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The 20th annual Department of Biological Sciences Bio-Athlon for high school biology students was held on Wednesday, May 6, at Michigan Technological University. Simultaneously, a workshop was held for the accompanying biology teachers. The Bio-Athlon serves as a means to stimulate interest and problem-solving in biology among our area youth. Teams from 18 Upper Peninsula Michigan high schools participated. |
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Tenure announcement for three Departmental faculty
The Department of Biological Sciences is pleased to announce that the Board of Control has approved:
Appointments to professor with tenure for K. Michael Gibson.
Appointment to associate professor with tenure for Nancy Auer.
Approved promotions to associate professor with tenure for Ramakrishna Wusirika. |
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Student Studies Sleep Apnea, Atrial Fibrillation at Mayo Clinic
A Michigan Tech Biological Scoiences student has investigated a possible link between two serious medical conditions, atrial fibrillation and sleep apnea.
As a senior, Wennie Paladino worked with a pioneering group of sleep apnea researchers at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn. See the summary of the undergraduate research about Sleep Apnea, Atrial Fibrillation from Michigan Tech Expo 2009 |
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Bio Sci Students win 1st and 2nd Places
Nari Kang, a Bioinformatics student, won the 1st Place - Project Award in the Michigan Tech University-wide Undergraduate Research Expo. Her project was titled "Natural Food Preservation Using Oak Leaves" Her advisor is Dr. Ramakrishna Wusirika, Plant Biochemistry and Genetics.
The 2nd Place winner was Nicole Lepinski. Her project was "Characterizing Lapine Meniscal Tissue: A Regional Comparison Between Medial and Lateral Menisci" Her advisor is Dr. Tammy Haut Donahue, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics.
2009 Undergraduate Expo |
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John Mark Gubatan Named Goldwater Scholar |
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Students named to the 2009 National Ski Coaches Association National All-Academic Ski Team |
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Bagley Named President-Elect of Society for Industrial Microbiology
Susan T. Bagley, professor of environmental microbiology in the Department of Biological Sciences, is the new president-elect of the Society for Industrial Microbiology (SIM). |
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New Faculty
Rupali Datta will be a new faculty appointment in the Department of Biological Sciences from the Strategic Faculty Hiring Initiative (SFHI). She has been at the University of Texas at San Antonio. With her collaborators, she has developed a plant-based method of detoxifying soils contaminated by lead-based paint, using vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides). More details
Catherine Tarasoff has accepted a joint appointment in both the Department of Biological Sciences and the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science as an assistant professor. Catherine earned her BS degree from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia, in natural sciences and a PhD in Weed Science from Oregon State University. She is teaching botany at the Department of Biological Sciences More details |
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Michigan Tech & Michigan Tech Research Institute Trip to Bering Glacier Project in Alaska
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The Peter VanDusen Endowed Memorial Fellowship of $1000 was awarded to Martin Holgren Fall Semester 2008.
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Biological Sciences Alumni Matthew Songer M.D. the CEO of Pioneer Surgical Technology in Marquette has made a deal with a Chinese manufacturer to provide medical products in China that will open up one of the fastest growing markets for spine products.
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State Authorizes $25 Million for Great Lakes Research Lab at Michigan Tech. The project will include construction of a three-story research building and enhancement of Michigan Tech's waterfront, said W. Charles Kerfoot, professor of biological sciences and director of the Lake Superior Ecosystem Research Center |
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Better Testing = Better Performance
by Dennis Walikainen
Getting another shift or another goal out of a hockey player entails how to measure—and ultimately improve—performance.From Michigan Tech Research Magazine 2008 |
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Recent Publications
Graduate student John Lawrence and Assistant Professor Jason Carter published a paper, "Vestibulosympathetic Reflex During the Early Follicular and Midluteal Phases of the Menstrual Cycle," in the American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism, volume 294, issue 6, 2008.
Graduate student John Durocher, physician Darin Leetun of Portage Health and Assistant Professor Jason Carter published a paper, "Gender Differences in Hockey Players During On-Ice Graded Exercise," in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, volume 22, issue 4, 2008.
Assistant Professor Jason Carter published an invited review, "Sympathetic Responses to Vestibular Activation in Humans," in the American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, volume 294, issue 3, 2008. |
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Tom Rodeheffer captained the research vessels
Tom Rodeheffer passed away early Friday morning, August 8, 2008, he was employed with Michigan Technological University where he was Laboratory Supervisor for Biological Science and captained the research vessels, Lake Breeze, Navicula and Agassiz for the university. |
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Charles Kerfoot (Biological Sciences) received $79,606 for one year from the National Park Service for "Determine Invasion Status and Ecological Effects of an Exotic Zooplankter in Several Great Lakes Area Parks." Kerfoot could also receive a three-year award of $189,880 with this project. |
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The 19th annual Department of Biological Sciences Bio-Athlon for high school biology students was held on Wednesday, May 7, at Michigan Technological University. Simultaneously, a workshop was held for the accompanying biology teachers. The Bio-Athlon serves as a means to stimulate interest and problem-solving in biology among our area youth. Teams from 18 Upper Peninsula Michigan high schools participated. |
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Sophomore Nordic skier Jenna Klein, a biology student who holds a 4.00 GPA, competed in the NCAA Skiing Championships for the second straight year, was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team . The Ely, Minn., native led the team with a 92nd-place finish on the United States Skiing Association National Points List. |
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New Research
Nancy Auer (Biological Sciences), "Employing National Geographic Crittercam to Study Largest Freshwater Great Lakes Fish, the Lake Sturgeon," $26,000
•W. Charles Kerfoot (Biological Sciences/Lake Superior Ecosystem Research Center), "Instrumentation of Isle Royale Ferry, Ranger III," $17,000 |
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Michigan Tech Research Magazine 2008
Nancy Auer is highlighted: “Is anybody looking at the biology in Vitus Lake?” See page 4
Jason Carter, chair of exercise science, health and physical education, and John Durocher, a biological sciences graduate student, have been researching performance in a new way. See page 21
Download PDF of Michigan Tech Research magazine |
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Kristopher K Nitz, Biological Sciences awarded 2nd Place in Graduate Student Council Poster Session
Environmental Factors Related to Adfluvial Migration by Coaster Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in the Salmon Trout River in Northern Michigan. |
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Professor W. Charles Kerfoot's research in the field of resurrection ecology is featured in the February edition of the Scientist. You can read Ivan Oransky's story, "Evolution, Over Easy," at http://www.the-scientist.com/2008/2/1/19/2/ |
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Michigan Tech & Michigan Tech Research Institute Trip to Bering Glacier Project in Alaska
Vice President for Research David Reed has approved the grants recommended by the Faculty Scholarship Grant Committee. Out of 24 proposals they awarded partial funding for 13, including a grant to
Associate Professor Nancy Auer for Development of Research Opportunity in Biological Systems at Bering Glacier, Alaska," $2,350 |
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Professor Michael Gretz (Biological Sciences) has received $56,261 from the University of Rhode Island as part of a collaborative project funded by the United States Department of Agriculture entitled "Physcomitrella as a Heterologous Expression System for Investigating the Functions of CESA-like Gene Products." |
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Dr. Matthew N. Songer, M.D. presented a seminar “Advances in Tissue Regeneration and Bone Replacement.”
Songer is a 1979 Biological Sciences alumnus. His company Pioneer Surgical Technology, which he founded in 1992, has recently acquired new technologies in tissue regeneration. He received his M.D. in 1983 from the University of Illinois Medical School and has been an orthopaedic surgeon at Marquette General Hospital since 1989. He is a member of the College of Sciences and Arts Academy.He was honored at the 2007 Alumni Awards Banquet
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Michigan Tech and
Michigan Dept of Natural Resources
Lake Sturgeon Planting in the
Ontonagon River ---- Pictures and video clips |
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Summer 2007: Detroit Area Precollege Engineering Program's (DAPCEP) Explorations at Michigan Tech:
Biotechnology, Physics & Exercise Science |
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Brent Bellinger, Ph.D., Earns Bold Award
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| Climate Change Series Features Tech |
Michigan Tech faculty and staff provided freelance writer Kate Alvord with plenty of material on the effects of global warming for this in-depth series in Keweenaw Now.
The three articles touch on everything from the warming of Lake Superior to snowmaking at Mt. Ripley. You can read about it here:
Lake Superior warming fast .
Lake Superior Basin feeling heat
Businesses feel the heat . |
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Former Biological Sciences Faculty Member Dies
William Sottile of Rockford, Ill., formerly on the faculty of the biological sciences department, passed away Sunday, July 15, at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago as a result of a cardiac event.
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The 18th annual Department of Biological Sciences Bio-Athlon for high school biology students was held on Wednesday, May 9, at Michigan Technological University. Simultaneously, a workshop was held for the accompanying biology teachers. The Bio-Athlon serves as a means to stimulate interest and problem-solving in biology among our area youth. Teams from 18 Upper Peninsula Michigan high schools participated. |
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Ramakrishna Wusirika has received $100,000 from the US Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, for his two-year project, "Identification and Characterization of Bidirectional Promoters in the Rice Genome: A Pilot-Scale Study." |
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Michaele Gundale, who earned his MS in Biological Sciences at Tech studying the
effects of earthworms on forest ecology, is cited in this story in the South
Bend Tribune. To read "Worms Best in Garden, Not Forest," visit
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Bryophyte
Ecology:
Janice Glime's textbook on Bryophyte Ecology
For more than ten years Dr Glime has been working on a book on bryophyte ecology. As the book progressed, the field of
bryophyte ecology progressed faster. No chapter ever seemed to stay finished, hence the decision to publish online.
The book is evolving into an encyclopedia that would be at least three volumes.
In keeping with the sharing nature of bryologists, and the need to educate the non-bryologists
about the nature and role of bryophytes in the ecosystem, Dr Glime says her personal goals could best be accomplished
by publishing online. One great advantage of publishing online is the use of lots of color
images and the chance to update. Dr Glime hopes that the questions and hypotheses posed in the book will inspire students of all ages to pursue them.Read the article 'Online Bryology Book Gains Grateful Readership' by Marcia Goodrich or look at the book Bryophyte
Ecology: |
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Patricia A. Asselin, department coordinator for the Department of Biological Sciences, has earned the Making a Difference Staff Award for Serving Others award, which recognizes staff who improve the value and efficiency of the services they provide, maintain a consistently high quality of service to university clients and anticipate client needs and potential problems and create new, cost-effective or innovate methods for solving these problems. Asselin improved the efficiency of graduate school application handling. She also goes above and beyond the call of duty as department coordinator and administrative aide for the Department of Biological Sciences. |
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Associate
Professor Nancy Auer, received $30,394 for
the first year of a possible two-year funding from the Michigan
DNR for "Streamside Lake Sturgeon Culture for the Ontonagon
River, Michigan."
See Associate
Professor Nancy Auer at the Summer
Course for Teachers and Students: Ecology of Lake Superior
on RV Lake Guardian See Benthic
sled, ponars, plankton nets, underwater robot, fish ecology photos and
movie clips |
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'Of
Running in Place and Resurrections: Kerfoot Chases the Red Queen
Hypothesis', Michigan Tech magazine article about Professor W. Charles Kerfoot's research.
Or view PDF Of Running in Place and Resurrections:
Kerfoot Chases the Red Queen Hypothesis PDF |
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Professor
Kerfoot's Resurrection Ecology Research Featured
in Limnology and Oceanography Journal
ABC
News Features Dr. Kerfoot's research
Photos
of lake ecology research (RV Laurentian) |
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Casey
J. Huckins received $28,559 for the fourth year of
a potential six-year project from the Huron Mountain Wildlife
Foundation for "Long-Term Research on Salmon Trout Coasters:
Coho Competition Phase." |
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Take
a ride on the RV Agassiz from campus dock to Torch lake
Photos
and Movies clips of a field trip with high school science
teachers |
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Ratul
Saha earned one of the poster awards at the American
Society for Microbiology, Michigan Branch Spring Conference
at Ferris State Univ.
His poster was: 'Characterization of a New Pseudomonas species
Recovered from Contaminated Metalworking Fluids'
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Tropical
Biology Field
Trip 2006
Dr. Tom Snyder's
Tropical Biology class, students go to
the Bahama's for spring break and get class credit. |
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Senior
luncheon reception for Biological Sciences, Clinical Lab Sciences,
and Bioinformatics students |
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Dr.
Rita Colwell visited
Michigan Tech and the faculty, staff, and students in the
Biological Sciences Department. Dr. Colwell presented in the
Van Evera Distinguished lecture series “Global
Infectious Diseases in an Era of Bioterrorism” in
the Rozsa Cente on Monday evening February 20th. |
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The
BL3210 - Microbiology class had a"Dress like your adopted
microbe" Halloween Costume Contest |
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Alumni
in Academy of Sciences and Arts
Dr. Joseph Roti Roti, a member of the College of Sciences
and Arts Academy of Distinguished Alumni, visited Michigan Tech
in September to attend the Anniversary celebration for the academy
and the induction of Dr. Jeffrey Jentzen |
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'Exceptional
advances in the study of fish biology'
NOAA National
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) biologist Dr. Jason
Link has been named the 2005 recipient of the FSBI
Medal for fisheries scientists who have made exceptional advances
in the study of fish biology and fisheries science. Jason
earned his PhD. in Biology in 1995 at Michigan Tech |
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Hi-tech
solution to wastewater
Dr.
Srisuda Dhamwichukorn designs a cleaner technology
for industrial wastewater treatment --- and published a book
on meditation: Optimistic Wisdom. Read
about the accomplishments and the new book. |
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Agencies,
groups work to bring back the coaster brook trout
Coaster
Trout Movie (Quicktime)
(Real
Player)
Casey
Huckins was included in an Associate Press story
on efforts to bring back the coaster brook trout. It ran in
a number of papers in the Great Lakes area, such as the appeared
in the newspapers as an AP story |
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Michigan
Tech Biological Sciences Students Win First at ASM Spring Meeting Poster Session |
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