BioSynthesis

Emily Weaver Emily Weaver , a medical laboratory science major, has been awarded the James E. Parsons Scholarship. The scholarship was established by Dr. Parsons, retired professor of microbiology, faculty emeritus, and former director of the medical laboratory science program at BU. Emily, a dean’s list student, has received the Daniel R. Miller Scholarship, the J.M. Auten Women’s Intramural Scholarship, and the Mabel Zimmerman Scholarship. Emily is an active member of the BU community, participating in Colleges Against Cancer, Relay for Life, the Biology and Allied Health Club, the Big Event, and Developing Ambitious Student Leaders. She has received Leadership level 1 certification through the center for Leadership and Engagement. Emily also volunteers in her community  at a youth soccer camp. Congratulations Emily!

MacKenzie McDowell at GlaxoSmithKline MacKenzie McDowell , a B.S. Biology major and Chemistry minor from Springtown, PA, is currently at the halfway mark of her 6-month co-op in the Protein and Cellular Sciences Department at GlaxoSmithKline in Upper Providence, PA  MacKenzie work focuses primarily in the area of protein purification.  This opportunity has allowed her to apply her knowledge from Cell Biology and Biochemistry 1 and 2 into the research and development laboratories.  MacKenzie has gained expertise with a variety of instruments and techniques such as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, automated protein purification systems, SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, protein digestion, Western blot analysis, and plasmid preps. She has also gained experience in the departments of Cellular Sciences and the Screening, and Profiling and Mechanistic Biology departments. MacKenzie is enjoying her time at GlaxoSmithKline and getting a feel for working in R...

Emily Ashberr y and Ian King are recipients of the Biology and Allied Health Scholarships for the 2017-2018 academic year.  Emily is a biology major and dean’s list student. She is a member of Tri Beta, the biology honor society, and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. She is a member of the Bloomsburg University Honors Program and is conducting honors thesis research with Dr. Rier   on the effects of sediment–bound phosphorous on stream ecosystems. Emily is actively involved in community service activities including captain of her Relay-for-Life team, Red Cross Blood Drives, Habitat for Humanity, and the Animal Resource Center. She participated in an Honors Program service trip to Jamaica where she volunteered in schools and visited with families. In the future Emily plans to attend graduate school to conduct research in the area of ecology and conservation biology in aquatic environments.  Ian i s a health sciences major in the pre-physical therapy option. He plans to attend...

Daniel Deignan , a biology, pre-medical sciences major and dean’s list student, is this year’s recipient of the Dr. Frederick Maue 1976 scholarship for students pursuing a career in medicine.  Daniel also received the Dr. Stephen Schell scholarship to support preparation for the MCAT exam. Daniel  is active in the Pre-Medical Sciences club and  served as the public relations officer during his junior year. He is also a member of Tri-Beta Biology Honor Society. He volunteers as a member of the Bloomsburg Geisinger Hospital Auxiliary where he interacts with staff and patients. In addition, Dan is also certified in CPR. Dan is an Eagle Scout and serves as an Eagle Advisor.  He also participates in the Sons of the American Legion.  Dan  plans to attend medical school.   

Alisha Grogg at WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital Alisha Grogg, a health sciences major from Strausstown, PA, completed a summer internship in the Department of Laboratory Services at WellSpan Good Samaritan Health System in Lebanon, PA. Alisha had the opportunity to work in a clinical laboratory, allowing her to apply her background in anatomy and physiology, microbiology, cell biology, medical terminology and genetics to a healthcare setting. In addition to learning about the privacy standards of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Alisha became proficient in the use of electronic hospital databases. Alisha practiced her aseptic technique as she identified microbial specimens, tested potential pathogens for antibiotic sensitivity, and conducted quality control checks. As Alisha puts it "It’s interesting to be involved in the “behind the scenes” aspects of a hospital, and to see how medical technologists, nurses, and doctors all work together to ...

The Pre-Medical Sciences Club will hold its first meeting on Wednesday, September 20 at 6 pm at ABLE, the Academic Biology Learning Environment, in Columbia Residence Hall. The club invites all students interested in careers in the medical sciences to attend. The club provides mentoring, hosts speakers from various medical and professional schools, conducts fundraisers, provides community service opportunities, and organizes trips to various professional schools. Serving as officers for the 2017-2018 academic year are: President, Adrienne Yordy; Vice-President, Nathan Feiertag; Secretary: Ali Martin; Treasurer,  Tara Full; and Historian, Dan Deignan.   The club is advised by Dr. Ardizzi.

Several entering BAHS freshman are members of the Bloomsburg University Honors Program.  The Honors  Program provides unique educational opportunities that includes independent research, involvement in the local community, special general education classes, travel, and participation in the scholars learning community. Welcome to the following BAHS freshmen in the Honors Program: Oriana Balascio (Biology-pre-medical sciences); Emily Chambers (Health Sciences, Pre-physician assistant); Allison Chaballa (Biology, pre-medical sciences); Mateo Marshall (Health Sciences-Pre-physician assistant); Rachel Nenstiel (Health Sciences); Brianna Werley (Biology--pre-medicine); Margaret Wetzel (Health Sciences, Pre-physical therapy);  Joining our incoming freshmen, are current honors students. Lauren Bunnell (Health Sciences, pre-physician assistant); Madeline Dorcely (Biology); Lizmeidy Hernandez (Biology, pre-medical sciences); Mikayla Ulicny (Medical Imaging); Emily Ashberry (...

Attention Juniors, Seniors & Graduate Students Interested in joining Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society? Application Deadline:  Friday, September 29, 2017 Initiation Ceremony: Sunday, October 22, 2017, 108 Hartline,  3:00 p.m. For application & information, contact Dr. Surmacz:  268 Hartline    or csurmacz@bloomu.edu   or 389-4132

Dr. Klinger at the Museum of Comparative Zoology Dr. Klinger presented a paper entitled  Thermal tolerances of three species of Echinometra  (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) in Panama   in July at the North American Echinoderms Conference in Worcester, Massachusetts. This  presentation summarized work he conducted during his sabbatical with collaboraters H. Lessios and A. Calderon of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.  Dr. Klinger is shown at left  picking through the collections at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University in Boston, as part of the North American Echinoderms Conference. He found a type of specimen of one of the animals that he studies, catalogued by Alexander Agassiz in the late 1800's.

Dr. Klinger and friend In May and June, Dr. Klinger participated as an honored guest faculty member in the course "Biology of the Galapagos."  This course was offered by the Education Abroad program of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.  Dr. Klinger is shown bonding ar right with one of the land iguanas in the Galapagos Islands.

Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges is an organization that recognizes outstanding achievement by juniors or seniors in scholarship, leadership, and community service. The following BAHS students received this prestigious honor in 2017: Beverly Andre                          Darianny Antonio                        Sarah Bartra Hanan Ben Nacef                    Allison Bleistein                           Iane Charles Aubrey Cole                             Elliott Fackler                              Kurt Knepley Deja Lloyd               ...

The Susquehanna Valley Undergraduate Research Symposium was held at Kehr Union at Bloomsburg University on August 2, 2017. This event was sponsored by Bloomsburg University, Bucknell Institute for Public Policy, Geisinger Health System, and Susquehanna University. Dr. Scott Inch, Department of Mathematics and Digital Sciences, delivered the keynote address on Murder, Malpractice, and A Really Big Oil Spill: My Strange Academic Career. Undergraduates in  the region had the opportunity to showcase their research in all disciplines at this annual poster symposium. With 95 submissions this year, the event provided students with ample opportunities to interact with fellow researchers and to learn about new methods and fields of study. Presentations were evaluated in the categories of Biological Science, Clinical & Translational Research, Natural Science & Engineering, and Social Science & Humanities. Participating as judges were Drs. Hess, Schwindinger, Surmacz, Venditti. ...

ABLE, short for Academic Biology  Learning   Environment, began its 10th year   of operation at Columbia Residence Hall with an Open House on Sept 11, 2017.  ABLE provides a location for students in introductory biology courses to study individually or in small groups, work with tutors and faculty, use laboratory resources and computers, access a small library, and attend review sessions. The center has been supported by three TALE faculty-scholar grants. The Open House was extremely well attending with "standing room only."  Greetings were delivered by  Dean Robert Aronstam and Dr. Angela Hess , BAHS department chairperson, and attendees had the opportunity to meet BAHS faculty and graduate students. And of course, there was lots of food, including anatomical treats such as Dr. Hess's amazing eyeball, skull, and heart cookies and of course, brain jello. Door prizes were also handed out. The monthly calendar of ABLE events is posted on course...

BAHS welcomes three new tenure-track faculty members to the department.    Dr. Kate Beishline Dr. Beishline is a life-long resident of Pennsylvania.She earned her B.S. fro m the University of Sciences in Philadelphia and her PhD in Biochemistry from Drexel University College of Medicine. Her area of  expertise is the Molecular Biology of Cancer and Aging. She studies the dynamics and maintenance of mammalian telomeres and how these pathways are important in cancer and aging. She had taught previously at  Drexel University College of Medicine. She is currently teaching Cell Biology lab and Concepts in Biology 1 lab. For fun, she  enjoys painting and photography, gardening, and spending time with her many pets.  Dr. Lauri Green   Dr. Green grew up in Los Angeles, California. she earned both her  B.S. and PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her area  of expertise is in nutrient-algal interactions on trophic...

De. Angela Hess, BAHS chairperson Dr. Angela Hess, associate professor, began her term as BAHS chairperson during summer 2017.   She earned a B.S. in Microbiology with minors in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Penn State University and a Ph.D. in Anatomy and Cell Biology with an emphasis in molecular medicine from the University of Iowa.  Dr. Hess’s research focuses on the cellular signaling pathways involved in malignant melanoma. She has conducted cancer research as a postdoctoral fellow at the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Iowa, as a research scientist at Children’s Memorial Research Center in Chicago, and as a research assistant professor at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University.   To support her work, she has garnered campus research grants totaling over $65,000, a PASSHE Faculty Professional Development Grant, and a Melanoma Research Foundation Career Development Award of $100,000. Dr. Hess has publi...

Incoming BAHS freshman attended Orientation Sessions throughout the summer. Their campus visit included meetings with Drs. Hess and Kipe-Nolt to prepare for the coming academic year. To help with the transition to college life, all incoming students are enrolled in BAHS Freshmen Seminar. Instructing the seminars are Drs. Kipe-Nolt, Henry, Rier, and Ardizzi . Welcome to BAHS! 

On August 24, 2017, Sean Hartzell successfully defended his Master's Thesis entitled Behavior of Eastern Hellbenders and Native and Non-Native Crayfish from the Susquehanna River drainage of Pennsylvania. Serving on Sean's thesis committee were Drs. Pitt, Rier, Klinger and Corbin. Sean earned his BS in Biology, natural history option at Bloomsburg University. He has published several articles related to the natural history of amphibians and reptiles. He has presently joined the BAHS faculty and is teaching Invertebrate Histology. Congratulations Sean!

Ben Paul and rescued turtle. Benjamin Paul, a Biology environmental biology major, conducted a summer internship at Red Creek Wildlife Center, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Schuylkill Haven, PA. Ben had the opportunity to care for injured and orphaned wild animals  including bald eagles , painted turtles, and orphaned baby eastern cottontail rabbits.  One of his favorite cases was being involved in the treatment of a wild juvenile bald eagle and its release following its recovery.  Ben reports that the time spent at Red Creek Wildlife Center was an enjoyable, educational, and unforgettable experience.

Dr. Surmacz is part of a research team that has received a Pearson Catalyst grant to conduct a study aimed at improving the study skills of students enrolled in introductory biology classes. The project, Learning to Study Smart , will investigate the effectiveness of study strategies that aim to improve metacognition, study behaviors, and performance. This is accomplished by introducing a series of videos and surveys as training modules to develop deep processing skills. The project, approved by BU's Institutional Review Board, involves students from 5 colleges including community colleges, a comprehensive 4-year university (BU) and large research universities (public and private.) Dr. Surmacz's collaborators include Dr. Graeme Lindbeck, Valencia College; Dr. Christine Davis, Florida State University; Dr. Jamie Jensen, Brigham Young University; and Dr. Kimberly  Murphy, Austin Community College.