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

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

Secretary: Christine DeMartinis

As part of his research program, Dr. Frank Fish serves as an active member of the design team for WhalePower Tubercle Technology. In 2009, the WhalePower Tubercle Technology team had their latest design nominated for an INDEX:Award under the Community category.

The INDEX:Award is the biggest design award in the world; it is held annually in Copenhagen and financed by the state of Denmark. The INDEX:Award is the primary driving force behind a global mission to generate more designs that improve the quality of life throughout the world. 

Of the more than 700 entries entered for an INDEX:Award in 2009, the submission by the WhalePower Tubercle Technology team was selected as as one of the Finalist. Congratulations!

On August 21, an exhibit featuring all of the finalist was put on display in the center of Copenhagen; the next stop for the exhibit will be Singapore.

For more information refer to the INDEX:Award website.

 Dr. Frank Fish and Brittany Coughlin (formerly Fredericks), Biology undergraduate student, published the paper “Hippopotamus underwater locomotion: reduced-gravity movements for a massive mammal” in the Journal of Mammalogy, 2009, 90: 675-679.

Dr. S. Anne Boettger (1) published the article “Mass culture and characterization of tumor cells from a naturally occurring invertebrate cancer model: Applications for human and animal disease and environmental health” in Biological Bulletin, (2009), 216, 23-39; and (2) published the article “The effects of chronic inorganic and organic phosphate exposure on bacterial activity of the coelomic fluid of the sea urchin Lytechinus variegates (Echinodermata: Echinoidea)” in Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, (2009), Part C 150: 39-44.

Dr. Greg Turner co-authored the paper “Light availability differentially influences ectomycorrhizal fungal communities on oak seedlings grown in oak- and hemlock-associated soils” with J. Lewis, B. Schuster, J.T. Mates-Muchin and L. Watt in the Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 2009, 39: 1247-1258.

Dr. Frank Fish (1) gave a live interview about the dolphins and whales on radio station WALO 1240 AM from Humacao, Puerto Rico on July 2;  (2) presented an invited paper “Biomimetics: Determining engineering opportunities from nature” as part of a symposium on Biomimetics and Bioinspiration at the SPIE (Society for Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers) conference in San Diego on August 2; (3) presented an invited seminar “Biomimetic applications of cetacean natural technologies for efficient propulsion and energy generation” to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in LaJolla, CA on August 4;  and (4) appeared on the television show “HOOKED: Flying Monsters” which aired on the National Geographic Channel on August 3 and 8.

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.

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

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.