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BAHS Students Present Their Research

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Students from across the College of Science and Technology gathered in the Andruss Library in April to present their research. Several undergraduate and graduate students from our department enthusiastically presented their work to their peers and faculty.            Several students received awards for their presentations:        Haley Fiske First Place in the Undergraduate Biology and Allied Health Sciences Category  Mentor: Abby Hare-Harris Title:  Identification of Poison Exons in Genes Associated with Improved Athletic Performance       Nathan Slotnick Honorable Mention in the Undergraduate Biology and Allied Health Sciences Category  Mentor: Kate Beishline Title:  BORIS Expression in HCT116 Cells       Oriana Balascio First Place in the Graduate Biology and Allied Health Sciences Category Mentor: Kate Beishline Title: C haracterizing BORIS Dynamics at Telomeres in a Colon Cancer Cell Model     Braeden Gonzales Honorable Mention in the Graduate B
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Graduate Student Awarded Presentation Award at State Conference

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In Late March, Bridget Finniff, Biology MS’ 2022 , received an honorable mention for the Spychala Award for Oral Presentation at the 98th Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Academic of Sciences, hosted this year by DeSales University. Bridget’s talk was titled “The Mechanisms Involved in the Development of Vemurafenib Resistance in Human Melanoma Cells”    This project was funded by a student research grant from the PA Academy of Science in 2021. Bridget is conducting this research under the mentorship of Dr. Angela Hess.          Congratulations Bridget! We are so proud of you!
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Faculty Partners with Department of Conservation and State Parks in Research Project

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Dr. Lauri Green came to an agreement recently to partner with 10 state parks and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Cavity-Nesting Trails Program , in her Tree Swallow Feather project here at BU.    The goal of the project is to quantify the number, size, density and type of feathers used in Tree Swallow nests. Dr. Green and her students will examine differences in feather use among habitat types as it relates to reproductive success of Tree Swallows.   Parks participating in the project include:  Ricketts Glen State Park Codorus State Park Prince Gallitzin State Park Delaware Canal State Park Chapman State Park Kettle Creek and Ole Bull State Park Nescopeck and Hickory Run State Park Sinnemahoning State Park Little Buffalo State Park French Creek State Park Complex Keystone State Park      In addition to her four private sites and Flue Marsh Lake (run by the US Army Corps of Engineers) these state parts will give the project a total of 16 fie
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Alumni Updates

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While Bloomsburg was blanketed in snow and cold weather this winter, BU alumnus Kimberly Baldwin (Biology B.S. '90) , a Naturalist with Lindbald National Geographic Expeditions , was keeping warm exploring the Magdalena Planes of Baja.        In other news, Sean Hartzell, B.S. Biology ‘15 M.S Biology ’17 student, and former adjunct faculty member, recently published an article in the Journal of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science . The work discusses crayfish behavior, directly related to the Masters Thesis Work he completed while at BU. The full article can be accessed at this link .  Congratulations Sean!        Finally, it is every scientist's dream to some day publish in the journal of Science. Alumnus Madison Wisniewski (Biology B.A. Natural History '21 graduate) hasn't quite got there yet, but her dog Caboose has made it! This research was generated by  Darwins Ark , a citizens science project focused on discovery new ways to help pets and their people
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BAHS Student Awarded Scholarship

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Junior B.S. Biology (Ecology, Conservation, and Field Biology) student, Rebecca Burlingame, was recently awards the Wildlife for Everyone Foundation Scholarship which will support her work on the local Tree Swallow Project, run by BAHS faculty member Dr. Lauri Green.                         Congratulations Rebecca, Good Luck on your Research! 🐦👏
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BU Faculty Emeritus George Chamuris Continues Dendrology Work

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Retired faculty member of the Biological and Allied Health Science Department, George Chamuris dedicated his career to the study of plants and trees, particularly those in our beaultiful Pennsylvania wilderness. He retired in 2019, but has since kept up his work. Of note, Dr. Chamuris was recently highlighted in local news for identifying a previous unknown “celebrity” tree right here in Bloomsburg Pennsylvania.           Dr. Chamuris was always curious about a rather large tree sitting at the edge of the Bloomsburg town park. After some research and investigation, this specimen turned out to be Carya cordiformis (a Bitternut Hickory tree). It is not just any Bitternut Hickory tree. As it turns out, it is the second largest Bitternut Hickory tree recorded in Pennsylvania. Measuring a diameter of 50 inches and a 105 ft tall, the tree is likely close to 200 years old. Data was reported to the Bureau of Forestry and confirmed and the results have now been reported to pabigtrees.com . 
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Congratulation 2021 Fall Graduates!

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  A special Congrats goes out to all of the BAHS Fall and Winter 2021 Graduates!    We are so proud of you!   Biology BA Catherine Loch Mackenzie Yohn   Biology BS  Xiane Goda Nicole Harper Olivia Hoover Lenora Pierce Jamie Ross Davina Situmeang     Health Sciences BS  Zachary Beamer Taylor Berger Alyssa Broadt Alyssa Cianciulli Emily Demko Yvonne Henderson Alicia Hunter Brianna Peacock Heatherlyn Rosario Heath Sakusky Alyssa Schoeneberger Lidsay Stine Danielle Supon Amy Szwajkowski Brianna Vera Erin Walsh Jordan Williams Megan Yurkiewicz       Medical Imaging BS  Margaret Bisciotti Sydnee Ferguson Taylor Fite Lauren Lancello Alyssa Rizzo Brooke Schaffer Amber Zurewich
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Pie is not just for the mathematicians!

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Have you ever had the thought, I would love to throw a pie in the face of that shall remain nameless professor after their last killer exam. Some Bloomsburg students and faculty got that chance.....   The Bloomsburg Chapter of Beta Beta Beta (Tri Beta Honor Society) hosted a fundraiser to raise money to attend their national conference this summer. It wasn’t just any fundraiser though, it was PieTastic!    Students and faculty made bids to throw pie’s in each others faces and then met outside the Commons to make those bids a reality. (Apparently the Commons is the only place on campus zoned for pie related events 😂).    It was a fantastic time and raised over $400!!          Don’t worry if you missed it, this fundraiser was so much fun they’ll be doing it again this Spring! 😎😀😂
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BAHS Students awarded state and national research grants.

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Fall grant season kept our BU research students busy preparing grant proposals for funding from both Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Biologists Organization (CPUB) as well as the National Tri Beta Biology Honor Society. Among the many applicants two BU students were awarded grants.      Graduate student Mitchell Liddick received a CPUB grant to fund his research titled "Using mesocosms to investigate the role of polyester microfibers on stream biofilm community structure and function"     Undergraduate student Nathan Slotnick received grants from both CPUB and that National Tri Beta Honor Society for his project titled "Inducible BORIS Expression in Infected HCT116 Cells"       Great Job Guys! Good Luck on your research endeavors! 
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BU Graduate Students present at 16th Annual Susquehanna River Symposium

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On November 5th, BAHS students made a visit to Bucknell University's Campus for the 16th Annual Susquehann River Symposium. This regional conference brings students and faculty from area universities together to highlight their scholarly activity and promote collaboration in environmental projects in our region. Two BU graduate students presented on their current thesis work.        Braeden Gonzales presented a poster titled " Microbial extracellular enzymes as indicators of riparian and upstream forest cover in headwater streams ” and Mitchell Liddick presented one titled " Using mesocosms to investigate the role of polyester microfibers on stream biofilm community structure and function .” Both students work in the laboratory of Dr. Steven Rier .                Mitchell was awarded the best poster in the graduate student category! Congratulations Mitchell!    
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