dr. Reagan.
Advisors for Pre-Professional Programs
| Pre-Chiropractic | Ed McIntee |
| Pre-Dental | Manuel Campos, David Mitchell |
| Environmental Studies | Derek Larson |
| Pre-Forestry | Stephen Saupe |
| Pre-Medicine | Manuel Campos, Dave Huber, Jeffrey Anderson, David Mitchell |
| Pre-Occupational Therapy | Manuel Campos, David Mitchell |
| Optometry | David Mitchell, Manuel Campos |
| Pre-Pharmacy | Ed McIntee |
| Pre-Physical Therapy | Julie Deyak, Scott Bierscheid |
| Pre-Physician Assistant | Manuel Campos, David Mitchell |
| Veterinary Medicine | Ronald Henry |
Writing and Discussion Flags Eliminated
The following motion was approved by the Joint Faculty Assembly on March 20, 2003: The writing and discussion flag requirements in the core curriculum are eliminated for the class of 2003 and subsequent classes. Please contact the Registrar’s Office if you have questions regarding the elimination of the Writing and Discussion flags.
Biology Department Curricular Changes/Clarifications
Biol371 requires completion of, or concurrent registration in, 3 courses, amounting to 12 credits, in the department. This course is intended for students doing library research rather than laboratory research. Students will complete the ILP form which requires a moderator and department chair signature. Students cannot self register via Webster. Credits will not count toward the major.
Biol271 does not require 12 credits in biology.
Biol372 is limited to biology and natural science majors who have taken at least 12 credits of biology. Students will have to complete paperwork prior to registration in the same manner that they will for Biol371. This course is intended for students doing laboratory research. These credits may count toward the major.
Biol373 may count toward the major at the discretion of the department chair.
Biol374 does not count toward the major because it is primarily a skills course. Only S/U grading is available for this class.
Calendar of Events (menu)
| May 2 | Biology Club Picnic |
| May 3 | Wildflower Walk - St. John's Arboretum |
| May 5 | Anatomy & Physiology Poster Session; 10 am |
| May 17 | Arboretum Plant Sale |
| June 28 | Society for Conservation Biology Meeting - Duluth, MN |
Biology Club News (menu)
The Annual Bio Club BBQ and Softball Game
The festivities will take place this Friday at 4:30. Free food and pop! This is a great opportunity to have fun and a chance to see our profs in action out on the softball field. Also, we will be having elections for officers for next year, so if you are at all interested in running, make sure to be there!
Biology Club Officers:
Greg Dukinfield (co-President)
Amanda Fricke (co-President)
Anna Norman (Treasurer)
Theresa Lonsky (PR Liaison)
Scholarships/Graduate Study (menu)
Vascular Plant Systematics at Lake Itasca
Need to take a cool course this summer? Consider taking a course through the University of Minnesota Lake Itasca Biological Field Station. They offer a unique set of field/ecological courses including Vascular Plant Systematics that will be taught by our own Dr. Saupe. For more information contact Dr. Saupe or visit their website.
Interested in Veterinary Medicine?
A recruiter from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine was recently on campus to discuss application procedures, required courses and other information. If you missed the session and are interested in veterinary medicine, contact Dr. R. Henry.
Fulbright Scholarships
If you are interested in applying for a Fulbright Scholarship, contact Dr. Scott Johnson, Department of Political Science.
The Ambassadorial Scholarships Program - Rotary Foundation.
Information is available online.
Links for Scholarships/Grants/Fellowships for Graduate Study
Conserving Wisconsin's rare plants and animals, natural communities, and State Natural Areas
The North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station in Ames, Iowa conserves extensive germplasm collections of agronomic and horticultural crop plants and of their wild and weedy relatives as part of the US National Plant Germplasm System. They are hiring a new curator for Echinacea and Hypericum to join our curatorial team. For more information contact, Mark P. Widrlechner, Ph.D.; USDA-ARS Horticulturist; North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station; Iowa State University; Ames, Iowa 50011-1170; USA phone: 515-294-3511; fax: 515-294-1903
Missouri Department of Conservation - Wetland Botanists-Arc View/GPS Technicians
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is now accepting applications for 10 field technicians in two areas of expertise: 1) wetland plant identification and 2) Arc View/GPS. For more information contact Vicki Heidy, Missouri Department of Conservation, Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102
Center for Plant Conservation - Manager of Conservation Programs
This person will coordinate our Technical Program for our network, manage our technical assistance to institutions and professionals outside the network (workshops, symposia, publications, web resources, etc), supervise staff managing our database and information systems, and advise on environmental policy and comments to federal agencies, etc. We are looking for a unique person with a good grounding in conservation principles (and ability to work with the technical community), but also good people skills, and a good dose of practical experience with the frustrations and joys of working to make recovery happen out there on the ground--working with a variety of partners. To learn more about us visit our website or contact Kathryn Kennedy, Executive Director; Center for Plant Conservation; P.O. Box 299; St. Louis, MO 63166-0299.
Careers in Botany.
Interested in botany, check out this site from the Botanical Society of America.
Graduate Assistantship to study a Rare plant (Macbridea caroliniana)
A Ph.D. assistantship opportunity is available to conduct research on the globally imperiled Carolina bogmint (Macbridea caroliniana) in Congaree Swamp National Monument. The goals of this project are to map and estimate the size of Carolina bogmint populations, determine the reproductive status, describe habitat relations, identify co-occurring plant species, and evaluate threats from hog disturbance. Interested persons should submit a letter describing relevant experience, interests, technical skills, transcripts, GRE scores and email or postal addresses for two references to: Craig R. Allen, South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634. For additional information: Craig R. Allen (864)-545-4461)
Mussel Survey Positions- 2003
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will be filling student intern positions to assist with a statewide mussel survey. Interns will assist a DNR Malacologist in mussel surveys of rivers throughout the state of Minnesota. SCUBA certification is required. Course work or experience in any of these areas will be an asset: ecology, limnology, invertebrate biology/taxonomy, and data entry. For more information, contact Bernard Sietman; Minnesota DNR; Division of Ecological Services; 500 Lafayette Road, Box 25; St. Paul, MN 55155-4025; 651-282-2509 fax 651-296-1811.
Assorted Opportunities (many of these have deadlines that have either passed or will so do so - contact them immediately if interested)
IBA (Important Bird Areas) Data Coordinator - Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative. For more information, visit their website.
E-Link
E-link is an on-line career tool available to CSB/SJU students and alums. It is a service of the Career Resource Office and can help you find a job, info on a major, access the career calendar of events and lots of other cool stuff. For more information, contact the Career Resource Office.
Web Sites:
Links to Summer Research (better check these out soon!)
Keck Graduate Institute Of Applied Life Sciences
Summer 2003 Undergraduate Research in Biotechnology and Bioengineering Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences - Claremont, CA. Opportunity to participate in cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research in bioengineering, bioinformatics, applied molecular and cellular biology, and related ethics and business topics. Ten week program: June 2 - Aug. 8, 2003; $3,800 stipend, housing, and travel allowance. For questions, please contact Prof A. Niemz
Internship Links
Links for Undergraduate Research
Seminars/Symposia/Field Trips (menu)
Human Anatomy and Physiology (Biology 326) and Animal Physiology (Biology 323) Poster Session
Come see the results of research projects and enjoy donuts and refreshments on Monday, May 5 2003, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Biology Department Seminar Summary
During the last month the Biology Department has had several excellent seminars. These include "The S15 ribosomal protein gene family of Arabidopsis thaliana" by Dr. Colleen Jacks (Gustavus Adolphus College) and Andy Jones (Ecology, Evolution, and Behavioral Biology; University of Minnesota) spoke on “Systematic Study of Birds of the Philippines." Many thanks to Dr. Charles Rodell for organizing our excellent seminar series this year!
Woodland Wildflower Walk
Naturalists John Geissler and Ron Wienhold will lead this walk on Saturday, May 3rd, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 a.m. Come learn about the woodland wildflowers of Saint John's and catch a rare glimpse of these beautiful spring "ephemerals." The walk will begin at the Saint John’s Arboretum Prairie Kiosk and continue around the boardwalk trail loop into the woods. For more information or directions, call the Arboretum office at 363-3163 or check out our website at www.csbsju.edu/arboretum. Field clothes (long pants and socks) recommended.
Call for Abstracts (Papers and Posters): 17th Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology. 28 June - 2 July 2003, Duluth, MN
The 17th Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology will be held 28 June - 2 July 2003 in Duluth, Minnesota, USA. The local organizing committee is now accepting abstracts for invited symposia, oral and poster presentations. The theme of the meeting, Conservation of Land and Water Interactions, will focus attention on water, forests, wetlands, the Great Lakes and other large lakes and rivers of the world, marine and coastal systems, and associated biodiversity issues. Please note that the topics for invited symposia have already been selected, and that abstracts for symposium presentations are by invitation only.
Abstracts should be submitted for oral and poster presentations and for invited symposia. Instructions for preparing your abstract are available on the meeting Web site. Please follow the instructions carefully, including all requested information and formatting. Any abstract with errors or omissions will be returned to the sender for correction and runs the risk of missing the abstract submission deadline. Abstracts should be submitted electronically via the meeting Web site. Please visit the URL given below, and note that Web submission is strongly encouraged.
All abstracts must be received by 10 JANUARY 2003. The local organizing committee will attempt to notify all authors by 21 February 2003 regarding the outcome of the review process. For More Information: University of Minnesota Duluth, Continuing Education; 251 Darland, 1049 University Drive; Duluth, MN 55812-3011; Phone: 218-726-7810 -- Fax: 218-726-633; E-mail, web site.
Volunteers Wanted for Society for Conservation Biology's 17th Annual Meeting
The Student Volunteer Committee is now in the process of establishing a database of volunteers for the meeting. Volunteer assignments will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on your registration number in the on-line database. In other words, the sooner you get your name and contact information into the online volunteer database, the better your selection of volunteer assignments will be. As an added incentive for volunteering, the first 100 students who commit to volunteering 12 hours at the conference will have their registration fees waived in exchange for their time. (Additional volunteers will receive reduced registration fees for their time.)
To get your name in the volunteer database, fill out the volunteer form ON-LINE. The student volunteer committee will start matching volunteers with their preferred assignments in April, once the Executive Committee finalizes the scientific program. Come help us make this the best-run SCB Annual Meeting ever! If you have any questions, please contact David Grandmaison via EMAIL.
Miscellaneous (menu)
Team Bio Wins Fruit-at-the-Finish Triathlon
Team Bio, comprised of super-swimmer David Williams (Sophomore, Biology Major), runner Dr. Mani “ The Wind” Campos and biker Dr. Steve “The Rocket” Saupe, brought a victory in the triathlon home to the biology department. Although the Arboretum Team had been trash-talking Team Bio for several weeks, the arboretum wienies couldn’t keep up with the blistering pace set by the biologists. Although Mani’s wife, Elizabeth Sim, who works in the arboretum office had a difficult time deciding who to cheer for, in the end she recognized the phenomenal athletic expertise of Team Bio and dubbed Saupe and her husband “macho men.” This was a much more favorable comment than was received from Linda Saupe who, before the race, called her husband a “loser.” Team Bio will regroup again next year to begin their triathlon dynasty. They welcome all challengers.
External Review
The Biology department was recently evaluated by two external evaluators. One of the reviewers was from Connecticut College and the other from the University of St. Thomas. They have submitted a report that will be useful as the department undertakes a review of our curriculum.
Prescribed Burns Everywhere
Biology department staff and students have been involved in several prairie burns during the past few weeks. Several students and faculty met at Dr. G Brown’s place near Upsala to burn a 10 acre patch of prairie and Dr. Saupe recently participated in a burn in the St. John’s Arboretum to help regenerate oak. In recent years, ecologists and land managers have learned that fire is an integral and important part of any land management and is necessary in a prairie to remove weeds and trees that might encroach. In the forest, the goal is to provide more sunlight for the oak seedlings by burning off the brushy ironwood and maple saplings. The oak seedlings will burn off as well, but they are ecologically adapted to sprout right back after being burned while the others will be set back for a time. The large oak trees are valuable for seed and lumber and we do not want to harm them.
Tap Water Quality in SJU Science Complex
A recent study showed that the tap water quality in PENGL and New Science, including tests for copper and lead, are well within safe limits. For more information, contact Dr. Ganard Orionzi, Safety Officer.
Garlic Mustard – a Noxious Weed
Garlic mustard is a relatively recent invader to Minnesota where it can colonize large areas. It is now a major pest in the metro area, especially in disturbed areas where buckthorn has been recently removed. However, we can get even (“if you can’t beat it, eat it”) because this weed makes excellent pesto in the spring. The leaves of Garlic Mustard can be cleaned and processed just like basil. Mix the cleaned, pureed garlic mustard leaves with parmesan cheese, olive oil and pine nuts to make this delicious pasta sauce with a garlic kick!
Maple Season
We had a great season at the sugar shack this year. Our final tally was 143 gallons of syrup. To put this into perspective, last year with approximately the same number of taps we only made 107 gallons. This year the operation was run by Dr. Steve Saupe (Biology Department) and Arboretum staffers John Geissler & Br. Christian Bresczinski. The "maple sugar man," Br. Walter Kieffer, was available to help this year because he was studying in Europe. We held two festivals and met with countless school groups and students. If you would like to help next year, contact one of the organizers to put you on our call list.
Plant Sale
The St. John’s Arboretum will be holding a plant sale on May 17th from 10 – 3. That same day the Stearns County Horticultural Society and Wild Ones Landscapers will have a plant sale at Riverside Park from 830 to noon.
News from the Melancon Greenhouse - by Susanna Hynes (menu)
News from the CSB/SJU Bailey Herbarium - (menu) - by Stephen Saupe
The Herbarium web site is getting better all the time. I hope that you've had a chance to check it out. Click here to visit the web site. We recently began a specimen exchange program with the herbarium at Western Illinois University. We have received about 70 specimens and have sent them an equal number with many more to come.
Web Sites Worth A Visit (menu)
(have you visited any cool sites lately? Send us your suggestions)
none submitted
Puzzler of the Week (menu)
(Do you know any good puzzlers? Please send us your ideas)
Puzzler (once again - there were no entries. This puzzler must be too difficult so the answers are posted. Be on the lookout for a new puzzler in September)
Can you solve these word puzzles in which words, letters, numbers, and symbols are juxtaposed in such a way to form a phrase or idea? For example - YY4U = Too wise for you. Give it a try:
- Food - Food - Food - Food - Food (Food Chain)
- C | E | L | L (Cell Division)
- Helix (Double Helix)
Helix - Ion < 0 (Negative ion)
- 25 BSc. M.Sc., PhD., DSc. (25 degrees)
- ET (Diet)
ET - INTESTINE (large intentine)
To enter the competition, simply send your answer (anyone can participate!) to Dr. S. Saupe via email or snail mail (c/o Biology Department, St. John’s University, Collegeville, MN 56321), campus mail, or simply slide the entry under my office door, SC335). The winner will be selected randomly from among the correct entries. The winner will receive an official CSB/SJU Herbarium Magnet. Entries are due April 15, 2003.
Joke of the Week (menu)
(Have you heard any good jokes? Please share them with us)
What kind of flowers do you have between your nose and chin?
tulips
Frequently Asked Questions (menu)
What are you doing after graduation?
What are you doing during summer vacation?
For more information, contact:
Dr. Stephen G. Saupe
Professor & Herbarium Curator
Biology Department
College of St. Benedict/St. John's University
Collegeville, MN 56321
(320) 363-2782; (320) 363-3202 (fax); ssaupe@csbsju.edu