BioSynthesis

Mock Interviews for BAHS Students  on ZOOM Weds, January 27, 2021 at 1 pm Practice your interview skills for jobs, clinicals, professional schools, and graduate programs. Students in ALL BAHS majors are encouraged to participate. Each student will receive 2 interviews with BAHS faculty followed by a group question and answer period. Sign-up by contacting Dr. Surmacz and submitting a resume by January 24. (csurmacz@bloomu.edu) Sponsored by Tri-Beta Biology Honor Society  

The Penn State College of Medicine Primary Care Scholars’ Program is an exceptional opportunity for those who are interested in attending medical school and specializing in primary care. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s program will be held virtually and will kick off the week of  May 17, 2021  followed by a series of evening sessions over the weeks that follow.  The Primary Care Scholars’ Program will include discussions on topics such as medical care, primary care, medical school admissions, and the medical school’s curriculum.  Participants will have opportunities to interact with medical students and faculty, and to learn about the philosophy and practice of primary care within the disciplines of family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics. The format will include large group presentations, small discussion groups, panel discussions with medical students, individual application consults, and a sample problem based learning session....

Prokaryotic Pumpkin The results of the Tri-Beta Biology Honor Society pumpkin decorating contest are in! After a vote by BAHS faculty, the outcome was a tie!  Sharing the honors for most creative pumpkin are "skull pumpkin" by Diana Masteller , BS Biology, pre-medical sciences, and "prokaryotic pumpkin" by Alexandra Burrows , BS Health Sciences, pre-physician assistant, psychology minor.  Congratulations to our winners who will receive Dunkin gift certificates! Check out these fantastic gourds from the family Cucurbitaceae. Skull Pumpkin

A hearty BAHS welcome and/or welcome back to our students enrolled in our Master of Science program in Biology during spring semester 2021: Oriana Balascio, Ty Basinger, Martina Bennick, Mary Ann Bogert, Alexis Bowser, Sarah Buckley, Rachel Daku, Kayla Davis, Keara Drummer, Leigha Eby, Michael Facella, Bridget Finniff, Jacquelynn Formosa, Braeden Gonzales, Justin Heller, Katelyn Kelchner, Logan Kibler, Mitchell Lidick, Eric Meier, Eric Moeller, Madison Moody, Morgan Murphy, Rachel Nenstiel, Jessica Paoletti, Alex Pasculle, Sweetie Patel.  Our master's program in general biology provides opportunities for course work and research at the supraorganismal, organismal, cellular, and molecular levels of biology. The program prepares students for careers and for admission to doctoral programs or professional schools.  For more information, contact our graduate program coordinator,  Dr. Thomas Klinger  (tklinger@bloomu.edu)

B AHS students Rachel Nenstiel (BS Biology, 3 + 2 MS in Biology) and Casey Donahoe (BS Biology, Pre-medical Sciences) are currently presenting a virtual poster at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB).  Originally scheduled in-person for January 3-7 in Washington DC, the virtual SICB meeting now extends through the end of February. Casey and Rachel's poster "Assessing sublethal stress in honeybees exposed to "bee-friendly" neonicotinoid and pyrethroid pesticides" is uploaded to the meeting platform, along with a 3 minute video that they have prepared. They will have the opportunity to interact with scientists directly in a live session in February and virtually through a chat function. Their work examines the motor responses and levels of oxidative stress in bees exposed to pesticides labeled as "bee-friendly" compared to imidacloprid, the most widely used neonicotinoid pesticide.  This work is significant sin...

Katelyn Kelchner, a Health Science major in the medical genomics and counseling track from Berwick, PA, has received two high academic honors. Kate was named as the College of Science and Technology's Honor Graduate, the student with the highest GPA at the fall 2020 commencement ceremony. Kate was also named as a finalist for the Syed R. Ali-Zaidi Award for Academic Excellence. The award is presented to a graduating senior in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education who has excelled in and out of the classroom. Dr. Ali-Zaidi, a charter member of the Board of Governors, established the award to inspire and honor outstanding students in the State System. Kate was nominated for the award by Bloomsburg University President Bashar Hanna. The winner will be announced by the Board of Governors later this year. Prior to receiving her BS in Health Sciences at Bloomsburg University, Kate earned a BA in English, magna cum laude, from Millersville University. Kate has been active in ...

Interested in the great outdoors?  Check out the Field Biology Club!  During spring semester, the club is planning  mini seminars, bird watching trips, and outdoor scavenger hunts. Leading the club are officers: President Jessica Paoletti, Vice-President Jackie Formosa, Secretary Morgan Murphy, and Treasurer and Trip Coordinator Sarah Gibson . The clubs advisors are Dr. Clay Corbin and Dr. Steve Rier.

Undaunted by the limitations of being remote during fall semester 2020, the Pre-medical Sciences Club continued to be active and to engage its members in opportunities to learn more about medical careers. Club members hosted an information session by Ross School of Medicine, attended Primary Care Day at Penn State College of Medicine, viewed online seminars, participated in recruitment events, sold T-shirts as a fundraiser, and donated canned goods to the Bloomsburg Food Cupboard for Christmas. The first meeting of the Pre-medical Sciences Club during spring semester will be on Wednesday, February 17 at 7 pm. All are welcome to participate! Spring activities planned include a virtual visit from Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, executive board elections, and volunteer opportunities.  Leading the club this academic year are  President Rachael Tuttle, Vice-President Megan Garland, Secretary Jennifer Wilcox, Treasurer Cahterine Maniscalco, Public Relations chair Chiara C...

The following students earned academic honors at fall semester commencement ceremonies. Congratulations! We are very proud of you. (GPA> 3.95):  Katelyn Kelchner, BS Health Sciences, Medical Genomics and Counseling Amy Maciejewski, BS Medical Imaging                                                     Mikayla Ulicny. BS Medical Imaging GPA 3.75 to 3.94 Jacquelynn Formosa. BS Biology, Ecology, Conservation, and Field Biology Gina Gervasi. BS. Medical Imaging Jordyn Heckard. BS Medical Imaging Shania Moore. BS Medical Imaging Allison Sowers. BS. Biology, Pre-medical Sciences GPA 3.5 to 3.74 Theresa Haug. BS Biology, Ecology, Conservation and Field Biology

Alex Pasculle Congratulations to Alex Pasculle , recipient of the Department of Biological and Allied Health Sciences very first Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award. Alex was honored for his initiative, outstanding service, enthusiasm, and work ethic. Alex was presented with the award by Dr. Thomas Klinger , graduate coordinator, at the BAHS Seminar on  November 20, 2020, Alex is a very busy graduate student who has mastered the art of multi-tasking!  He has assisted in a variety of courses including Concepts in Biology 1, Microbiology, Anatomy and Physiology 2, Human Biology, and Genetics. Alex is sought out as a tutor at ABLE by undergraduates in introductory and non-majors courses. He has led review sessions and prepared videos for several courses. Alex's thesis research focuses on investigating  G-Protein Coupled signaling in the in the Endocannabinoid system. Dr. William Schwindinger is his major professor. Alex has presented research at the College of Science and ...

O ur BAHS fall semester seminar series was held virtually on zoom during fall semester, affording us with the opportunity to hear from guest speakers from all over the country.  Thank you to the following researchers who provided us with exciting talks at the cutting edge on a range of topics. Dr. Caitlin Fong, California State University, Northridge. Landscape Coupled Herbivorous Fish Behavior as a Driver of Coral Reef Resilience. Dr. Leonardo Calle,   University of Montana, Ecosystem Modeling in Spacetime Dr. Kevin A. Kuehn, University of Southern Mississippi. To Prime or Not to Prime: Influence of Priming Effects in Aquatic Ecosystems. Dr. John Barthell,   University of Central Oklahoma and Program Director  in the Division of Biological Infrastructure of the National Science Foundation. URSCA and Aristotle: Plant Pollinator Dynamics in a Mediterranean Island Ecosystem. Dr. Caitlin Magel , Oregon Magel. Oregon State University. The Causes and Consequences of...

  Dr. Hilary DeBardeleben BAHS welcomes Dr. Hilary DeBardeleben , a new tenure-track faculty member.  Dr. Bardeleben grew up in  Lancaster , Massachusetts, a semi- rural town full of apple orchards. She earned a B.S. in microbiology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Dr. DeBardeleben has taught previously at  Delaware County Community College,  Haverford College, La Salle University and Susquehanna University. At Bloomsburg University, she c urrently teaches human biology, Concepts in Biology 1 and Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2. In her research, Dr. DeBardeleben investigates sleep behaviors in the model organism C. elegans in order to understand the function of  sleep in organisms that lack a brain. When she has some free time, Dr. DeBardeleben enjoys  reading epic fantasy novels,  playing board games, hiking, playing ultimate f...

The Bloomsburg University Admissions Office has hosted several "Deep Departmental Dives" on Facebook Live to share information on BAHS majors.  Check them out to learn about BAHS programs firsthand from students and faculty.  The events were moderated by: Mr. Thomas Kresch, Associate Director, Outreach, Office of Admissions. Deep Departmental Dive on Ecology, Field Biology  and Natural History. Featuring Drs. Klinger and Rier, Sweetie Patel, Kayla Davis,  Jessica Paoletti, Michael Facella and Sarah Buckley.    Deep Departmental Dive on Pre-med Part 1: Featuring Drs. Hess, Borland, Zimmerman, and Surmacz, Allison Sowers, Julie Marchioni, and Jason Stone Deep Departmental Dive on Pre-med Part 2 Featuring Drs. Hess, Zimmerman and physician alumni Dr. Essie Reed-Schrader and Dr. Brooke Shannon and Kyle Mausteller, a current medical student at Penn State College of Medicine.

Student research projects were highlighted as the College of Science and Technology Informal Research day on Nov 20, 2020. The event, held on ZOOM, was coordinated by Dr. Abby Hare-Harris. Congratulations to Katelyn Kelchner and Allison Sowers , co-winners of the Audience Favorite Award. The following BAHS students presented research: Celeste Takach - Light Effects on Aquatic Decomposition in a Headwater Stream Morgan Murphy - Do Avian Communities Prefer Artificial or Natural Wetlands? Mary Ann Bogert - Effects of Wastewater Treatment Facility Chemicals on Acid Mine Drainage in the Susquehanna River Cameron Buoy - The Annotation of Poison Exons in BRCA2 Allison Sowers - The Effects of BORIS on Telomere Signals in Metaphase Chromosomes Jessica Paoletti - A Comparison of Fish Diversity in Pennsylvania Zone Four Lakes Sarah Buckley - Including Algae in Environmental Education Kaitlyn Serpa - Decomposition Testing on Antietam Creek vs Schuylkill River in Southeastern PA Connor Harding - ...

Congratulations to the following BAHS students who earned a GPA of 3.5 or above during fall semester 2020 and were named to the Dean's List. We are proud of you. Keep up the good work! Kaitlin Atkinson Biology BS Pre-Medical Science Emma Atwood Medical Imaging BS James Baney Biology BS Pre-Medical Science Allison Bardman Health Sciences BS Gabrielle Bastone Medical Imaging BS Nana Yaw Bawuah Health Sciences BS Allison N. Beaver Lily Benevides Biology BS Pre-Medical Science Tori Bertsch Health Sciences BS Medical Lab Science Alexus Beyer Biology BS Nicole Billard Biology BS Ecology, Conservation & Field Biology Clara Bishay ...