DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES ALUMNI NEWSLETTER

Bio:Life

B O W L I N G G R E E N S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y

Chair’s messageIt is with sadness that we report the recent losses of Profs. Morgan Brent, Bill Jackson and Francis Rabalais (see the accompanying affirmations of their life successes). I am sure a good number of you remember them as mentors, colleagues, and friends. However, with changes in the department, “hope springs eternal” as we welcome a new cohort of excited and eager minds to explore and develop their scientific skills into the next generation of scientists, health professionals, and entrepreneurs. With good recruiting efforts, we saw a fall 2010 freshman class in biological sciences that was 35% larger than we have experienced in the past several years. This is great news, and we have expectations the fall 2011 class will be 15% larger than last year’s! We appreciate any efforts you have made to enlighten high school students and teachers in your area to the great experience students can obtain at BGSU. These increases are filling our classes to capacity, and we are working hard to give students the content and critical thinking skills they need to be the scientific leaders of the future. To this end, we have been using a great NSF-funded program called SetGo (Dr. Moira van Staaden is one of the principal investigators) to provide up to 40 BGSU students each year with the opportunity to design and conduct experiments alongside faculty and graduate students during the summer. Additionally, your contributions to our extensive scholarship program in biological sciences is providing students the incentive and opportunity to conduct research and gain valuable experience working with faculty. I think of the scientific process like a language: you can take a short course and get the fundamentals, but it is only through immersion that you become proficient. We are trying to provide this immersion for our students. These are tough times for this country as we deal with expenses that are greater than our income (we all know about this!). This also affects higher education, and we will likely be experiencing a substantial reduction in our resources soon. We had renovations to a few labs last year that were helpful to our teaching and research mission, but the potential for a major renovation to Life Sciences (now 45 years old and filled beyond capacity) or a new science building (dedicated to training in emerging fields of biology?) appears to be decades off. Yes, this is a Catch-22 with our increasing enrollment. However, we have a dedicated and ambitious faculty who will weather this storm and continue to provide top-notch training for our undergraduates and graduate students. We hope you are feeling the warmth from the sun as spring creeps forward and that your lives are fulfilling and prosperous. Please let us know what you are up to and come visit us at BGSU when you can. You are always welcome!

— Jeff Miner

Yang’s research recently fundedIn 2008, approximately 245,000 people in the United States were affected with some form of leukemia, including those who have achieved remission or cure. Almost 45,000 new cases last year were diagnosed in the U.S. Increasingly, research is showing that many human diseases including leukemia exhibit sub-cellular patterns of dysfunction. In particular, leukemia, other cancers, and biliary cirrhosis appear to be correlated with the loss of ability to transport material between the cytoplasm and the nucleus (i.e., across the nuclear membrane). To study this, scientists need to be able to document transient molecular interactions at the site of transport on the nuclear membrane, the nuclear pore, and this time-sensitive dynamic is very difficult to track. Using single-molecule fluorescence microcopy techniques, Dr. Weidong Yang and his research team at BGSU have successfully captured moving, three-dimensional images of this critical transit through the cell’s gateway. This work is gaining extensive attention. Recently the main results were published in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Yang was also invited to write review papers on this work for three scientific journals this year. This research was further funded by a National Institutes of Health grant of $400,000 over three years. The immediate goal of the new NIH grant is to utilize this innovative single-molecule microscopy imaging approach to compare a normal cell to a cancer cell to identify what changed, what’s different. Advances expected from this research will directly impact our understanding and development of therapies.

SPRING 2011

Dr. Yang andstudents

LaB focusBio:Life

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Herp Happenings Well, it’s spring and the inhabitants of the herpetology room have come out of winter cool down and are again visiting classrooms and dormitories. While the snakes may have had a period of inactivity, the geckos have been very busy producing eggs during the winter, and we are now experiencing almost daily crested gecko or gargoyle gecko hatchings. We had success breeding Veiled Chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus), with eggs that were laid in August hatching the first week in February. The hatchlings, which are around the size of a quarter when they curl up on a branch, are actively exploring their surroundings as they chase their food of fruit flies and tiny crickets. As is our custom, the corn snakes are paired up and we anticipate lots of hatchlings during the summer. One of the corn snake projects is demonstrating that the “odd” pattern that showed up in one lineage is in fact a new pattern mutant with a recessive inheritance pattern. This season we are pairing “odd” individuals with other pattern and color mutants to observe the effect of double mutants. We have some new acquisitions in the python area. The Toledo Zoo donated two yearling Green Tree Pythons (Morelia viridis) to the “herp” lab in September. And, after years of trying, we have finally managed to get our own green tree pythons to reproduce. Of course it took a new female green tree python (donated by Toledo Herpetological Society member LuAnn Navarre) and lots of attention to habitat details by Herpetarium volunteers, especially Kyle Glonek, for this to occur. Of the twelve eggs that were laid, seven hatched successfully, one yellow and six red. It will take about a year for them to turn the characteristic green color that the common name is based upon. The accompanying picture was taken when two of the hatchlings were three days old. We think they are

beautiful. Now, if they would only do a better job of eating... As the end of the school year approaches, we are getting ready to say farewell to those volunteers who are graduating, including long-term volunteers Cassie Van Nieuwal (current snake coordinator) and Mary Lines (last year’s lizard coordinator), and recent volunteers Kaitlyn Gabriel, Katie Campbell, Averiona Cook, and Brent Heitmeyer. Thank you for all of your help. You will be missed.

Undergraduate Research in Woodruff’s Lab Undergraduate students Adam M. Boulton, Rachel K. Marvin and Christopher C. Wagner in Dr. Ron Woodruff’s lab have new teaching articles in the Drosophila Information Service. Boulton, A. M. and R. C. Woodruff. Experimental observation of underdominance (heterozygous disadvantage) in Drosophila melanogaster. 2010. Drosophila Information Service. 93:245-255. Marvin, R. K., C. C. Wagner and R. C. Woodruff. Confirmation of the Calvin B. Bridges study: Based on nondisjunction, the white gene is located on the X chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster. 2010. Drosophila Information Service. 93:261-266. Also from Woodruff’s lab, undergraduate students Jennifer Marie Fowler and John P. Russell received spring 2011 Center for Undergraduate Research & Scholarship (CURS) grants. The title of their research is “The role of sexual reproduction and recombination in adaptive evolution.”

Marine Lab The BGSU marine lab, established in 1963 by Cindy Stong with only five tanks, now has a wide range of fresh and saltwater creatures, the most popular being the bamboo sharks, octopus and coral reefs system. With Dr. Matthew Partin as the coordinator, the marine lab is maintained by student volunteers. Recently, a group of undergraduate students organized a team to build a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) for scientific use by the department. Inspiration came from Matt Partin, Nigel Dsouza, and Jake Graving after completing a training session for building ROVs at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago last summer. The undergraduate ROV team is lead by Jeff Porter, a biology student specializing in marine biology. The group consists of six members and is working to successfully build a fully functioning ROV that can perform simple tasks such as water sample and specimen collection, and various water tests.

Woodruff named Fellow of top science association

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Distinguished Research Professor of biological sciences Ronny Woodruff can now add another title to his name: Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). AAAS is the world’s largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal Science. The tradition of AAAS Fellows began in 1874. The association announced the prestigious designation Jan. 11. This year’s 503 Fellows “have been elevated to this rank because of their efforts toward advancing science applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished,” AAAS said. Dr. Woodruff was chosen “for distinguished contributions to research and teaching in evolutionary genetics, and to service as director of the Mid-America Drosophila Stock Center and editor of Genetica.” New Fellows were recognized Feb. 19 during the association’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C. The names of the new Fellows also were also published in the “AAAS News & Notes” section of Science on Jan. 28. Woodruff has taught at BGSU since 1977, and is known for engaging students in his vigorous research agenda. In March 2010, he was presented BGSU’s Elliott L. Blinn Award for Faculty-Undergraduate Student Innovative Basic Research/Creative Work. With the help of nearly 90 undergraduate students, Woodruff has studied the mechanisms of evolution using the fruit fly as a model organism. From 2008-2010 alone, he and his students published seven teaching articles and presented posters at several conferences and talks. Founded in 1848, AAAS includes some 262 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated total readership of 1 million. The nonprofit association fulfills its mission to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives in science policy.

Biology faculty Drs. Paul Morris and Vipaporn Phuntumart have once again been featured in a leading national science journal for their work with plant pathogens that might have implications for treatment of human disease. The two were part of a cohort of 53 scientists who collaborated on a manuscript defining highlights of the genome sequence of Hyaloperonspora arabidopsis (Ha), an obligate pathogen of Arabidopsis

thaliana, a small, flowering plant. The article was published in the Dec. 10 issue of the journal Science. Obligate pathogens are those that can only be maintained by growing on their live hosts. The Science issue also included genomic analyses of three more fungal obligate pathogens of plants. An international group of colleagues coordinated the sequence analysis of Ha. “It is always exciting to be part of the team that gets the first look at a newly sequenced genome,” Morris said. “We entered this project hoping that our analyses would give us some understanding of what kind of genes were lost in this genome that would force the organism to adopt an obligate pathogen lifestyle. We were able to do this, but the real surprise, reported in Science, is that other obligate plant pathogens have independently lost some of the same genes.” “Our research focuses on functional analysis of ABC transporters, the proteins that in humans were first identified as causing drug resistance in cancer cells,” Phuntumart explained. “The conservation of ABC transporters genes across these oomycete genomes has made it possible for us to identify the specific genes that protect the pathogen from plant toxins or pesticides.” This project represents the fifth genome project and the fourth manuscript on oomycete genomes to which Morris and Phuntumart have made contributions. Previous manuscripts were published in Science, and Nature and Genome Research.

B I o L o G y f a c U L t y G e t f I R S t L o o k at N e W G e N o M e S e q U e N c e

Drs. Paul Morris and Vipa Phuntumart

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Embedded with the “Guardians of the Great Lakes”

The call came after 11:00 p.m. on Christmas Day. My advisor, Dr. Mike McKay, was calling to inform me that an opportunity was available to sail with the Coast Guard Cutter Neah Bay (WTGB-105) on a five- day mission breaking ice in Lake Erie in support of Operation Coal Shovel, a Coast Guard operation in aid of commercial shipping through the winter ice. Dr. McKay explained that this would be an excellent opportunity to obtain some field experience. The only problem—I would have to report to the vessel in less than eight hours. Over the past two years, the McKay and Bullerjahn labs have partnered with Lieutenant Commander William Woityra and his crew on Neah Bay to couple ice-breaking operations with winter limnology research, a partnership that has allowed us to overcome logistical obstacles to sampling Lake Erie during winter. This research, which has been supported by both Ohio Sea Grant and the Lake Erie Protection Fund, aims to study the connection between abundant growth of algae under Lake Erie’s ice and the formation of the Lake Erie “Dead Zone” in late summer. During the mission, I would be collecting and processing water samples as the vessel steamed through Lake Erie and the connecting waterways to Lake Huron. I met the crew and Commanding Officer, Lt. Cmdr. Woityra, who told me to make myself at home. I toured the boat, found out where I would be sleeping and where the lab equipment was stowed. As we left the frozen harbor and headed toward the western basin of Lake Erie, the effects of the wind on the unfrozen central basin became apparent. The

boat rocked hard with the five- to seven-foot waves as we powered west making it difficult to stand. I made my way to the bridge for a better view as I held tight to the railings. The captain told me once we hit ice, the ride would be much smoother, but I couldn’t help but find the rocking kind of fun. It’s a very good thing I don’t get sea sick. The plan was to head to the Detroit River to help free a tanker that was having problems getting through. After several passes back and forth, the ice was broken enough and we headed back toward deeper waters in the lake where opportunities to start collecting samples in support of our winter limnology project would become available. When appropriate and weather and traffic permitted, I’d notify the bridge and they’d stop the boat and take note of our coordinates as well as meteorological and ice conditions. For my part, I would head out to the deck to collect water samples which I later processed for determination of algal chlorophyll biomass and dissolved nutrients.

This would continue until night when the captain would find a good spot in the ice to stop and anchor us until morning. After a few days of traveling through Pelee Pass, Monroe, and back to the western basin, we steamed back toward Cleveland with a stop at the Cleveland Central Buoy, to collect a detailed water profile. The crew was ready to get back to shore for leave, but I have to admit, part of me wanted it to last a little longer. As we pulled into port, I managed to snap off some fantastic photos of the city. I gathered my things and packed up the preserved samples to take back to the lab as the crew cleaned and readied the boat for shutdown. After the crew was debriefed, I shook hands, said adieu, and left for Bowling Green looking forward to another opportunity to embed with the “Guardians of the Great Lakes.”

By Michael Schultz, graduate student

u.s. coast Guard photo/air station Detroit

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Hawaiian MissionRex Lowe, professor emeritus, and a team of colleagues and students spent January on a research expedition on Kauai, Hawaii. The mission of the expedition, supported by the National Science Foundation, was to collect and describe the freshwater algal flora of Hawaii. The research project discovered and described several new species of algae that appear to be endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Holotype specimens of all new species will be deposited in the Bishop Museum in Honolulu. Dr. Lowe returned to his lab at BGSU in March to continue study of Hawaiian algal collections.

New textbook to Be Released in JulyDr. Scott Rogers has written a textbook entitled “Integrated Molecular Evolution” that is being published by CRC Press and is due to be released in July 2011.

Speaker from University of MichiganDr. Nils Walter, chemistry professor from the University of Michigan, was the 2011 Pasakarnis-Buchannan speaker. His presentation on April 19th was open to the public and titled “Chemistry of Life: Driving Force for the Evolution from Cyanide to the RNA World to Mankind.” His presentation on April 20th to the biology department was on the topic “Scientists Watching Action Movies: Real-Time Single Molecule Fluorescence Imaging of Natural and Engineered Nucleic Acid-Protein Nanomachines.”

Department Personnel changesThere have been quite a few staffing changes in the department of biological sciences in the past year. In the fall of 2009, former word processing specialist II, Marsha Bostelman, took an administrative secretary I position in the College of Health and Human Services. In March 2010, her position was filled by Leslie Cookson from Continuing & Extended Education. Barb Berta, secretary II, left the department and took a position as budget officer I in the chemistry department. In June of 2010, Lorraine DeVenney retired as graduate secretary with 29 years of service. At the start of Fall Semester 2010, Leslie Cookson and Chellie Davies both accepted secretarial positions in the College of Technology. Dee Dee Wentland from the history department and Louise Small, from the theatre department, replaced Lorraine’s secretary II and Chellie’s secretary I positions, respectively. Also new to the office is Dr. Jeffrey Miner, who became chair of the department in the fall of 2010. In addition to changes in the support staff, there were two faculty additions in the fall of 2010. Dr. Daniel Pavuk, who had been working for OSU Extension in the area of agriculture, rejoined the department as an instructor and Ms. Amy Wagner, who previously taught at Owens Community College, became an instructor in the department.

staff members pictured are Louise small, amy Wagner, Dan Pavuk, Jeff Miner, and Dee Dee Wentland.

ClassnotesWanda Bonita Sharpless Gooden, Ph.D. ’02, is a stormwater program manager with the Department of the Army, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Virginia. As a student of Dr. Rex Lowe, she enjoyed “being a part of the department and learning about other students’ research projects and the hard work they put into them.”

David L. Miller, B.S. ’74, now has a Ph.D. and is a water resources planning program head with the National Park Services in Colorado. One of his most memorable moments at BGSU was doing undergraduate research with Dr. Francis Rabalais.

Tristan L. Ula, B.S. ’08, is currently working as a coordinator in the Applied Surgical Research Unit at Summa Health System in Ohio. She fondly remembers “Dr. Underwood’s animals and the BGSU marine lab.”

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Drs. Rex Lowe and Pat Kociolek (a BGsu alumnus and professor of biology at the university of colorado)

a t R I B U t e t o

Dr. William (Bill) Eugene Evans ’53, ’88 (Hon) (1930-2010)Submitted by Robert Michael McKay, Patrick L. and Debra Scheetz Ryan Professor of Biology

The BGSU marine program lost a dear friend last fall with the passing of Dr. William (Bill) Eugene Evans on October 12, 2010. Bill earned his baccalaureate degree from BGSU in 1953 and was honored by the University on multiple occasions; most recently, named one of the 100 Most Prominent Alumni from BGSU to coincide with our 2010 centennial celebrations. We were thrilled that he and his wife Phyllis, along with his son Tim and family were able to join us last April for this celebration. Bill was a world-renowned marine mammal acoustician and ecologist. After graduating from BGSU and following completion of a postgraduate degree at Ohio State University and a brief stint with the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1956, Bill began work in the aerospace industry on a project related to the impact of noise on humans and animals. He was one of the first scientists to work with the United States Navy’s Marine Mammal Program in the 1960s. During his 10 years with the program, his primary areas of research were marine mammal communication, echolocation and population ecology. Following completion of a Ph. D. at the University of California at Los Angeles in 1974, Bill directed the Bioanalysis Group at the Naval Undersea Center. From there, he became executive director of the Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute in San Diego, where he created a world-class research facility which remains prominent in the studies of marine species. Bill’s federal service began in 1984 when he was appointed chairman of the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission and in 1986, he moved to Washington, DC, to serve as the associate administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for Fisheries. This was followed in 1987 by his appointment by President Reagan with Senate confirmation as the Under Secretary of Commerce for the NOAA and the U.S. Commissioner for the International Whaling Commission. As a federal administrator, Bill participated in negotiating environmental and fisheries agreements with a number of countries including Norway, Iceland, Japan, Poland, Korea, the People’s Republic of China, and the former Soviet Union. Upon his retirement from the federal government in 1989, Bill joined Texas A&M University to become the dean of the Texas Maritime College in Galveston. Recognizing the need for science majors to have a university-level course focusing on environmental policy and management, Bill developed a course entitled Environmental and Resource Management, Policy and Politics which he taught for a decade. His retirement from Texas A&M in 1999 brought him back to the Midwest and his home state of Indiana

where he served on the faculty of the University of Notre Dame and as Managing Editor of The American Midland Naturalist. His most recent research concentrated on the study of the history of international environmental policy and how it affects the conservation of threatened and endangered species. With Bill’s retirement to Indiana came the opportunity for him to become reacquainted with his alma mater and our marine program. Over the past eight years of my tenure as the director of BGSU’s marine program, Bill and Phyllis Evans were frequent visitors to our campus. Bill engaged students in our marine program during these visits, meeting with them and regularly speaking to my marine biology class about one

of his passions, whale populations and the role of the International Whaling Commission in managing this resource. The numerous students who interacted with Bill remarked about what a thrill it was to meet someone who had experienced so much in his life—to them, he was a “larger than life” figure, an intrepid explorer who heightened their enthusiasm for marine biology. And being from the Midwest, himself, students saw in Bill the possibilities for their own futures. As Bill wrote to me last November, soon after learning that he had been named as one of our prominent alumni: “I have been blessed with several prestigious honors in my professional life, but this is a very special one. I really wished BGSU had a marine program when I attended for that is where I would have probably been. But you can pass on to your students I am an example that the baccalaureate degree, whatever the concentration, is the beginning—not the end.” Bill’s passing leaves a void in our program—his interactions with the students at BGSU were invaluable. His friendship and guidance to me will be missed. I was very moved to learn that Phyllis Evans requested that memorial tributes to Bill be made to the marine program at BGSU. We are planning a display outside of our marine lab to celebrate Bill’s life and you can be assured that we will do our best to convey Bill’s passion for marine biology to future generations of students at BGSU.

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BGsu President carol cartwright presents Dr. William Evans the Prominent alumni award.

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Obituaries

Dr. William B. JacksonDr. William B. Jackson, Chicago, IL, formerly of Bowling Green, OH, passed away on July 15, 2010. Bill was born September 10, 1926 in Milwaukee, WI. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin and Johns Hopkins University, Bill found his calling at BGSU for 30 years as teacher,

researcher and mentor of the next generation of scientists and leaders, with over 100 graduate students, many from overseas. He was a world expert on rodenticides and pest control, publishing over 200 research and academic papers. In 1985 he was named “Distinguished University Professor of Biological Sciences.” Bill is survived by his wife Shirley, his children Beth, Mark and Craig and their spouses, and two granddaughters.

Dr. Morgan Brent Dr. Morgan McKenzie Brent, Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences, died on February 22, 2011, just weeks after his 88th birthday. Dr. Brent served the University in many capacities, including biological sciences department chair when the present Life Science Building was dedicated. He organized a memorable series of field trips to the University-owned Steidtmann Woods looking for mushrooms, slime molds and other exciting flora and fauna. His research centered on the transformations of amoeba-flagellates. His work was published in a variety of juried publications. During World War II he served as a medical corpsman, and survived the “Battle of the Bulge” in Patton’s Third Army. Taking full advantage of The GI Bill, he earned degrees in parasitology, microbiology and bacteriology from Northwestern University. He also did research during a postdoctoral experience at the University of California, and taught three years at Jefferson Medical School before coming to BGSU in 1957. Dr. Brent’s hobbies included photography during the “develop your own film” era. He was also a skilled amateur artist. He built elaborate sound systems before the era of microchips. During Dr. Brent’s last years he was devoted to his large collection of movies coupled with an extensive research library.

Dr. Francis Rabalais by Dr. Rex LoweDr. Francis Rabalais, or just “Rab” to those who knew and loved him, passed away December 22, 2010. Rab’s wife Carol was by his side and his passing was peaceful. A brief obituary follows but there is so much more about this man than those words describing his history. Rab was a truly unique professor. In addition to his much lauded teaching and research, his love of life, family and friends was never hidden. A most entertaining friend, he introduced many Cajun customs from his Louisiana heritage including the card game bourre, at which Rab was an expert. There are too many stories to tell and many that shouldn’t be told! He is deeply missed by those who knew him well. Rab was born in Bunkie, LA in 1937. At a young age he left home and joined a traveling rodeo group as a bull rider that took him to many places for rodeo competitions, including Cuba. After this stint resulting in many broken bones, Rab decided perhaps he should get an education. He received his Ph.D. from Louisiana State University under the well-respected parasitologist, Dr. Harry Bennett. He completed a post-doctorate fellowship at the School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene at the Medical School of Tulane University under Dr. Paul Bever, who was a world-renowned parasitologist. During his 26 years at BGSU numerous masters and doctoral students completed degrees under his supervision. His disciples are educators, researchers and department chairmen at numerous colleges and universities (both large and small), the Director of Parasitology at CDC, a pediatrician, in the military and a millionaire toy maker (unless he lost his money on another venture). Rab also raised and showed Labrador retrievers for a number of years. His successes included: finishing 32 champions, owning the “number one Lab” in the USA, owning and breeding multiple dogs in the “top 10 Labradors” and owning the sire of the “number one Lab” in the USA for two consecutive years. He trained all breeds of dogs for fieldwork, shows and obedience. He also had much experience with alternative livestock including dama wallabies, wolves, ratites, 30 species of parrots and finches, a variety of reptiles, ferrets, chinchillas, waterfowl (duck, geese and swans), fowl (both wild and domestic), exotic sheep and goats. Rab retired from BGSU in 1994 to a 100 plus acre farm in northeast Tennessee. He enjoyed spending time with his wife, Carol, gardening, raising Katahdin sheep and miniature horses.

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People magazine recognizes a ‘Hero Among Us’Dena Krishnan would not be in medical school if it weren’t for her time at BGSU. Krishnan, a fourth-year osteopathic medical student at Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) in Harrogate, Tenn., was recently featured in People magazine as one of its “Heroes Among Us” for her work with people in rural Appalachia.A straight-A student in high school, the Perrysburg native went to Xavier University and graduated feeling discouraged. “I thought I could do everything but I wasn’t standing out,” she said. Krishnan decided to head to BGSU to take a few graduate courses, and was encouraged to get her master’s degree. She joined the lab of Dr. Lee Meserve, Distinguished Teaching Professor of biological sciences. The move would change her life. Krishnan gets tears in her eyes when she talks about the effect Meserve had on her. “He was my mentor; he took an interest in me as a person and wanted me to achieve my dreams. I went through some personal challenges while I was at BGSU and Dr. Meserve cried with me and encouraged me.” “Her personality, her warmth, the way she cares about people—it was obvious she would do well in a teaching assistance setting,” said Meserve. “When I got to the point of writing a reference letter, I knew that if she wasn’t out there in health care the world was going to be worse off. I’m so proud of her. She’s going to make a big splash; she’s already making a big splash.” “So many young people get discouraged,” Krishnan said. “I was lucky to meet someone who took such an interest in my life and wanted me to be successful in all aspects—professionally and personally. If it weren’t for him I would not have applied to medical school.” Her first two years at LMU-DCOM were tough emotionally. “Medical school was very isolating for me. It was nonstop studying. The focus is on grades and class ranking. I just really wanted to start helping people. I needed to get rejuvenated.” That rejuvenation came from the Gesundheit! Institute, which is run by Dr. Patch Adams, the nontraditional doctor immortalized in 1998 by Robin Williams in the movie Patch Adams. Krishnan reached out to the institute and received a voicemail from Dr. Adams himself. She joined him and dozens of others on a life-altering trip to Costa Rica. “We dressed in clown costumes every day and visited everything from children’s hospitals to the slums. I saw Dr. Adams work tirelessly in the

draining heat for hours on end. He would seek out a patient’s mother or a nurse and give them a hug, tell them he loved them. It was incredible to see how much he cared about people.” Her time with Dr. Adams made her realize she wanted to continue humanitarian work, but the living conditions in rural Appalachia shocked her. “The people are proud and grateful for the help, but you never get used to seeing poverty and neglect. So many conditions are preventable.” Krishnan was encouraged to let her emotions show and to not be afraid to cry with her patients. A People journalist and photographer followed her for a week during her month-long rural primary-care rotation. She also kept a journal, which she gave to them when she was finished. Seeing the article came as a shock. “It was like winning Miss America. I was crying, screaming, I didn’t realize the photo of me would be the main focus.” Choking back tears, Krishnan says it’s wonderful to be recognized for all her hard work. “Doing what you love is the most revolutionary thing you can do.”

S t U D e N t o R G a N I z a t I o N SThe Marine Biology Association (MBA) is an educational group dedicated to offering hands-on experience to students outside the classroom for a better understanding of the marine sciences. This year has been a busy one for the organization with trips to the Toledo Zoo, Indianapolis Zoo, Georgia Aquarium, and Cedar Point for the annual fundraiser. In cooperation with Dr. Nicholas J. Hennessy, the sustainability coordinator at BGSU, MBA started a campus-wide recycling project. This project involves collecting old electronics that are normally thrown away and end up in landfills, and sending them to ThinkRecycle where they are disposed of properly. MBA members also painted the BG rock on campus this semester and spent spring break in Key Largo, Florida where students learned to scuba dive and visited Tim Birthisel’s live-rock farm.

BGSU’s Alpha Beta chapter of Beta Beta Beta started spring semester with a night of stargazing with the astronomy department. The group also learned about the scanning electron microscope in the biology department’s Electron Microscopy Center, and attended a SetGo event about undergraduate research. At one meeting, Eddy Pausch from the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge talked about internship and career opportunities with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and former BGSU undergraduate and BBB member, Jennifer Chaffin, spoke about her field experience with the National Park Service and the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. Tri-Beta also toured the Wood County Humane Society and collaborated with the Biology Graduate Student Association for the showing of the documentary, Bag It, which showcases the widespread global effects of our excessive use of plastics.

People magazine recognizes a ‘Hero Among Us’

Bio:Life is made possible through a kind donation from BGSU alumnus Dr. Robert cape, who received a bachelor of science degree in 1964 and a master of arts degree in 1966. We welcome your comments at dmclean@bgsu.edu.

eric carlsonRex Loweamanda LyonsR. Michael MckayDeb McLeanJeff MinerMaitreyee Mukherjee

Editor: tamera Wales

coNTRIBuToRsBio:LifeScott RogersMichael Schultzeileen Underwoodtamera Wales Ronny WoodruffWeidong yang

f a c U L t y a W a R D S a N D R e c o G N I t I o N S

Several biology faculty members were recognized at the annual Faculty Recognition Dinner held on March 22. Those presented with awards were Dr. George Bullerjahn and Dr. Weidong Yang. Bullerjahn was awarded the Olscamp Research Award, a University award that recognizes outstanding academic or innovative research achievements over the past three years. Yang was awarded the Young Investigator Award, a

national award that recognizes young scholars for their accomplishments in research. Dr. Carlton Lee Rockett, professor emeritus, was recognized for his retirement with 39 years of service and Dr. Roger Thibault was recognized for his retirement with 35 years of service. Others also recognized for service were Drs. Donald Deters and Eileen Underwood with 25 years and Dr. Helen Michaels with 20 years.

FISHing In GermanyBy Maitreyee Mukherjee, Ph.D. student

At the Detroit Airport on the evening of August 30, I was off all alone to a totally new place, a new city, a new country and not to mention, a whole new continent. I was going to The Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Marine Microbiology in Germany to learn the technique of Fluorescence in-situ Hybridization (FISH) from the great scientists who are synonymous with this field. I felt extremely thankful to my advisors Drs. George Bullerjahn and Mike McKay—as well as funding through the Ryan Professorship—for providing me with this unique opportunity. Fluorescence in-situ hybridization is a modern DNA-based molecular tool using specific fluorescence-labeled DNA-probes to identify and count the total number of specific organisms in an environmental sample. My dissertation research involves identification and quantification of microbes in Lake Superior responsible for a century-long rise in nitrate in the lake, part of a four-year NSF project award to Drs. Bullerjahn and McKay. Hence, learning this technique had become very important for this research to be successful. After reaching Germany, my first destination was Hamburg, where I took a three-hour ferryboat trip to the gorgeous, tiny island of Helgoland, where the group from MPI was staying for a week on a field trip as part of the training course. We were a group of about 25

people including the instructors and professors who stayed together in a dorm. During the day we worked at the Alfred Wegener Institute station Biologische Anstaldt Institüt Helgoland, collecting and processing samples from the North Sea for the FISH application. Dr. Bernhard Fuchs, coordinator of the course, and the instructors worked very hard to teach us every step involved in FISH. On the sixth day, it was time to meet the well-known Professor Dr. Rudolf Amann, director of the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology. I felt honored to meet, talk and listen to a presentation from this great yet very humble professor who has made such genuine contributions to the world of molecular microbial ecology. After Helgoland, we traveled to Bremen on the mainland where the institute stands tall on the University of Bremen campus. The institute comprises broadly of three departments: Microbiology, Molecular Ecology and Biogeochemistry that work closely together focusing on the basic marine processes to understand the role of microorganisms on the biogeochemical cycles of the world. These few days at MPI helped me broaden my research perspectives to a great extent, providing me with a global experience of the work conducted in the field of aquatic biology. Everything that I learned will remain as a focal point of my research career in molecular microbial ecology.

Drs. Mike ogawa and George Bullerjahn

Drs. Mike ogawa and Weidong Yang

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2010 Alumni/Friends Contributions Exceed $18,000

alan Plona and Renee Birnbaumscott Rogers (in memory of Dr. stan smith)Mary RupnowWilliam sarverJames and Tonda schmunkfarida sidiq (in memory of Dr. stan smith)Karen sirum (in memory of Dr. stan smith)Gregory and Elizabeth smith (in memory of christa Bowen)Brent TakemotoRoger Thibault (in memory of Dr. stan smith)Weaver Master BuildersRobert and Karen Weilandsondra Zigler

alumni Sophomore ScholarshipLinda BabcockTerry and Terri BreymanEric and Elizabeth HansonJohn McDowDebra steffens

fisher ScholarshipDr. Emil DanskerMarjorie and clarence smith (in memory of Dr. T. Richard fisher)

Graham Scholarshipalfred and carol ayalaDavid MccormickThomas McQuistion

karlin awardTerry and Janice HuffordGerald and Paula Levy

Mckinney-Whitwer ScholarshipPatricia BauerRev. Dwight Bowers

Suzanne k. Miller Undergraduate assistantshipssuzanne Miller-Kobalka

Myra Patchen ScholarshipEhren chiropractic centerMyra Patchen

Romans ScholarshipLee and Margaret Meserve Terry and Phyllis MorrowJohn and Bonnie Mucha (in memory of Dr. Robert Romans)Brent Takemoto (in memory of Dr. Robert Romans)

Steidtmann ScholarshipKeith ImlerGeorge and charlotte Kalligeros

Biological Sciences Scholarship/General foundation accountPamela and William abbott (in memory of christa Bowen)David alderfercarol augspurgerJim and Eileen avery (in memory of christa Bowen)Dale and Vicki BowlusEdwin Bartholomewandrew and christa Bowen (in memory of Dr. stan smith)Dr. Robert capeTerry carlesheryl coombs (in memory of Dr. stan smith)steven DiedrichPaul flathmanEric and susana fletcher (in memory of christa Bowen)Teresa GilbertMargaret Gilmore

Wanda and orestes Gooden (in memory of Dr. stan smith)Heidi Hafemann (in memory of Dr. stan smith)Johnson & Johnson family of companies (matching funds for Xingsheng Wan)David HansonJohn and Mary Horen (in memory of christa Bowen)Joel and Kim Horen (in memory of christa Bowen)Glenn and Nancy Horen (in memory of christa Bowen)Roudi Jamasbi (in memory of Dr. stan smith)Julie KadrmasGeorge and charlotte KalligerosLois KeefePaul and Elizabeth KingMaj. allen and Patricia KirkwoodJames and Nicole Landis (in memory of Dr. stan smith)Daniel and Emma LavoieLubrizol foundationBarbara MastersR. Michael McKay (in memory of Dr. stan smith)Debra McLeanWilliam MechlingRick and Jackie Metz (in memory of christa Bowen)Jeffrey Miner (in memory of Dr. stan smith)Mark MondlPaul Morris (in memory of Dr. stan smith)Henry MurankoNovavision (in memory of christa Bowen)John and Paula Parrish

Again this year we want to recognize and thank our donors. The total amount donated in 2010 exceeded $18,000. If you have provided a monetary gift to the Department of Biological Sciences and are not listed below, please let us know and we will publish a correction in the next newsletter.

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Note: Make checks payable to BGSU Foundation Inc., Dept. of Biological Sciences

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alpha epsilon Delta award Kate Butler (Tarentum, Pa)

Beta Beta Beta award Kaitlyn Gabriel (Eastlake)

Biology alumni Sophomore Scholarship Robby Baroudi (Perrysburg)Juliana cullum (Perrysburg)Jennifer Hojnacki (Toledo)

Biological Sciences alumni freshman Scholarship Melanie Iacoangeli (Lasalle, MI)

t. Richard fisher Biology Scholarship Lindsey cunningham (Westlake)Renee Taylor (Medina)

James D. Graham Memorial Scholarship Harini Padmanaban (Rochester, MI)

Jean Pasakarnis Buchanan Scholarshipandrew Durkee (st. Marys)amanda feldman (cincinnati)Elise szuter (North Royalton)

karlin award Elise szuter (North Royalton)

Ralph V. Mckinney Jr.-eloise Whitwer Scholarship Brittany Boone (Loveland)Vance Hartke (Bowling Green)Justine Kaseman (Waterville)Jessica Loughner (columbus)

Scholarship and Award Winners2011-12Following is the list of scholarship recipients for 2011-12. Congratulations to these outstanding students and special thanks to our donors! To view scholarship criteria, please visit: www.bgsu.edu/departments/biology/programs/undergrad/scholarships/

Suzanne k. Miller Undergraduate Research assistantshipJuliana cullum (Perrysburg)amanda feldman (cincinnati)Jessica Loughner (columbus)christopher Phelps (fairborn)adrienne snyder (Bellevue)Porscha Thomas (Maple Heights)

Barry R. Morstain Scholarship in Biology Brionna Powell (Detroit, MI)

Multicultural Student ScholarshipTara Mial (Beverly Hills, MI)

Larry and Linda oman Scholarshipolga Kutovaya (st. Petersburg, Russia)Michael Plenzler (Toledo)

Myra L. Patchen Biology Scholarship Lindsey cunningham (Westlake)

Dawson S. and Sylvia a. Pattersonamanda feldman (cincinnati)Jennifer Kotlarsic (Independence)

Robert c. Romans Biology Scholarshipamber Gombash (Delta)Jessica Johnson (Woodville)

Joseph J. and Marie P. Schedel ScholarshipRobby Baroudi (Perrysburg)Kamela stamey (Dayton)

Steven S. Steel ScholarshipRachel amos (Powell)

Whitmore Memorial ScholarshipDorothy Brauer Jane Damschroder and Kevin Diels

apsana Giri International Student fundchristine Hess

cynthia collin Stong ScholarshipMichael and susie sochacharles ThomasTristan ula

Marine Lab operations fundalpha Delta Pi (in memory of Dr. William Evans)fouad azzam (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Jeanne Ballensperger (in memory of Dr. William Evans)ashley BaumanIlona Berk (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Bryan college station Newcomers club (in memory of Dr. William Evans)John BucklewMichael and Dana calcutt (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Judith childs (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Joe and Wynon clark (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Thomas and Baila colglazier (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Marcia Dardin (in memory of Dr. William Evans)The Demotte family Trust (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Phyllis Evans (in memory of Dr. William Evans)susan fales (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Masami fujwara (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Ronald and Barbara Hellenthal (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Richard Johnson (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Kenneth Kent, Jr. (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Naomi Kent (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Thomas Klimek (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Ernest Mazzatenta Revocable Trust (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Pauline Mcclay (in memory of Dr. William Evans)R. Michael McKay (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Donald and sylvia Moore (in memory of Dr. William Evans)university of Notre Dame (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Worth D.J. Nowlin (in memory of Dr. William Evans)christine Parsel (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Ronald and Janet Partin (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Beverly Peters (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Karen Pryor (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Edward and suzanne Rhomberg (in memory of Dr. William Evans)Emma schroeder (in memory of Dr. William Evans)a.R. schwartz (in memory of Dr. William Evans)cynthia stong (in memory of Dr. William Evans)anthony and Rosemary TarasenkoEdward ulicny (in memory of Dr. William Evans)ceilia Warapius (in memory of Dr. William Evans)

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