Chair: Dr. Waber | Assistant Chair: Dr. Greenamyer

Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Greenamyer | Secondary Education: Dr. Turner

Secretary: Christine DeMartinis

In support of her upcoming sabbatical, Dr. Maureen Knabb has been awarded a prestigious and highly competitive Fullbright Grant. The Fulbright grant will allow Dr. Knabb to perform basic research in cardiovascular physiology in collaboration with Dr. Rafael Rubio, Professor in the Department of Molecular and Integrative Biomedicine, Universidad Autónoma of San Luis Potosi (UASLP), San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

These collaborative efforts will allow her to apply her expertise in adhesion proteins to mechanistic studies of flow-induced changes in heart excitability and contractile force. In addition, Dr. Knabb plans to teach a graduate course in integrative biomedicine entitled “Molecular mechanisms of aging and disease”. This course will introduce the students to active learning through the case study method and serve to strengthen students’ English writing skills.

Dr. Frank Fish presented and co-authored four papers which were delivered at the meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology held January 3—6, 2009 in Boston: “Ecological morphology of the flippers of cetaceans based on two-dimensional geometry” with Lori Timm, Biology graduate student, Laurens Howle and Mark Murray; “Exceptional force generation is behind dolphins’ swimming prowess” with T.M. Williams, T. Wei, P. Legac; “Turning performance in batoid rays: Limitations of a rigid body” with Jana Parson, Biology undergraduate student, and Professor Anthony Nicastro, Physics; and, “Morphology of the bumpy profile of phocid vibrissae” with Carly Ginter, Biology undergraduate student, and C. Marshall.

Dr. Oné Pagán was notified that his NIH (NIDA) grant submission "Cocaine-induced planarian behavior and its modulation by sesquiterpene lactones" will receive funding (approx. $63,000). 

Dr. Frank Fish published the paper “A comparison of the kinematics of the dolphin kick in humans and cetaceans” in Human Movement Science (2009) 28: 99-112.  The paper was co-authored with Dr. Alfred von Loebbecke and Dr. Rajat Mittal of The George Washington University and Russell Mark of USA Swimming.  In January, he was featured on the television show “Jealous Gator” that aired on Animal Planet.  On February 15, Professor Fish appeared in a segment entitled “Untamed and Uncut” on the television show Animal Planet.  He was an invited member of the Bio Sciences panel for the annual Careers in Science event at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia on February 25.

Dr. Russell Vreeland presented an invited lecture entitled “The Survival of Microbes and DNA in Ancient Salt Crystals” to the combined Geology and Biology Departments of Ottawa University and Carlton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on February 12.

On 12 February 2009 scientist around the world will celebrate the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin. Although Darwin's elegant theory of Organic Evolution can be summarized rather simply, it is arguably the most profound tenet of modern biology. Organic Evolution provides a solid, unifying framework for modern biology as well as a unifying thread for continued investigation.

The anniversary of Darwin's birth (February 12) is widely celebrated as Darwin Day throughout the scientific community. The special significance of Darwin Day 2009 has spawned numerous activities and special events throughout the world.

Darwin's book "On the Origin of Species" (first published 24 November 1859) is a seminal scientific publication and a landmark event in evolutionary biology.  In it, Darwin introduced the theory that populations change over time through the process of natural selection. Darwin's book provides evidence that the diversity of life arose through a branching pattern of evolution and common descent. November 24 2009 marks the 150th anniversary of the book's publication.

....the Card....the Game....the Gallery....the Publications....the Dangerous Idea

Researchers Discover Secret of Speedy Dolphins.  “Sir Gray was certainly on to something, and it took nearly 75 years for technology to bring us to the point where we could get at the heart of his paradox,” said Timothy Wei, professor and acting dean of Rensselaer’s School of Engineering, who led the project. “But now, for the first time, I think we can safely say the puzzle is solved. The short answer is that dolphins are simply much stronger than Gray or many other people ever imagined.” Wei presented his findings at the 61st Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society (APS) Division of Fluid Dynamics in San Antonio, Texas. Collaborators on the research include Frank Fish, a biologist at West Chester University in Pennsylvania; Terrie Williams, a marine biologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz; Rensselaer undergraduate student Yae Eun Moon; and Rensselaer graduate students Erica Sherman and Paul Legac.

For more information, visit: http://news.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=2518

According to the AIBS website "Pursuing a career in biology can be immensely rewarding and exciting. Studying biology teaches us to ask questions, make observations, evaluate evidence, and solve problems. Biologists learn how living things work, how they interact with one another, and how they evolve. They may study cells under a microscope, insects in a rainforest, viruses that affect human beings, plants in a greenhouse, or lions in the African grasslands. Their work increases our understanding about the natural world in which we live and helps us address issues of personal well being and worldwide concern, such as environmental depletion, threats to human health, and maintaining viable and abundant food supplies."

For more information visit the AIBS web site to learn about career opportunities, preparation, schools, job outlook, salaries, and much more!

During June 2008, Dr. Giovanni Casotti and Dr. Maureen Knabb, Professors of Biology at West Chester University in Pennsylvania, hosted life science educators from across North America to share curriculum ideas, teaching experiments and laboratory techniques. As teachers to at least 400 students every year, Dr. Casotti and Dr. Knabb are well-qualified to share what does and doesn't work in the laboratory classroom.

Dr. Casotti and Dr. Knabb use PowerLab teaching systems with Chart (now LabChart) software in three of their courses. West Chester has been using their systems with the Macintosh operating system for the past three years, and runs laboratories using inquiry approaches to learning, "where students take ownership of their experiments because they are the ones coming up with ideas to test".

For the past two years Dr. Casotti and Dr. Knabb, with their colleague Loretta Reiser-Danner, have presented conference papers with results from implementing this learning approach as, "Inquiry-based learning in physiology laboratories using computer technology" in the FASEB Journal.