SMCM BioLog – August, 2006
Dear SMCM Biology/Natural Science Alum,
Welcome to the first of what we hope will be a quarterly email newsletter (The SMCM BioLog) from your department of biology at SMCM. There are always exciting things going on here in the department and we would like to keep you informed.
BioLog Summary
New Faculty Hired
2006 graduation
Student Research
Biology Dept Review
Chemistry moves to Goodpaster Hall
Research in Biology Fund
Alumni News
New Faculty Hired
The department is pleased to welcome Dr. Samantha Kerry. Dr. Kerry is a cell biologist/immunologist. She received a BS in Biology and a BA in German from Furman University (SC) and a Ph.D. in cell biology/immunology from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. From there she did a post-doc in the lab of Dr. Alejandro Alallay at Duke University. Sam will teach courses in cell physiology, immunology, genetics, as well as participate in POB and contemporary bioscience. This is a new line in the department.
The addition of Sam brings the department faculty to 12 members!!! Current faculty members of the department are: Jeff Byrd (Chair), Linda Coughlin (who is currently an Associate Provost), Karen Crawford, Holly Gorton, Walter Hatch, Rachel Myerowitz (on sabbatical 2006-07), Bob Paul, Jordan Price, Chris Tanner, and Bill Williams. Current staff members are: Tom Brewer ’81 and Elaine Szymkowiak ‘81. If you count the number of faculty members you only come up with 11. Why? Well, in January we will announce the new animal physiologist. We also have two visiting assistant professors this fall: Therissa Libby (for Linda Coughlin) and Angela Hilliker (for Rachel Myerowitz).
2006 graduation
On May 13, 2006 the biology department was honored to graduate 49 new biologists. The graduates are going on to a variety of careers. A partial list includes the Peace Corps, medical school, veterinary school, pharmacy school, graduate school, law school, physician’s assistant school, an environmental consulting firm, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, environmental education, aquaculture center, etc.
Student Research
On May 1 and 2, 2006 our seniors presented their research from their St. Mary’s Projects. Thirty eight of the graduating seniors chose to do their projects in biology. The rest of the biology majors performed their research in such fields as biochemistry, chemistry, psychology, and education. The list of project titles can be found on the biology website at http://www.smcm.edu/nsm/biology/smproj/biology_smp_presentations_2006.htm
Biology Dept Review
During spring 2007 the biology major will undergo an external review. All departments undergo a review every 10 years. If you wish to make any comments to be included in this review, such as to how the program impacted your career, please forward them to Jeff Byrd (jjbyrd@smcm.edu) by the end of December 2006.
Biology Space to Expand – Chemistry to move out of Schaefer Hall
Part of our department review will center on the expansion of the biology facilities to include portions of the current chemistry section of Schaefer Hall. The chemistry program will be moving to the new Goodpaster Hall, scheduled to be completed in Fall 2007. The building will be located between Schaefer Hall and the Crescent Townhouses (where the old Schaefer parking lot used to be). The genetics lab will move to the current general chemistry lab. In addition, many of the current chemistry research labs will become biology research spaces. Therefore, biology faculty will finally have adequate research space for their students.
Research in Biology Fund
As part of the SMCM Heritage Campaign the biology department instituted a Research in Biology Fund through the development office. A percentage of the yearly revenue from this endowed fund will be used by students to support their research. This fund is used exclusively to support student research!!! To get this fund started the members of the biology department donated close to $30,000. If you would like to support student research in the biology department this is an excellent way to do it. On the subject of biology research, we would like to thank those alumni who supported the end-of-year appeal for the new River Center.
Alumni News
We would like to add an alumni news section to the newsletter. If you send us info about what is happening in your life we would love to add it to this section. One way or another the members of the department like to hear what you are doing so if you would rather we not put it in the newsletter, just let us know in the email that it is for internal consumption only.
If you would like to be removed from this newsletter email list please just reply to this message.