BioSynthesis

BAHS instructor Sean Hartzell has observed a bilaterally partitioned color variant of an an Appalachian Brook crayfish ( Cambarus bartonii bartonii )  in Fishing Creek in Columbia County. This is the first report of this coloration in this species. Similar color patterns have  been observed in the papershell crayfish and the American lobster. Professor Hartzell hypothesizes that possible explanations for this bilateral coloration include a during embryonic development and bilateral partition of primary and secondary sex characteristics. Professor Hartzell's discovery has been published in the Canadian Field-Naturalist. Sean Hartzell (2017) A bilaterally partitioned colour variant of an Appalachian Brook Crayfish ( Cambarus bartonii bartonii )  from Eastern Pennsylvania. Canadian Field-Naturalist (131(4): 335-337/ https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v131i4.1954

Wednesday, Feb 12 was the 210th birthday of Charles Darwin, the author of the 1859 book, On the Origin of the Species. Darwin's contributions to the science of evolution provide a unifying theory in biology that explains the unity and diversity of life. The BAHS club celebrated Darwin Day with free cake in Hartline lobby.

Join us on Saturday, March 2 on a bus trip to the Franklin Institute, a renowned museum in Philadelphia, named after scientist and statesman Benjamin Franklin.  Check out their website for a look at their current exhibits, attractions, and programs: https://www.fi.edu   The group will leave BU at 7:30 am and return ~ 7:30 pm. The trip costs $20 (non-refundable) and includes bus transportation and admission to the museum.  Please register in the BAHS department office, 115 Hartline, by February 25.  First come!  Thank your to the BAHS club, the Pre-Medical Sciences Club, the Tri-Beta Biology Honor Society, and the BAHS fund for sponsoring this trip.

BAHS Club members shared  their knowledge of "Rat Grossology" at the Bloomsburg Children's museum with area youth on Saturday, February 9, 2019.  Along with learning fun facts about anatomy and physiology, the children had the opportunity to dissect rats under the guidance of BAHS club members, Rachel Ryver, Liz Kester, Maria Morgante, Taylor Lightner, and Stephen Tapsak.  Drs. Hess and Venditti are the club's advisers. Thank you for bringing biology to the community!

A representative from the Office of Admissions at West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) will be on campus on Wednesday, February 13 at 6:30 pm in G40 Hartline to meet with interested students.  WVSOM, located in Lewisburg, WV,  is known nationally for its emphasis on rural, family and primary care medicine. BAHS alumni Brandon Arnsberger and Ethan Powell are currently enrolled as medical students at WVSOM.   Everyone is invited to attend!  For more information, please see Kayla Sompet, president of the Pre-medical Sciences Club.

Kyle Mausteller, Lauren Bunnell, and Jerome Betz III Ian Whiteside, Andrew Cross, Lizmeidy Hernandez, Elizabeth Cole Tri-Beta Biology Honor Society hosted a pre-Valentine's Day Bake Sale in Hartline Lobby on  February 11 to raise funds for their upcoming trip to the Franklin Institute with the Pre-med club and the BAHS club.  Thanks to all who supported the cause.  Yum!

  Madison Aungst , a BAHS 2018 alumna (BS Biology, pre-medical Sciences), and her father, general dentist Dr. Bryan Aungst , volunteered with the Reaching Children's Potential Project in Ipalamwa, Tanzania in January 2019. Madison raised over $6,000  from her church and the community for the trip to purchase dental equipment and 915 tooth brushes and tubes of toothpaste. Madison was inspired to  raise funds to purchase tooth brushes after learning that the children without access to toothbrushes use sticks to clean their teeth. With the aid of a translator, Madison taught 115 kindergarten students how to brush their teeth!  Madison assisted while her father and another dentist saw  148 patients and extracted 347 teeth over the course of 5 days.  Madison reports that the rate of cavities, decayed teeth, and gum disease was astounding. She found the experience both eye-opening and heartbreaking.  In Madison's own words, "I wanted to give the ...

BAHS masters students Caitlyn Collins, Keara Drummer,  and Hannah Anderson Three BAHS masters students presented their thesis proposals and answered questions on their experimental design  at the weekly BAHS seminar series on Friday, February 8.  Caitlyn Collins' work will take her to Honduras and Greece as she compares the thermal tolerance of two species of sea urchins.Her proposal is entitled "Comparisons of the sea urchins Paracentrotus lividus and Eucidaris tribuloides :  What the Mediterianean  and the Caribbean can teach us about the potential impacts of climate change." Dr. Thomas Klinger is her thesis adviser. Keara Drummer' s research will take her to museums in the United States and Canada to image trilobites. Keara aims to test the hypotheses of polyphenism and function for the extreme structures of the Devonian trilobite  Walliserops . Keara's thesis adviser, Dr. Alan Gishlick, from the Department of Environmental, Geographical, and...

College of Science students who made the Dean's list during fall semester celebrate their success at Dean's Candy Bar Day on February 8 in Hartline lobby. From left are dean's list students Vitoria Nery (Biology, pre-medical sciences), Cassandra Riley (Health Sciences and CoST Ambassador), Angela Ciucc i, Dean's office), and Eric Williams (Biology, pre-medical sciences). Congratulations to all students who made Dean's list!  Keep up the good work.

Dr. James McClintock, Finn Ronne Memorial Award Recipient Dr. James McClintock, endowed professor of polar and marine biology at the University of Alabama, was on the BU campus in November 2018 to share his expertise on the effects of climate change and ocean acidification on the marine organisms of Antarctica. Dr. McClintock delivered a public lecture and a BAHS seminar where he discussed his many National Science Foundation-funded research expeditions to Antarctica   Dr. McClintock, a world expert on marine chemical ecology and drug discovery in Antarctica, was recently awarded the Finn Ronne Memorial Award by the Explorers Club.  This award, named after the Norwegian-born, American explorer and writer Finn Ronne, recognizes an individual noted for accomplishments in polar research.  The Explorers Club is an international multidisciplinary professional society founded in 1904 that promotes scientific exploration on land, sea, air and space. Club members were ...

Dr. Marianna Wood Dr. Marianna Wood , BAHS associate professor, and Jessa Wood , BU Writing Center assessment coordinator prior to her 2017 graduation (BA Philosophy and BA Political Science), published a paper in the  Journal on Excellence in College Te aching on “Saving time, increasing learning:  Using checklists to help students perform disciplinary writing conventions.”  This work stems from Dr. Wood’s experiences with student writing in her ecology classes and Jessa’s expertise in writing studies. This research was highlighted in the December 2018 issue of  The Teaching Professor  by editor Maryellen Wymer in a discussion of how to develop students’ self-assessment skills. In addition, Dr. Wood has collaborated with undergraduates on projects to measure decomposition in forest soils that led to contributions to a global decomposition database and to collect data on the space use and behavior of campus grey squirrels and eastern chipmunks. Dr. Wood l...

Dr. Abby Hare-Harris Dr. Abby Hare-Harris , assistant professor, Department of Biological and Allied Health Sciences, was recently named as a Stephen J. Jones Professional U Faculty Fellow for the College of Science and Technology.  In this role, Dr. Hare-Harris works with the Dean's office  and college faculty to develop professional programming for CoST students. The events planned for this semester include everything from job fairs and professional field trips to research symposia and workshops.  Dr. Hare-Harris has instituted departmental newsletters detailing upcoming professional engagement activities.  Dr. Hare-Harris earned a B.S. in biochemistry and molecular biology with a minor in biostatistics from Ursinus College and a Ph.D. in microbiology and molecular genetics from Rutgers University.  She conducted a postdoctoral fellowship at Geisinger Health System's Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute.  Her area of expertise is human and mo...

Dr. Cindy Surmacz Dr. Cindy Surmacz, professor, Department of Biological and Allied Health Sciences, was recognized for teaching by the College of Science and Technology at its recent annual meeting.   Dr. Surmacz  is currently in her 36th year at Bloomsburg University and has taught courses ranging from the introductory to the graduate levels. Most of her time now is focused on teaching Concepts in Biology 1, Anatomy & Physiology 1 and Anatomy and Physiology 2.  Dr. Surmacz hails from Schuylkill Haven, PA and earned her B.S. in Biology from Penn State University and her Ph.D. in Physiology from Penn State Hershey.  Many of her current activities focus on biology education. She is a recipient of a Pearson Education Catalyst Teaching Grant and has been named as a Life Science Teaching Resource Scholar by the American Physiology Society, She is a reviewer for the the journal America Biology Teacher,  and a member of the Praxis  National Advisory...

Dr. Zareen Amin Dr. Zareen Amin has announced her retirement after twenty years at Bloomsburg University.  Dr. Amin earned her BS, MBBS in Medicine and Surgery at Dhaka University in Dhaka, Bangladesh and her M.Ed. in Community Health Education, Kent State University.  Over the years Dr. Amin has taught Human Sexuality, Anatomy and Physiology I laboratories, and Introduction to Nutrition. Her research interests include human anatomy and physiology, human disease, health and wellness, and health education. Dr. Amin was actively involved with ABLE, the Academic Biology Learning Environment In Columbia Residence Hall, where she held office hours and assisted students with their coursework.  Dr. Amin was also involved in activities related to the American Cancer Society's Great American Smoke-out.  We will miss you Dr. Amin! Have a wonderful retirement.