BioSynthesis

Professor  Robert Sagar (yellow jacket) leads students on a field trip BAHS mourns the passing of Robert (Bob) Sagar, professor emeritus. Professor Sagar earned his bachelors and masters degrees in wildlife biology at Ohio State University.  He began his career at Bloomsburg University (then Bloomsburg State College) in 1963 and taught courses in biology, ecology, and ornithology for over 30 years. He was known for leading his students on memorable field trips both in the local area and at Chincoteague Bay Field Station in Virginia. Professor Sagar served as a director of the Columbia County Conservation District and as a member of the Resource Conservation and Development Organization, the Eastern Bird Banding Association, and the North Branch Bird Club and the Fishing Creek Watershed Association. At BU, he was instrumental in starting the student club Help Our Planet Earth. After his retirement from BU in 1994, her worked as a naturalist at PPL Riverlands Environmental C...

Dr. Surmacz and Dr. Meghan Duell  reconnect at the SICB meeting BAHS alumna, Meghan Duell, BS Biology 2012, chaired a session on Ecological and Evolutionary Consequences of Metabolic Diversity at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative Biology in Tampa, Florida. Meghan  also presented research she conducted with Dr. Jon F. Harrison on " The pros & cons of small size: Size-dependent flight metabolic rates and thermal performance among stingless bees" Meghan earned her Ph.D. in  Animal Behavior at Arizona State University.  She is currently a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Western Ontario.  Meghan uses physiological, behavioral, and genetic tools to learn how crickets respond to freezing temperatures. While at BU, Meghan was a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the President of Tri-Beta Biology Honor Society, a member of the BAHS club and a graduate of the Honors Program.  She conducted research on honey bees...

Dt. Steven Rier Dr. Steven Rier , professor, Department of Biological and Allied Health Sciences, was one of  ~30 researchers from across the U.S., Canada and Europe invited to participate in    a workshop  at Penn State University that examined the m icrobial determinants of phosphorus transport in stream ecosystems. The   workshop will culminate in the publication of a review paper on the topic .    The US Department of Agriculture supported the meeting. Dr. Rier's research group studies how phosphorous pulses that occur in streams during storm events  regulate microbial activity and growth in the stream ecosystem. This work has many implications for how state and federal agencies manage phosphorous pollution.

Dr. George Chamuris, professor, recently gave a public presentation on the "Flora of Ricketts Glen" at  a meeting of the Fishing Creek Watershed Association at the Columbia Conservation District Building in Bloomsburg.  The  association is composed of volunteers that collaborate with local, state, and federal agencies, educational institutions, and businesses to improve the quality of the Fishing Creek Watershed. Dr. Chamuris has over 30 years of field work experience in the area and is the author of  Hiker's Guide to the Trees, Shrubs and Vines of Ricketts Glen State Park , now in its 6th edition. The Guide can be accessed at: http://department.bloomu.edu/biology/Ricketts      Check out the web page pf Dr. Chamuris's Flora of Ricketts Glen Project: http://department.bloomu.edu/biology/Ricketts/flora_index.html  

BAHS masters student Heather Llewellyn presented a poster at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology in Tampa Florida on January 3 -7, 2019. Her research entitled, "Sublethal effects of neonicotinoid pesticides on cellular stress in honeybees," was conducted in collaboration with BAHS alumna Erin Smith (Biology, pre-medical sciences, 2018) and Drs. Surmacz and Hranitz.  Honeybees are important pollinators of a wide variety of crops and are experiencing global declines. The losses of honey bee populations have been linked to a disorder known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). In this phenomenon, worker bees disappear from the colony, leaving the brood unattended. While there is no single cause of CCD, sublethal doses of pesticides cause physiological and behavioral changes that adversely affect hive health. Heather's work showed that bees exposed to sublethal doses of imidacloprid, a commonly used neonicotinioid pesticide, showed el...

Congratulations to recent BAHS December graduates as they take their next steps.  Dhir Gala (BS Biology, pre-medical sciences) has joined the staff at Geisinger's Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute (ADMI) in Lewisburg, PA.  ADMI is a multipurpose facility that offers clinical services, research, education and family support to children with neurodevelopmental disorders.  While at BU, Dhir was vice-president of the Pre-medical Sciences club, a member of Tri-Beta Biology Honor Society and a CoST ambassador. He conducted neuroscience research in Dr. Coleman's laboratory and participated in Geisinger's JanPlan and Summer Undergraduate Research Program. Doronella Simon is a December graduate in our Medical Imaging program. She completed her clinical training in radiologic  technology at Johns Hopkins Schools of Medical Imaging. Dora was accepted into the CT program at Johns Hopkins and was offered a position in CT. 

Over 500 eighth graders from schools in Columbia County participated in the annual Water Education Day at Briar Creek Lake Park.  Students has the opportunity to learn about water resources and conservation, aquatic ecology, and environmental stewardship. The event is run by volunteers from state agencies, conservation districts and local watershed groups. The following BAHS faculty and alumni presented programs:  Drs. John Hranitz and Clay Corbin, Sean Hartzell (BS and MS. Biology, Wildlife and Fisheries Biologist Aid with the PA Fish and Boat Commission), and Corey Bower (BS and MS Biology, Columbia County Watershed Specialist).  

Victoria and Dr. Green with the finished product What did you do on your winter break? Dr. Lauri Green , Graduate student Victoria Roper , and undergraduates Brooke Ritter   and Ashley Bent have been busy building bird houses.  The bird houses will be used in Victoria's master's thesis research on the effects of  acid mine drainage on insect-eating birds in Pennsylvania streams. Check out the photos below for bird house building in action! Brooke Ritter installing a bird house. Dr. Green  "master sander" Brooke and Ashley at work! A LOT of bird houses Victoria Roper in the field. Dr. Green  and the finished product.

Brendon Juengst and Dr. George Davis Brendon Juengst,  a 2015 B.S. Biology alumnus and graduate of the BU Honors Program, returned to BU in late October to present a talk at the BAHS weekly seminar series.  Brendon's presentation was entitled "FRO3 involvement in both mitochondiral and whole plant iron homeostasis in  Arabidopsis. W hile at BU, Brendon investigated iron transport in oats in the laboratory of  Dr. George Davis.  Brendon is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Plant Biology in the Huck Institutes of Life Sciences at Penn State University.  Brendon studies iron uptake and homeostasis in the laboratory of Dr. Erin Connelly.  

BAHS JanPlan Participants Taylor Bozza, Kathryn Sherry, Rachael Ryver Geisinger Medical Center’s Jan Plan brings students to the hospital's Danville campus for an intensive week-long experience that provides a    first hand look at the medical profession. Jan Plan students have the opportunity to interact with medical students, residents, and physicians during rounds, case study discussions, and observations. Among the medical specialties the students observed were Pathology, Emergency Medicine, Ophthalmology, Urology, Gastroenterology, Orthopedics, Cardiology), Neonatal Intensive Care, Dermatology, Anesthesiology, Radiology, General Surgery, Thoracic Surgery, Internal Medicine, and Radiology. Participating in Jan Plan this year were BAHS majors  Taylor Bozza, Kathryn Sherry and Rachael Ryver.  All agree that Jan Plan was a great experience and appreciate the opportunities to be exposed to so many different medical specialties. 

This winter session, BAHS Medical Imaging majors are gaining first-hand exposure to the field during internship experiences at Geisinger Medical Center. This 120-hour, 3-credit internship allows students to gain experience in a hospital environment and to observe all of the various imaging modalities. These experiences will prove to be valuable to students applying to clinical programs. Interns supervised by Dr. Barry Nolt are  Mikayla Ulicny, Emily Lott, Lainey Richwine, Amber Lindsey, Shania Moore . Interns supervised by Dr. Angela Hess are  Raquel Burke, Kolby Carl, Claudia Getty, Katelyn Highlands,Grant Lyons, and Paige Mislitske.  

Heather Detwiler at Chiropractic Athletic Center in York, PA Heather Detwiler , a senior Health Sciences major,. is conducting an internship during winter session at Chiropractic Athletic Center in York, PA under the direction of on-site supervisor Dr. Kevin Owens, D.C.  Heather will have the opportunity to apply her academic background in the health sciences to the field of chiropractic medicine. During her internship, Heather is learning about disorders of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems and is observing how chiropractors examine, diagnose and treat patients in a holistic manner.  Heather is planning to attend a  graduate program in chiropractic medicine. Most programs recommend experience in a chiropractic  setting.    .

Andrew Cross Undergraduate Andrew Cross and graduate student Kyle Flannery  were awarded research grants from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Biologists (CPUB)  for the 2018-2019 academic year. CPUB is an organization composed of faculty in the fourteen institutions of the PA State System of Higher Education that fosters excellence in biology education and research.    Andrew's research project assesses the effects of sublethal doses of neonicotinoid pesticides on the levels of the oxidative enzyme glutathione-S-transferase in honey bee brains. Oxidative enzymes are essential in reducing oxidative stress in honey bees, a factor that may contribute to their global declines. Andrew is a senior biology, pre-medical sciences major from Benton, PA. He is the Tri-Beta Biology Honor Society historian, and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and the Pre-medical Sciences Club. He plans to attend medical school. Drs. Surmacz and Hranitz are h...

Congratulations to BAHS December 2018 students who graduated with honors. we are very proud of you! Alex Wehr, Dhir Gala and Ian King Magna Cum Laude (3.75 – 3.95 GPA) Dhir Gala Alexander Wehr Cum Laude (3.5 – 3.74 GPA) Alina Allgyer Elijah Anseaume Ian King Blake Remensnyder Elijah Anseaume Alina Allgyer Blake Remensnyder

The following BAHS faculty were awarded Research and Scholarship Grants  from the Bloomsburg University Office of Research and Sponsored Programs for January 1, 2019 through February 28, 2020. Congratulations! Clay Corbin , BAHS: “Mosquito Surveillance and Documentation of Bycatch in Ruffed Grouse Habitats”, $3500 George Davis , BAHS: “Analysis of the AvsYS1 Gene Functionality Using Yeast, Arabidopsis, and Tomato”, $3300 William Schwindinger , BAHS: “Targeted Disruption of a G-protein Gamma-Subunit Gene in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells”, $3500 Angela Hess , BAHS: “Associating melanoma tumor cell plasticity with resistance to clinically relevant MAPK inhibitors”, $3500 dr. Angela Hess Dr. George Davis Dr. William Schwindinger Dr. Clay Corbin

Congratulations to BAHS students who earned GPAs of 3.5 or greater during Fall Semester 2018 and were named to the Dean's list. The Dean's Candy Bar Day is Friday, February 8 from 10 am to 2 pm in Hartline Lobby. Keep up the good work! Haeden Allbeck Health Sciences BS, Medical Lab Science Alina Allgyer Biology BS Colton Arizini Health Sciences BS, Pre-Physical Therapy Amanda Aulenbach Biology BS Jacob Balkiewicz Biology BS, Pre-medical Sciences Allison Bardman Health Sciences BS, Pre-physical Therapy Lauren Barrett Biology BS, Envvironmental Biology Allison Beaver Health Sciences BS, Pre-physician Assistant Kristen Bennett Medical Imaging BS Aaron Billig Health Sciences BS, Medical Lab Science Margaret Bisciotti Medical Imaging BS Hannah Blauch Medical...