CSB/SJU Biology Department Newsletter
Volume 4 Number 8
February 2, 2001
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a great holiday and
January. My January was spent tidying up my office and preparing for
spring semester. I was also excited to have some time to complete a few
writing projects including a species checklist for "The Big Woods Natural
Area" (soon to be posted on the web) and a short story.
Starting with this edition, the Biology Department Newsletter will only be available only on the web. I will send an email notifying you when a new issue is posted. I've decided to not email the entire newsletter because: (1) it will save me a significant amount of time. I used to prepare the newsletter in Word. Then it had to be reformatted slightly before being put in the email and then reformatted once again for the web. Now, I will just need to format it once; and (2) it may save you a little disk space. I had resisted doing this because I know that I rarely visit web sites, such as the new Connections Bulletin Board, to look for new updated information. I hope this won't be too inconvenient for you. If you have any comments, let me know. All the best, Steve.
Student News:
Michelle Kieke (CSB '95) writes that she has completed her Ph.D. from University of Illinois and has started a Post-Doc at the University of Minnesota.
Sarah
Kraling
(CSB �98) is currently at Parker Hughes
Cancer Center doing cancer research including patient-drug assays and
immunophenotyping.
Dr. Larry Davis co-authored a paper with Robert Eves and published in the November issue of the Journal of Geoscience Education. The title of the article was "Measuring and Describing a Stratigraphic Section in the Classroom". Dr. Davis also Co-authored a paper with several US Geological Survey geologists on "Cretaceous Stratigraphy and Paleontology of the Escalante-Grand Staircase National Monument" published in the Utah Geological Association's Millenium volume - Geology of Utah's Parks and Monuments.
Dr. SG Saupe provided a tour of the Science facilities at St. John�s to the Minnesota House Higher Education Committee.
Curriculum
News: none reported
Calendar
of Events:
Feb 20 | Biology Major Field Test - required for graduation seniors |
Mar 23 |
GRE Registration deadline (contact
CSB/SJU Career Resource
center |
April 22 |
MCAT Exam
(registration materials should be available in January 2001) |
Aug 18 | MCAT Exam (registration materials should be available in January 2001) |
Internships/Scholarships/Jobs:
REU-NSF
Program at Baylor University in Organismal Biology
The Department of Biology at BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Announces: An NSF-Research Experience for Undergraduates..."A Feeling For
The Organism: Undergraduate Summer Research In ORGANISMAL BIOLOGY"
Baylor
University offers an outstanding educational opportunity for college sophomores
and juniors to spend a summer working closely with a faculty mentor in the
Department of Biology on an independent research project involving whole
organisms. The program aims to
foster "a feeling for the organism" by introducing participants to the
diversity of life and the works of great naturalists like E. O. Wilson and
Barbara McClintock, as well as by immersing them in a specific research question
in organismal biology. Approximately
ten summer undergraduate research fellowships, funded by the National Science
Foundation and Baylor University, will be offered for Summer 2001.
Each participant will receive a $3000 stipend for the 10-week program
that will run from approximately May 28 through August 9.
Apartment housing will be provided and the use of Baylor's library,
computer facilities, and student life center will be available to all
participants. Travel will be
reimbursed up to $500.
Student
Intern � Solid Waste (At least 20 hours/week, winter semester).
Department:
Environmental Services; Location: Administration
Center, St. Cloud, MN. Position Objective: To assist with the solid waste,
recycling, waste reduction, SCORE, Environmental Service Fee, delinquent refuse
accounts and other related solid waste programs.
For more information contact
Hank Schreifels in Environmental Services at 320-656-6292, between the hours of
8:00 a.m. � 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Wild
Rockies Field Institute
A representative from the Wild Rockies Field Institute (WRFI), an
independent, nonprofit organization that offers undergraduate, rigorously
academic, field-based courses accredited through the University of will be on
campus on February 20. Keep posted
for more details. For more
information about the WRFI visit there web site <http://www.wildrockies.org/wrfi>.
Smithsonian
Environmental Research Center (SERC) Work/Learn Internship
Program.
Deadline: March 1, 200. The Work/Learn Internship Program offers
undergraduate and beginning graduate students a unique opportunity to gain
hands-on experience in the fields of environmental research and education. This
program enables students to work on specific projects under the direction of the
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center's (SERC) professional staff and is
tailored to provide the maximum educational benefit to each participant.
Projects include terrestrial, atmospheric, and estuarine environmental research
within the disciplines of ECOLOGY, BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, MICROBIOLOGY, BOTANY,
ZOOLOGY, MATHEMATICS, and PHYSICS. Projects are also offered in environmental
education and environmental information management.
For more information contact Smithsonian Environmental Research Center;
ATTN: Internship Coordinator, P.O. Box 28; Edgewater, MD 21037 Phone:
(443) 482-2217; Website: http://www.serc.si.edu/SERC_web_html/internship/internhome.html.
Great
River Greening's � Supervisor�s Training.
Basic Supervisors Training - March 29th, 2001, 6:00 pm - 9:00
pm; Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, 3815 East 80th Street,
Bloomington, MN 55425. For more
information call the Volunteer Hotline at 651.665.9500 x 2; or contact GRG on
our web page at www.greatrivergreening.org.
Big
Rivers Partnership Restoration Technician
Great River Greening, a non-profit environmental restoration organization
based in St. Paul, is accepting applications for a seasonal restoration
technician position. The
restoration technician will implement restoration and ecological management
plans along the Mississippi and Minnesota River corridors in the Twin Cities
metropolitan area. This position requires the ability to work on difficult
terrain, under adverse field conditions and during inclement weather.
For more information, contact David L. Cathcart at 35 West Water Street,
Suite 201 Saint Paul, MN 55107, or
email to dcathcart@greatrivergreening.org.
Restoration
Ecologist for Great River Greening
Great River Greening is a non-profit organization whose mission is to
help communities restore, manage, and learn about their natural resources
through volunteer involvement. The
primary duties of the ecologist will be to provide ecological services to a
variety of Great River Greening programs. Primary
responsibilities include managing key projects, conducting ecological
inventories and analysis, writing and reviewing ecological restoration and
management plans, providing training and disseminating technical information to
volunteers and partner organizations, and informing organizational strategic
planning. Requires Masters degree in related field (conservation biology,
ecology, natural resources management, environmental science, forestry,
fisheries and wildlife, etc.), and 4 years of related work experience, or B.S.
degree in related field and 8 years of related work experience. For
more information, contact David L. Cathcart at 35 West Water Street, Suite 201
Saint Paul, MN 55107, or email to dcathcart@greatrivergreening.org.
Course Announcement: Arctic Field Ecology
Two sections of Arctic Field Ecology (University of
Minnesota, Biol 4842, 4 semester credits) are being offered this summer (June 26
- July 19, and July 21 - August 16, 2001). There is an information packet you
can download at http://muskox.com/acrobat/app.pdf,
or contact Dr. Bill Gould at ffwag@uaf.edu;
787-766-5335 ext. 114; http://muskox.com
Hattie
M. Strong Foundation Scholarship:
The Strong foundation administers a loan program for American
college students, studying in the U.S. or abroad, who are entering their FINAL
year of study in a undergraduate or graduate degree program.
Loans are made solely on the basis of individual merit, without regard to
race, sex, or religion, are interest-free and do not require collateral.
Applicants must be enrolled, as full-time students, in an accredited
four-year college or graduate school. Our
maximum loan is $3000. More
information is available at the External Scholarships Program office, HAB 103 -
CSB.
Environmental
Internship at Lost Lake Lodge - Summer
2001
Lost
Lake Lodge is a small family owned resort with 10 cottages and a private lake
located 140 miles north of Minneapolis. The
resort is opened from mid May through early October and employees up to 30 full
and part time staff. Currently Lost
Lake Lodge is looking for a Resident Naturalist.
This intern would work primarily with children ages 3 through 9.
The intern would also be responsible for evening family activities and
some adult interpretive programs. Duties
include developing and implementing environmental education activities using the
natural environs of Lost Lake and it's surrounding 70 acres as the classroom.
This is a paid position. Contact
Timothy
N. Moore at nature@lostlake.com
<http://www.lostlake.com>
National
Institutes of Health - UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
The
National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the nation�s premier biomedical
research institution. NIH offers an
innovative program to support the career development of the next generation of
biomedical health researchers - an undergraduate scholarship for students from
disadvantaged backgrounds*. For
more information contact the External Scholarships Program Office - HAB 103, CSB.
Applications and information is also available online at http://ugsp.info.nih.gov/
Environmental Specialist - Student
Internship
The Environmental Specialist Intern will
assist with monitoring of Minneapolis Park system lakes and waterways in
association with a variety of projects, including the Chain of Lakes Clean Water
Partnership program. For more information contact Jeff Lee at 612-370-4900; Jeffrey.t.lee@ci.minneapolis.mn.us;
<mailto:Jeffrey.t.lee@ci.minneapolis.mn.us>
Trout
Unlimited Job
Trout
Unlimited's mission is to conserve, protect and restore North America's
coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. Founded in 1959, TU today has 125,000
members in 500 chapters nationwide. TU volunteers are the watchdogs of their
local rivers and streams. They conduct stream restoration projects and
educational projects, and fight for fish-friendly policies at local, state and
federal levels. Headquartered in
Washington, DC, TU also conducts scientific and economic research, lobbies to
strengthen conservation legislation, and provides a voice for our members, a
majority of whom are avid anglers who volunteer their time and effort to protect
local rivers and streams that hold trout and salmon. Check out TU's web site at www.tu.org
for information about the following positions Local Organizer - Southeast
Region; National Training Coordinator; and Youth Program Coordinator.
For more information on these positions, contact Sara Johnson, Director,
National Volunteer Operations, Trout Unlimited, 211 S. Paterson St., Ste. 270,
Madison, Wisconsin 53703. Fax:
608-255-1326; E-mail: rdonicht@tu.org.
Tennessee
Clean Water Network Executive Director
Tennessee
Clean Water Network is a newly formed statewide advocacy
organization focused on the protection and restoration of the state's waters.
TCWN has two principle objectives: 1) to build the capacity of citizen
watershed associations to be effective advocates for their local watershed
through communication, technical support, coordination, and direct support; and
2) to advocate for strong state policies and regulations that result in more
effective protection and restoration of Tennessee
waters. They are seeking an
Executive Director with experience in nonprofit management and environmental
policy and advocacy. Please direct
all email questions or submissions to: Catherine
Sheehy, TCWN Program Coordinator, catherine@tcwn.org. Closing Date: February
15, 2001.
Senior
Biology Majors Required to take �Major Field Test�
Graduating
Biology majors are required to take a test called the Biology Major Field Test.
The test is provided at no charge and will given on campus.
The reason for this test is to assess whether the Biology Department has
been successful in providing a Biology major that is outstanding in both breadth
and depth. Since other colleges
also give their Biology majors the same test we can compare the performance of
our students to Biology majors in other programs across the nation.
The exam is scheduled for the evening of TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20.
There will be a pizza party followed by the test.
Every graduating senior biology major is required to take this test, so
please block out this evening on your calendar now.
For more information contact Dr. Jeanne Lust, Biology Dept. Chair or Dr.
Mike Reagan, Biology Assessment Committee.
Geology
at CSB/SJU.
Check
out the new web site for the CSB/SJU Geology program.
You�ll find some nice photos of CSB/SJU students who were on a field
trip to the Colorado Plateau this past summer, and some photos of Robert
Bakker's visit to campus.
CSB/SJU Receives Lancy Foundation Grant
Dr. Derek Larson,
our new ES Director, and Dr. Marcus Webster prepared a grant, entitled "A
Sense of Place: Environmental Stewardship in a Benedictine Community� that was
funded by the Lancy Foundation.
The project will fund 10 undergraduate
students for Summer 2001 working in conjunction with a faculty member.
The team of faculty/student scholars will study the history,
environmental stewardship, environmental history, stewardship, arts, economic
potential of biodiversity, and sustainability of the CSB/SJU community.
Keep on the lookout for more information about this program.
Two
New Reports Indicate Dramatic Slowdown in Loss of U.S. Wetlands
Interior
Secretary Bruce Babbitt and Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today jointly
released two new reports (Jan 9, 2001) that both indicate there has been a
dramatic slowdown in the loss of wetlands over the past decade.
"This is the greatest overall decline in the rate of wetlands loss
since records have been compiled by the federal government,"
Glickman said at a press conference at the Interior Department this
afternoon. "While we celebrate
this tremendous progress, we have not yet met our goal of no net loss, so we
need to be sure that we continue our efforts to protect the environment and be
careful not to move backward. The
new report by the Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service, Status
and Trends of Wetlands in the Conterminous United States 1986 to 1997, shows the
rate of wetland loss in the United States has decreased down to an estimated
annual loss of 58,500 acres an 80
percent reduction compared to the previous decade.
The national goal of no net wetlands losses still has not been met,
however. The study shows that between 1986 and 1997, forested wetlands and
freshwater emergent wetlands continued to show the most losses.
Open water ponds have been increasing, yet there is concern that the
long- term trend in the loss of vegetated wetlands may result in long-term
adverse consequences.
For more information visit the Fish
and Wildlife Service and USDA web
sites.
Sports
Fans Wanted:
Dr.
Linda Mealey (CSB/SJU Psychology Department) is recruiting participants for a
study on testosterone and cortisol levels of people watching high stakes (and
later, low stakes) competitions. She
is looking for a bevy of students to volunteer to help for January term ILP
course credit, and later for one or two students to make a senior or honors project out of it (next Spring and all of the 2001-2002 academic year).
New
"Native Plants Journal"
The
"Native Plants Journal"--an eclectic forum for dispersing practical
information about planting and growing native plants--is a new, full-color,
twice-a-year journal from the University of Idaho.
Native Plants Journal needs two things: (1) Subscribers. Only $30.00 for individuals; $60.00 for libraries.
(See URL below) (2) ARTICLES/AUTHORS.
We need articles for the Fall 2001 issue, which means manuscripts will be
due around March or April. NPJ
accepts both general manuscripts (informative articles about techniques,
cultivars, habitat restorations, etc.) and refereed research papers (with
scientific method, experimental design, statistics...).
For more info, please check out NPJ's wepsite.
Native
Seed Conference Announcement -- Conference:
April 19-20, 2001
Seeds
for the Future, a national native wildflower and grass seed production
conference will be held in ORLANDO on April 19-20, 2001.
For registration information, please call Nancy at (850) 922-7206.
Tropical
Ethnobotany Field Course
The Tropical Ethnobotany Course explores field techniques of
ethnobotany with
an overview of topical ethnobotany and botany. The focus is on practical
techniques for ethnobotanical research, the role of plants in indigenous
societies, interview techniques, and basic tropical botany. Successful
completion of the course will qualify students for participation in
ethnobotanical expeditions. The course is offered during the summer for two
weeks. For more information contact Director of Education National
Tropical Botanical Garden; 3530 Papalina Road; Kalaheo, HI 96741; Tel: (808)
332-7324 ext 225 or 251; Fax: (808) 332-9765; Email: tavana@ntbg.org
Australian
Living Fossils - internet discussion forwarded
by D. Grandmaison.
Another
"living fossil" tree has been found in Australia.
This is the third since 1994! The first was the wollemi pine (now named
Wollemia nobilis), a huge tree species which is thought to have survived in a
deep, wet gorge 150 km from Sydney for 200 million years.
Before the discovery by an off duty National Parks officer, it was known
only from fossils laid down from 50-200 million years ago. 43 mature individuals
are known to exist in the wild. The Royal Botanic Gardens - Sydney's
page, with
information and great photos, and at these is at these web sites (Jurassic
plants; wollemi)
.
For an artist's page, with some good biological info check out the web
site. Apparently botanists have found
evidence that this species was much more widespread just 2 million years ago in
Australia, then went into decline. A
propagation program has been started for this species (a good idea), and
horticulturalists hope to have plants for sale by 2005. (Thus contributing to
the economy, and giving this plant's existence meaning!)
A
second living fossil tree was also found about that time. This is a very
primitive flowering plant in the family Proteaceae. See links
.
Similar species are known from
50-million-year-old fossils, and it is somewhat different and more
�primitive" than any living Proteaceae. As of 1994 16 individuals of this
species had been found, in an ancient rainforest in Queensland.
The
last species also grows in the Australian rainforest and has nuts that are
similar in structure to a "species dating back to prehistoric times"
and known only in fossilized form says AP 12/16. The "living fossil" tree is believed to be closely
related to "Eidotha" which once covered "the ancient
super-continent of Gondwanaland -- now Australia, Africa, South America and New
Zealand."
Nobel
Prizes and Undergraduate Colleges � submitted by Dr. Michael Reagan
The
following information is from the CUR Quarterly, a publication of the
Council on Undergraduate Research. Dr.
David Peak, of Utah State University, recently compiled a list of Nobel
prizewinners who graduated from primarily undergraduate institutions like CSB/SJU. He found that 42 Nobel prizewinners graduated from schools
like ours. Here is a list of the
winners of the Physiology and Medicine Nobel, the one that Biologists most often
are honored with. The year
indicates the year the person won the prize.
I look foward to one of you adding CSB/SJU to the list! Perhaps the name of Dr. David Mitchell will soon join this
exclusive club. If you are
interested, check out the Nobel web site.
Paul Greengard, 2000, Hamilton College
Ferid Murad, 1998, DePauw University
Phillip Sharp, 1993, Union College, KY
Joseph Murray, 1990, Holy Cross
J. Michael Bishop, 1989, Gettysburg U
Harold Varmus, 1989, Amherst
Gertrude Elion, 1988, Hunter College
Stanley Cohen, 1986, Brooklyn College
Joseph Goldstein, 1985, Washington & Lee
Roger Sperry, 1981, Oberlin College
Rosalyn Yalow, 1977, Hunter College
Baruch Blumberg, 1976, Union College, NY
Bavid Baltimore, 1975, Swarthmore
Howard Temin, 1975, Swarthmore
Gerald Edelman, 1972, Ursinus
Earl Wilbur Sutherland, Jr., 1971, Washburn
Julius Axelrod, 1970, CCNY
Haldan Keffer Hartline, 1967, Lafayette
College
Arthur Kornberg, 1959, CCNY
Philip Showalter Hench, 1950, Lafayette
College
Web
Sites Worth A Visit:
(have you visited any cool sites lately? Send us your suggestions))
MN Nature Conservancy (for field trips, volunteer
opportunities, etc.)
Puzzler of the Week:
Joke
of the Week.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What animal gives pink milk? (this is presumably a serious question from
one of our readers. The only answer I can think of is - a "pink
cow". Anyone have other ideas?)
Dr. Stephen G. Saupe
Professor & Herbarium Curator
Biology Department
College of St. Benedict/St. John's University
Collegeville, MN 56321
(320) 363-2782; (320) 363-3202 (fax); ssaupe@csbsju.edu
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