The newly remodeled lab on the Life Science Building’s third floor is teeming with research activity.There, Dr. Anne Hershey and her students are sorting and measuring insects, conducting water chem-istry tests, determining chlorophyll content of algae, and examining the otoliths of fish to calculatetheir ages. Both in the lab and in the field, members of “The Hershey Lab” are pursuing answers tointriguing questions in the area of aquatic ecology.

Dr. Hershey and her students have conducted research on many lakes and streams in arctic Alaska andMinnesota. These efforts have been funded mostly by the National Science Foundation andMinnesota Sea Grant. Hershey collaborates witharctic scientists at Woods Hole OceanographicInstitute, as well as researchers at UMD and theCenter for Water and the Environment at the NaturalResources Research Institute. Currently, Dr.Hershey and her graduate students are conductingresearch in three general areas: Arctic Streams,Arctic Lakes and Minnesota North Shore Streams.

Stream surveys have been done for many years in the Kuparuk River and Oksrukuyik Creek inAlaska to gain a broad understanding of arcticstream ecosystems and to investigate the effects of

With the departure ofDr. Don Christianfrom the Departmentof Biology last spring,I assumed theDepartment Headposition in an “acting”capacity for one year..Don accepted a posi-tion as Associate Dean in the Division ofBiology at the University of Montana inMissoula. We all miss Don’s leadership,scholarship and sense of humor in the depart-ment, but recognize that he was looking for anew challenge and a “change of scenery” inhis career. I know Don is enjoying the hunt-ing and fishing in Montana as well as his newjob responsibilities. Don was my science col-league, fellow administrator, and a personalfriend. We all thank Don for his 20 years ofquality service to the department and theUMD community.

For me this has been a challenging andstrange year. Although I have been involvedin administration while the Director of theCenter for Water and the Environment at the

Life Scientist Department LeadershipA Challenge

Please see Biologists, Page 3 Please see Department Leadership, Page 5

Biologists Explore Aquatic Ecology - North Shore to Alaska

by Gerald “Jerry” Niemi

by Kay Rezanka

The

Aquatic Research Team (Left to Right): Kay Rezanka, Andy Wold, Jenny Kysely, Jim Lee, Courtney Kowalczak,Gretchen Gettel, Dr. Anne Hershey

UMD Biology Department News winter 1998

Randy Hedin has been a familiar figure in the Biology Department for the last 10 years – first as anundergraduate, then as a graduate student, now as a laboratory services coordinator. Randy is responsiblefor directing the many tasks that are a part of preparations for large, multiple section courses. He ordersmaterials, is a resource person for graduate student teaching assistants, and participates in laboratoryinstruction. He also manages the operation of the biology stockroom, maintains and inventories suppliesand works on specific projects as they arise, such as the current project of rekeying locks in the LifeScience Building. Randy has had a wide variety of responsibilities this past year, which makes the jobinteresting, but he sees a need to make the existing classrooms and space more usable by better organiza-tion and by improving the quality of supplies and equipment available. He says, “Working in the generalbiology sequence this year, I have realized the enormous amount of materials needed.”

Randy holds bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Chemistry from UMD and also earned an M.S. degree inBiology from UMD in 1996. He is married to Paula (Holter) Hedin, who is completing a master’s degreeunder Dr.Lil Repesh in the UMD Medical School. Randy and Paula have a daughter, Dayle, who wasborn last September.

The last several years have seen an increasing number of students enrolling in Biology courses, resulting in anincrease in department holdings, supplies and equipment, not only for teaching, but also for research. We arefortunate to have the services of Randy Hedin and Bill Bailey, Laboratory Services Coordinators, new to theBiology staff this past year.

Bill Bailey is a long-time Duluth resident who has a B.S. degree in Chemistry from UMD. Beforeassuming his present position as a lab services coordinator in the Biology Department, he had work experi-ence with local agencies, including the EPAlab and MPCA. He spent the last 15 years working for theUMD Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, where he was involved with trace enzymemetabolism and enzyme kinetic studies. Bill’s responsibilities as a laboratory services coordinator are toprovide support for upper division courses in cell and molecular biology. He is also a safety officer and,along with Randy, inventories chemicals and maintains equipment. Bill would like to participate in thedepartment’s teaching mission by helping to develop a techniques course with hands-on experience in ana-lytical instrumentation, which he feels is important in the fields of biotechnology and biochemistry.

Bill spends his leisure time as a serious amateur astronomer. He and his wife Barbara and 10 year old son,Patrick, reside in Duluth.

Randy Hedin and Bill Bailey Join Biology Staff

T h e L i f e S c i e n t i s t • Fa c u l t y S t a f f N e w s • 2

Biologists, Continued from page 1

fertilization on food webs in flowing waters. Jim Lee conducted his thesis work on theKuparuk River where he focused on the impactsof nutrient disturbance on arctic stream insects.Increased periphyton growth and the establish-ment of aquatic mosses, both caused by increasedphosphorus, influence stream insects, yet Jim hasfound that these effects are independent. Mossestablishment is particularly important in arcticsystems since they lack other substrates like thewoody debris typically seen in temperate streams.

As part of a larger experiment involving the intro-duction of nitrogen into a stream, Jenny Kyselyhas been investigating how a stable isotope ofnitrogen, 15N, is incorporated into various sizefractions of fine particulate organic matter(FPOM), an important food source for streamorganisms. By comparing the 15N content ofFPOM and periphyton, she has determined thatthis stream’s FPOM originates from riparian orupstream sources, rather than from instream algalsources as seen in other arctic streams.

The arctic lake studies have investigated predatorcontrol of the food web structure, especially thebenthic, or bottom, communities. While lake fer-tilization experiments on the role of nutrients inlentic food webs are ongoing, currently Hersheyand her colleagues are investigating the topogra-phy surrounding the lakes and their basins. These“landscape effects” seem to influence the distribu-tion of predators and ultimately, community struc-ture. The Geomorphic Trophic Hypothesis (GTH)is used to explain the distribution of fish acrossthe landscape (based on lake area, depth, and

stream outflow gradient) and to make predictionsabout the resulting food web structure of the lake.For her thesis work on this topic, GretchenGettel has compared the food web structures oflakes with different fish assemblages. She foundthat fish appear to assert strong control on foodweb structure in both surface and benthic foodwebs. However, when fish are absent from lakes,invertebrate predators are more common andaffect the web structure in a manner similar tofish. Amber Ulseth, an undergraduate biologymajor, assisted graduate students in the field atToolik Lake last summer. She has a UROP pro-ject involving the effects of parasites on slimysculpin growth.

In recent years, Minnesota North Shore streamshave been the focus of various studies on nutrientdynamics and trophic interactions. These haveranged from an assessment of the impact ofsalmon carcass decomposition (fish swimupstream to spawn, then die in great numbers) tothe implications of larval black fly feeding habitson the organic matter pools, to the effects of theexotic Eurasian ruffe. Current North Shorestream research has shifted to projects that studythe effects of watershed land use on ecosystemprocesses. These projects are designed to answerquestions about the variability of nutrient limita-tion, macroinvertebrate community structure,organic matter retention and transport, and waterquality in different watersheds.

Andy Wold is concentrating on how nutrient lim-itation differs among urban, wetland, and forestedwatersheds, and whether seasonal limitation

patterns exist among these land use types.Additionally, he is examining how land useaffects the distribution and communitystructure of fish and macroinvertebrates inNorth Shore streams, as well as the effectson the retention and transport of coarseparticulate organic matter (CPOM).

Deb Anderson will be investigating howdifferent watershed landscapes influencestream nutrient concentrations during stormevents. She is also interested in using aGIS Soil and Water Assessment tool usedto simulate changes in watersheds, as wellas comparing nutrient model outputs tofield data in North Shore streams. BothDeb and Andy will be continuing their fieldwork this summer.

Last fall, Kay Rezanka introduced a stableisotope of nitrogen (15N) into Amity Creekin an effort to trace algal nitrogen throughorganic matter and consumer compart-ments. By comparing the 15N content ofvarious food web compartments, she isdetermining the degree to which consumersrely upon instream or riparian-derived foodsources. Kay is also interested in inverte-brate grazer control of algal biomass andplans to continue research on this topic thissummer.

Courtney Kowalczak has been Hershey’sAssistant Scientist since 1991 (a positionpreviously held by Jason McCrea) and hasbeen involved in the field collection, sam-

Please see More Biologists, page 5

T h e L i f e S c i e n t i s t • F a c u l t y S t a f f N e w s • 3

Dr. John Carlson is remembered forhis friendly smile and his enthusiasticclassroom manner. Agifted teacher,he taught botany courses to genera-tions of UMD students during the50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Before com-ing to UMD in 1954, he earned hisPh.D. from Iowa State College inAmes, Iowa, after taking a bachelor’sdegree in Biology and Chemistryfrom St. Olaf College in Northfield.He served the university for 33 years, untilhis retirement. In addition to his reputationfor excellence in teaching, he secured fund-ing to research the developmental anatomy ofseveral vascular plants, including soybeansand wild rice. He authored a number of pub-lications in the area of plant morphology andwas a member of many professional soci-eties.

Retired since 1987, Dr. Carlson and his wifeDolores, a retired elementary school teacher,are enjoying a busy schedule of hobbies, vol-unteer work, travel and family activities. Hislove of plants and expertise in botany are evi-dent in the flowers, vegetables and fruitsgrown at their home. As one of his formerstudents and colleagues, it was my pleasureon a rainy day (yes, rainy) last February, tospend time talking with Dr. Carlson, renew-ing our friendship and reminiscing about thepast. This article is about a happy and satisfy-

ing retirement, a just reward formore than 30 years of teaching,research and service to the uni-versity and community.As he came into my office, Icomplimented him on his richbrown leather jacket. He grinnedbroadly, then proceeded to tellthe story of its Finnish origin andthe circumstances of its purchase.The jacket, and a fine-looking

Cossack-style hat, were brought back from a triplast year to Finland, actually the second trip toFinland taken by the Carlsons since their retire-ment. Both John and Dolores have ancestral tiesto Finland – his great grandfather was a pastor ina small village in northern Finland. Ahighlight oftheir first trip was to see his small church, stillstanding after the village has been plundered andburned. Their ties with Finnish relatives havebeen kept and some make the trip from Finland toFlorida often, to rendezvous and visit with familyhere. Other memorable trips were to the HolyLand, Hawaii and in 1990, to Germany. “Local”travels have included a recent trip to Texas andquite often, visits to the twin cities and RapidCity, South Dakota, where children and grandchil-dren reside.

Volunteer activities are time-consuming for bothJohn and Dolores. For seven years followingretirement, John was a volunteer at the ChrisJensen Nursing Home. Currently he enjoys volun-

teer duties in the cardiac cath lab at St. Mary’sHospital. The Carlsons are also dedicated to serving their church and they are both energeticmembers of a head of the lakes Finnish choir,which Dolores directs. Music has always beenimportant in their lives, but the choir, which hadits origin at the time of the 1992 Finn Fest inDuluth, has been a special joy. John admits tosinging, with correct enunciation, the more than100 songs in their repertoire, but not understand-ing the words!

The four Carlson children, except for daughterJan, are in Minnesota. Steve, the eldest, is aphysician with the West Duluth Clinic. He and hiswife Patt and two children, reside in Duluth.Another son, John, a pastor - musician – computerscientist, teaches at Bethel College. He and hiswife Barb live in the twin cities with their twochildren. Jan is a middle school science teacher atEllsworth Airforce Base. She and her husbandRod, a gold-mining geologist, and their two chil-dren, live in Rapid City, South Dakota. Theyoungest son,, Mike, is a diesel mechanicsinstructor at Lake Superior College and lives inDuluth with his wife Cathy and their three chil-dren.

All of us in the Biology Department wish Dr.Carlson a long and happy retirement. If alumniwish to contact him, the address is 5627 LesterRiver Road, Duluth, MN 55804.

Visit With a Professor Emeritus

Fourth in a Series

by Linda Holmstrand

T h e L i f e S c i e n t i s t • Fa c u l t y S t a f f N e w s • 4

News Notes………

Mel Whiteside is in the third year of a 5 year phased retirement, working fall quarter and part of winter quarter each year. Last May he was among fiveinternational scientists invited to speak to a symposium celebrating the 100th year of the Freshwater Biological Laboratory at the University ofCopenhagen. He was also the co-author of a paper on Lake Superior zooplankton and one on techniques for collecting young fish (see grants and publi-cations section, this newsletter) During the “off” time, he and his wife Gildi are pursuing their nautical interests. They are currently sailing their Valiant39, Itasca, from San Diego to Baja, with plans to continue to Hawaii. The Whitesides will return to Duluth in August.

Anne Hershey will be spending spring quarter working with undergraduates in the Study in England program. She will also be seeking collaborativeresearch opportunities with British colleagues.

Colleen Belk and Virginia Borden recently completed writing a textbook entitled “The Second X: The Biology of Women” for Harcourt BracePublishers. It has already been adopted by several other colleges and universities for use in their Biology of Women courses.

The Olga Lakela Herbarium recently published Rare Plants ofMinnesota’s Arrowhead by Deborah Shubat and Gary Walton, withDr. David Schimpf as facilitator and editor. This is a pocket-sizefield guide to 56 species of non-grasslike plants in Carlton, Cook,Lake and St. Louis counties. These species are all from the officialMinnesota list of Endangered, Threatened, or Special Concernspecies released by the Minnesota DNR. Each species in the guideis illustrated with a colored photocopy, with scale, of an actualherbarium specimen. Each description also includes a map of thedistribution of known collection sites, based on records as recent asAugust, 1997.

The guide, designed for use by practicing professionals, is intendedto be a supplement to standard identification manuals. Its publica-

tion was subsidized by the Olga Lakela Herbarium Fund. Anumber of copies are still availableto the general public. The cost is $10.00 + $0.75 tax + $1.50 shipping, if mail-ordered, and canbe requested from Deb Shubat UMD Biology Department. The Herbarium Fund also contributedto the publication of Ownbey and Morley’s well-known Vascular Plants of Minnesota: AChecklist and Atlas (1991, U. of Minn. Press) as part of its contribution to the outreach missionof the University.

Herbarium Publishes Book by David Schimpf

Gary Walton and Deb Shubat

T h e L i f e S c i e n t i s t • Fa c u l t y S t a f f N e w s • 5

ple processing, and data management por-tions of the graduate students’research.Courtney’s lab management skills and enthu-siasm for assisting with field work havemade her an integral member of the Hersheyresearch teams.

Former graduate students of Dr. Hershey’sinclude: Nan Allen, Amy Fisher Wold, TracyGalarowicz, Andy Goyke, Kristi Hanson,Frank Kaszuba, Tyler Lampella, GlennMerrick, Jeff Schuldt, and John Wheeler.

Biologists, Continued from page 1

Department Leadership,Continued from Page 1

Natural Resources Research Institute foreight years, this position had been a chal-lenge because I have not previously adminis-tered an academic program. It is strange tobe sitting in the Department Head chair – aseat occupied by past legends in the depart-ment with names like Odlaug, Krogstad andCarlson. Strange also because I do not feelold, but it has already been more than 20years since I was an undergraduate andgraduate student at UMD.

I could not have made it through this yearwithout the wisdom of the Biology facultyand staff. I especially want to acknowledgeand thank Dr. Conrad Firling, LindaHolmstrand, and Dr. David Schimpf. Conradand Linda have continued to serve asAssociate Department Heads this year.Conrad has been in charge of course schedul-ing and coordination as well as leadingdepartment efforts in conversion to semesters(a major headache) that is scheduled to beginduring the 1999-2000 academic year – only alittle over a year away! Linda has beeninstrumental in handling details of the under-graduate program including the ever-chal-lenging completion of Upper Division papers(remember those?) Dave has continued toserve as the Director of the Graduate Studiesprogram and does a superb job of organiza-tion and delivery of information to graduatestudents and faculty. I have constantlysought the guidance of Conrad, Linda andDave.

Despite the exodus of Don and the retirement ofDr. Hollie Collins last year, the department hasmoved forward boldly. The department will initi-ate a search for a vertebrate physiologist next yearas a replacement for Don. We are having discus-sions with other departments on future positionsin cell and molecular biology, as well as bolster-ing positions associated with aquatic biology.This past year, the department added two full-timelaboratory service coordinators, Randy Hedin andBill Bailey, to support biology instruction, admin-ister the stockroom, and maintain equipment andto develop a safety program. Randy and Bill havealready contributed significantly to the delivery ofhigh quality biology instruction. The Biologyoffice will be reorganized in the near future. RuthHemming, along with Mary Simon and manyundergraduate students, keep the office runningsmoothly, but we all agree that thelogistical layout of the office could be improved.

The department has continued to have a full agen-da, and to me, an administratively challengingprogram. We are the largest department on cam-pus. The department’s 15 faculty members cur-rently offer more than 40 courses, undergraduateand graduate, per year. We have more than 500undergraduate majors and about 30 active gradu-ate students. This past year, more than 15 gradu-ate students have been supported as graduateteaching assistants. More than 50 undergraduatestudents are involved in research, either throughundergraduate research projects (UROP), researchassistants, or research for credit.Biology also has the largest research program of

any department on campus (see listing of grantsand publications, this issue). We have traditional-ly had an active program in environmental-relatedresearch, and with the recent additions of Dr.Arun Goyal and Dr. Merry Jo Oursler, the depart-ment has greatly increased its research activity incell and molecular biology. In addition, manydepartment faculty members have joint projectswith the School of Medicine and the NaturalResources Research Institute.

The Biology Department has an exciting future!We are planning a new Science Building andremodeling of the Life Science Building. As thebiology program has grown over the years, andthe Life Science Building has aged, we have allbecome frustrated with the lack of quality spacefor teaching and research. The University hasrecognized this, and hence we have begun to layplans for the new science building (to be sharedwith the Chemistry department), which would pri-marily house new instructional laboratories. Theremodeling of our current building would focuson improvements to the ventilation system, aproblem which alumni may remember.

In closing, I wish you the best in your continuedendeavors and urge you to stop by and visit withprevious instructors when you are in the area. Onbehalf of the Biology Department faculty andstaff, thank you for your continued support.

T h e L i f e S c i e n t i s t • Fa c u l t y S t a f f N e w s • 6

With feelings of sadness, yet wishing the best for his new endeavor, Biologyfaculty, staff and students said goodbye to Biology Department Professorand Head, Dr. Don Christian. Don accepted the position of Associate Deanof Biological Sciences at the University of Montana beginning August 15,1997. In late July, he and his wife Sandy and children, Paul and Jenna, leftDuluth for Missoula.

Don has been a member of the UMD Biology faculty since 1978, serving asdepartment head for the last four years. Under his leadership, the departmentcompleted the establishment of the cell biology program, enhanced spaceand equipment holdings, and strengthened collaborative research programswith NRRI, the School of Medicine, EPAand various governmental agen-cies. He will be remembered also for his excellence in classroom teaching and hisservice contributions to the campus and the community. We wish Don muchsuccess as he faces new professional challenges!

Don Christian Heads West

Don and Sandy Christian

Last September, the Olga Lakela Herbariumbegan a project to create an electronic database ofits whole specimen collection. This will enableinvestigators to look up what the herbarium’sholdings are from certain geographic locations orfrom certain botanical specimen collectors. Priorto this, such information could be obtained onlyby laboriously sorting through the collection,which has in excess of 40,000 sheets. In addition,it will be possible to look up information aboutspecific plant taxa without having to remove themfrom the cabinets. This will reduce wear and tearon the specimens.

Deborah Pomroy-Petry was hired to create thedatabase. Deb is a UMD Biology graduate whohas been self-employed as a field botanical con-sultant, performing plant surveys in the regionthrough various contracts. In addition to enteringinformation from specimen labels, Deb looks forspecimens that may have been misidentified ormay be in need of repair. So far, she has complet-ed work with our existing specimens of seedlessvascular plants and gymnosperms, and is workingon the dicots that are treated in the first volume onflowering plants in the new Flora of NorthAmerica series.

Deb is using new software designed specificallyfor managing biological specimen collections.The money to support this project comes from theOlga Lakela Fund, a University endowment basedlargely on Dr. Lakela’s bequest.

Herbarium Begins Databaseby David Schimpf

T h e L i f e S c i e n t i s t • Fa c u l t y S t a f f N e w s • 7

Colleen Belk and Virginia BordenGrant from Saunders College Publishing in sup-port and development of the textbook, TheSecond X: The Biology of Women. $ 6,000. 1997.

Dr. Arun GoyalCarbon concentration mechanism in plants andalgae. US Department of Agriculture. $ 100, 000.1997-1999.

Glycerol synthesis stress tolerance in plants.University of Minnesota System. $ 25,210. 1997-1998

Identification of natural flavor volatiles to pre-vent fungal infection in apples: pathogen-hostcommunication. Center for Crop and FoodBioprocessing, Michigan State University. $ 21,000. 1997-1998. (With Dr. R. Beaudry,Michigan State University).

Pathogen-host volatile communication.Biotechnology Research Center, Michigan State.$15,000. 1997-1998. (With Dr. R. Beaudry,Michigan State University).

Dr. Anne HersheyWatershed effects on stream productivity andwater quality discharge in Lake Superior tributarystreams. Minnesota Sea Grant. $168,000. 1996-1998. (With Dr. R. Axler and Dr. C.Richards of NRRI).

Control of trophic structure and function of aquat-ic ecosystems in the arctic. National ScienceFoundation. $287,000. 1994-1997. (With Dr. M.

McDonald, Minnesota Sea Grant Program).Potential impacts of invading ruffe(Gymnocephalus cernuus) on benthic and pelagicecosystems of the Great Lakes. Minnesota SeaGrant. $1,193,000. 1995-1998. (With many othersincluding Dr. R. Axler and Dr. C. Richards ofNRRI).

Landscape control of trophic structure in arcticAlaskan lakes. National Science Foundation.$200,000. 1995-1997. (With Dr. M. McDonald,Minnesota Sea Grant Program; Dr. J. Pastor; Dr.M.Miller, U. of Cincinnati; Dr. C. Richards,NRRI; and Dr. W. O’Brien, U. of Kansas).

Key connections in arctic aquatic landscapes.National Science Foundation. $407,438. 1997-2000 (With M. McDonald, Minnesota SeaGrant and C. Richards, NRRI).

Landuse effects on stream ecosystem parametersand material discharge in Lake Superior tributarystreams. Minnesota Sea Grant. $83,400. 1998-2001.

Dr. Randall HicksSurvival and reproduction of pathogenic bacteriain a Great Lakes Estuary: Acomprehensive testof combined municipal and industrial sewagemanagement. Minnesota Sea Grant. $81,036.1996-98.

On-site sewage treatment alternatives: pathogenremoval/technology transfer. LegislativeCommission on Minnesota Resources. $75,000.1997-1999.

Grants to Biology Department Faculty:

Biology Faculty 1997-98Front, Left to Right: Andy Klemer, Randy Hicks, Arun Goyal, MerryJoOursler

Row 2: QinQin Liu, Linda Holmstrand, Dave Schimpf

Row 3: Anne Hershey,Raj Karim, Jerry Niemi

Top: Conrad Firling

Not Pictured: Colleen Belk, John Pastor, Lyle Shannon, Mel Whiteside

T h e L i f e S c i e n t i s t • Fa c u l t y S t a f f N e w s • 8

Comparative analysis of archaeal nucleic acids inpicoplankton from Great Lakes. University ofMinnesota Graduate School Grant-In-Aid.$13,735. 1998.

Pathogen and nutrient removal by constructedwetlands for treatment of single home and smallcommunity wastewater flows. Minnesota SeaGrant College Program. $136, 653. 1998-00.(With Dr. R. Axler and B. McCarthy of NRRI).

Dr. Raj KarimSynergistic effect of six plant extracts againstHSV-1 and HSV-2 in HEP2 and vero lines.Omerin pharma, Rheinfelden, Germany. $4,500.1994-1996.

Antiviral effects of betulin and its analogs againstHerpes simplex virus. Natural ResourcesResearch Institute. $30,000. 1997-1998.

Biochemical approaches of understanding antiher-pes activity of plant steroid betulin and its deriva-tives. Whiteside Foundation. $4,900. 1998.

Dr. QinQin LiuIdentification of variation in sex expression andcontrol factors in wild rice flower developmentfor seed production. Minnesota Cultivated WildRice Council. $6000.1998-1999.

Study of dynamic changes in wild rice flowerdevelopment for seed production. Minnesota WildRice Council. $8000. 1997-1998. Assessing exotic maize germplasm for productive traits inMinnesota. Minnesota Corn Grower’s

Association. $9800. 1997-1998.Study of genetic control of postmeiotic eventsusing maize and Neurospora systems. Universityof Minnesota Grant-in-Aid of ResearchScholarships. $21,000. 1995-1996.

Investigation of plant cell death mechanisms using maize postmeiotic mutants. $17,000. 1996-1997.

Dr. Gerald Niemi*Effects of changes in the forest ecosystem on thebiodiversity of Minnesota's forest birds.Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources.$1,788,000. 1991- present.

Nesting success of forest birds in the upperMississippi River, Minnesota. MinnesotaDepartment of Natural Resources. $75,560. 1996-1998.

Wildlife species: response to forest harvesting andmanagement in riparian stands and landscapes.Minnesota Forest Resources Council. $100,000.1997-1999. (With J. Hanowski of NRRI).

Forest bird biodiversity: indicators of environ-mental condition and change in the Great Lakeswatershed. Great Lakes Protection Fund.$382,000.1995-present.

Monitoring bird populations in Minnesota'snational forests. North Central Forest ExperimentStation, Chequamegon, Chippewa, and SuperiorNational Forests, US Forest Service and US Fishand Wildlife Service. $198,360. 1991- present.(With J. Hanowski of NRRI).

Dr. Merry Jo OurslerActions of estrogen on osteoclasts in vitro.National Institutes of Health. $459,109. 1993-1997.

Breast cancer stimulation of osteolysis.Department of the Army. $286,509. 1997- 2000.

Nongenomic effects of estrogen onosteoclast-like cells. Minnesota MedicalFoundation. $9,000. 1997 - 1998.

The role of the estrogen receptor alpha inestrogen effects on osteoclasts in vitro.Duluth Clinic. $9,800. 1998 - 1999.

Identification of estrogen-regulated genes inosteoclasts in vitro. University of MinnesotaGrant in Aid. $20,332. 1996-1997.

Dr. John Pastor*Moose foraging strategy, energetics, andecosystem processes in boreal landscapes.National Science Foundation. $765,000.1995-2000.(With Dr. Y. Cohen, University ofMinnesota, St. Paul).

Carbon and energy flow and plant communi-ty response to climate change in peatlands.National Science Foundation. $1,200,000.1997-2001. (With Dr. S. Bridgham,University of Notre Dame).

T h e L i f e S c i e n t i s t • Fa c u l t y S t a f f N e w s • 9

After earning her bachelor’s degree from theCollege of St. Benedict, Jean Mengelkochworked with environmental contaminants andwildlife at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Centerin Maryland and also as a wildlife technician forHennepin Parks. This summer, she and advisorDr. Jerry Niemi will be investigating dietarychanges in the nestling stage of tree swallows.She will be comparing the diversity, abundance,and total biomass of ingested invertebrates tothose available to the tree swallows.

Microbial ecology research

Brendan Keough, a native of Wausau,Wisconsin, earned his degree in biochemistry andmolecular biology from Marquette University. Heis working with Dr. Randy Hicks on a projectusing 32P-labeled probes to identify the presenceof archaea in Great Lakes picoplankton. Brendanwill be examining the archaea from picoplanktoncollected in North American, African, andRussian lakes.

Ryan Maki, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Superior and native of Hermantown, isbeing advised by Dr. Randy Hicks. Ryan is con-ducting experiments to determine if the presenceof different types of sediments in the water col-umn extend the life and/or period of viability ofthe pathogenic bacterium, Salmonella typhimuri-um. He hopes to assess which suspended

sediment types and concentrations are most con-ducive to bacterial growth.

Jonathan Pundsack from Rhinelander,Wisconsin, earned his bachelor’s degree from theUniversity of St. Thomas and is currently in theWater Resources Program. With advisors Dr.Randy Hicks and Dr. Rich Axler, he is investigat-ing the relative pathogen removal efficiencies ofalternative wastewater treatment systems such assand filters, peat filters and constructed wetlands.Jonathan has been conducting pilot experimentsin preparation for work he will do at the NortheastRegional Correctional Center this summer andnext winter to examine seasonal treatment effects.

Medical research

After earning her bachelor’s degree in Psychologyfrom UMD, Sandy Fritzlar from Elrosa,Minnesota, began her graduate work with Dr. JonHoly of the UMD Medical School. She is investi-gating the influence of nuclear matrix proteinorganization on the effectiveness of topoiso-merase-directed chemotherapeutic drugs.Currently she is transfecting cell lines with lamin(a nuclear matrix protein involved in chromatinorganization) to assess cellular sensitivity to drugtreatments.

Aubie Shaw, a graduate of UMD originally fromEveleth, Minnesota, began her graduate work

Avian ecology research

Chris Burdett of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvaniaearned his undergraduate degree from IndianaUniversity of Pennsylvania. He will beginhis artificial bird nest predation experiment innorthern Minnesota this summer with advisorDr. Jerry Niemi. Using remote triggeredcameras, he will be investigating predatorassemblages and rates of nest predation inhabitats exhibiting various degrees of frag-mentation.

Gaea Crozier, a native of Oak Park, Illinois,graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She began bird surveys last sum-mer in Seney National Wildlife Refuge in theU.P. of Michigan and will continue her fieldwork there this summer. Gaea and advisorDr. Jerry Niemi are interested in associatingbirds with habitat cover types and plan todevelop a model to predict the abundance anddistribution of birds in various habitats.

Anne Lacy of Madison comes to the BiologyDepartment from the University ofWisconsin-Eau Claire where she earneddegrees in Psychology and Biology. Withadvisor Dr. Jerry Niemi, she will be usingcover types, landscape analyses, and climatesurfaces of Minnesota forests to predict rarebird species distributions.

New Graduate Student Profiles by Kay Rezanka

T h e L i f e S c i e n t i s t • G r a d u a t e S t u d e n t N e w s • 1 0

winter quarter. She is investigating the roles ofinsulin-like growth factors and their binding pro-teins in metastatic breast cancer-induced osteoly-sis. Aubie is conducting her research in the UMDMedical School with advisor Dr. Merry JoOursler.

Matt Thompson, a graduate of UMD originallyfrom Foxboro, Wisconsin, began his graduatework this spring. As an undergraduate, he con-ducted anti-viral research on the herpes simplexvirus with his current advisor, Dr. Raj Karim.Matt intends to focus on immunology research,perhaps studying arthritis.

Aquatic research

Deb Anderson, a UMD graduate with her MS inEnvironmental Biology, has returned part-time tothe Water Resources PhD program. Deb is aScience Instructor and Department Chair at LacCourte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College nearHayward, Wisconsin. With advisors Dr. AnneHershey and Dr. Carl Richards, she is examininglandscape influences on nutrient changes duringprecipitation events in different North Shorewatersheds.

Jenny Kysely, who began her graduate work inthe spring of 1997 under the advisement of Dr.Anne Hershey, spent last summer conducting a15N tracer experiment to investigate the food web

structure of an arctic Alaskan stream at the ToolikLake Field Station. Jenny worked as a researchtechnician for the University of WI Center forLimnology at Trout Lake Station and as a biolo-gist for the EPAafter earning her bachelor’sdegree from the University of Wisconsin-Steven’sPoint. She will be presenting preliminary resultsof her research this June at the North AmericanBenthological Society annual meeting.

CONTINUING GRADUATE RESEARCHAquatic Research: NortheasternMinnesota lakes and streams

Kevin Flynn is continuing his immunocytochem-ical study of testicular antigens in Eurasian ruffe.He is using a panel of antibodies to label cryostatsections of testes and to screen a ruffe testicularcDNAlibrary. He also has been isolating sperma-tocytes and sperm from fathead minnows to assaythe DNA-damaging effects of cadmium. Kevin isadvised by Dr. Jon Holy of the UMD MedicalSchool.

With advisor of Dr. Mel Whiteside, RebeccaForman is focusing on the dispersal ofBythotrephes cederstroemi (exotic zooplanktoncommonly known as the spiny water fleas) fromLake Superior to inland lakes in northeasternMinnesota. She will present the results of herresearch this August at the Society forInternational Limnology meeting. Rebecca will

begin work toward her PhD at the Universityof Minnesota (St. Paul) after completing herthesis this summer.

Jim Gangl has continued his research on theeffects of the exotic Eurasian ruffe(Gymnocephalus cernuus) on the aquaticmacroinvertebrate community in the St. LouisRiver. Results of Jim’s research indicate thatruffe can reduce the abundance and/or bio-mass of some invertebrates and are betterable to feed on small, burrowing prey thanare the native yellow perch. He is beingadvised by Dr. Carl Richards.

Seth Moore is completing his study on mor-phometrics of Lake Superior lake trout withadvisor Dr. Carl Richards. He will be pre-senting his results at the Society forInternational Limnology this August andhopes to begin work toward his PhD in thefuture.

Kay Rezanka is evaluating nitrogen cyclingin a North Shore stream by tracing a stableisotope (15N) through various food web com-ponents. She will be presenting preliminaryresults of her tracer study this June at theNorth American Benthological Society meet-ing. Kay is advised by Dr. Anne Hershey.

Please see Profiles, Page 13

T h e L i f e S c i e n t i s t • G r a d u a t e S t u d e n t N e w s • 1 1

During the week of February 9-12, the atrium ofthe UMD Medical School was the site of the1998 poster session. There were several partici-pants from the Biology Department.

Steven Garske and Dr. David Schimpf presented“Effects of Invasion by an Introduced Plant onSouthern Boreal Forest Vegetation”. The paperdealt with the spread of Aegopodium podagraria,or goutweed (also known as “snow-on-the-moun-tain”), an introduced Eurasian species which hasincreased locally and can cause reduced plantdiversity.

Aubie Shaw and Dr. Merry Jo Oursler’s exhibi-tion was entitled “Identification andQuantification of Proteins that StimulateMetastatic Breast Cancer-Induced Osteolysis” Itfocused on growth factors, secreted by tumorcells, that affect osteoclasts and consequently leadto weakened bone in the area adjoining tumors.

Paula Hedin, along with Dr. Lois Heller, JulieSmith and Dr. Alice Adams, showed a poster"Cytomegalovirus Infection Does Not Alter theCardiac and Vascular Hypertrophic Response toAortic Constriction” based on their studies of thecombined effects of the virus (CMV) andincreased aortic wall stress.

Sigma XI Poster Exhibition

Nick Danz Receives Biology Teaching Award

T h e L i f e S c i e n t i s t • G r a d u a t e S t u d e n t N e w s • 1 2

In recognition of the effort andperformance of its teaching assis-tants, the College of Science andEngineering annually honors anoutstanding graduate teachingassistant from each department.The Biology Department’s selec-tion for this award for the academ-ic year 1996-97 is Nick Danz.

Nick is originally from Barneveld,Wisconsin and holds a bachelor’sdegree in Biology and Science

Education from the University of Wisconsin,Whitewater. His background experience includessummer teaching at a science camp and two yearsof teaching Life Science in Neenah, Wisconsin.At UMD, Nick has taught a broad spectrum ofintroductory laboratory courses including Biologyand Society, plant biology and Human Anatomy.In addition he has graded exams and counseledbiology students in the genetics course. Nick is apopular instructor, one whose knowledge of thesubject, skill in presenting information and will-ingness to help students is well documented.

Nick’s research interests are in the areas of north-ern hardwoods ecology and bog ecology. His the-sis work, under the direction of Dr. DavidSchimpf, focuses on the effects of Canada yewon population structure of sugar maple and beech.He will receive his Master’s degree in Biology inthe spring of 1998. Nick’s future plans are tocomplete a PhD program in plant ecology andsomeday to have a “cool job” as an ecologist.Good luck, Nick, and thank you for your excellentcontribution to the Biology Department’s teachingmission.

T h e L i f e S c i e n t i s t • G r a d u a t e S t u d e n t N e w s • 1 3

Andy Wold is continuing work toward his PhDwith advisor Dr. Anne Hershey. He is investigat-ing how land use patterns affect North Shorestream parameters such as nutrient limitation, abi-otic factors, and macroinvertebrate and fishassemblages. Andy will be presenting the resultsof his research this June at the North AmericanBenthological Society meeting.

Aquatic research: Arctic Alaska lakes andstreams

Gretchen Gettel is working with Dr. AnneHershey on a project comparing the food webstructures of arctic lakes with different fishassemblages. She will be presenting the results ofher research this June at the North AmericanBenthological Society meeting and then willbegin work toward her PhD.

With advisor Dr. Anne Hershey, Jim Lee has beeninvestigating the direct and indirect impacts ofincreased phosphorus disturbance on arctic streaminsects. He completed his thesis in January 1998and will be presenting his research at the NorthAmerican Benthological Society meeting thisJune.

Terrestrial research

Nick Danz is completing his investigation of thepotential effects of Canada yew on sugar mapleand beech population structure with advisor Dr.Dave Schimpf. After completing his degree thisspring, he plans to present the results of hisresearch this August at the Ecological Society ofAmerica meeting.

Scott McGovern is studying the effects of nitro-gen, antibiotic, and gut bacteria in the nutrition ofthe spruce budworm. He is being advised by Dr.John Pastor.

Chris von Rabenau is completing work donewith Dr. Don Christian on the association of smallmammal abundance and distribution with the veg-etative structure of their habitat. In addition toserving as assistant manager of the Whole Foods Co-op, he and his wife are busyraising three sons.

Other Biology Graduate Students: Steve Garske,Michael Gillespie, Anne Gingery, Rick Gitar, JaySandal, Kevin Wolfe.

Profiles, Continued from page 11

Alight, piercing through the struggles of classes. Hope, reaching to us from beyondthe stress of tests. Graduation beckons to us,and for many proves itself attainable. Afewof these students, finding this goal near com-pletion, were kind enough to share some oftheir memories with those of us still strug-gling toward that elusive diploma.

Jenny Hoven of Alexandria, MN, learnedone of her most important lessons in LyleShannon’s Animal Diversity class. The topicwas the taxonomic levels of animals -Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family,Genus, Species. To help remember the prop-er sequence, several students were devisingphrases with the same first letters. Neverdreaming she’s be asked to share with theclass, Jenny showed her creative phrase toclassmates near her, causing them to breakinto fits of giggles. Unfortunately she wascalled to the front of the room and had toblurt it out – King Philip Cried Out For GoodSex!

Jenny’s advice to those of us striving towardgraduation is to “relax and not get too uptight. Take things in stride. Mix liberal edu-cation classes in with your harder scienceclasses. Take classes in lots of areas so youreally know what you like”. She wishes shehad taken a statistics course. Her favorite

Senior Spotlight

class was Coral Reef Field Studies, taught by MelWhiteside, Biology, and Howard Mooers fromGeology. The class was small so she got to knowother students well and included a class trip toFlorida over spring break – not hard to take!Jenny hopes to gain field biology experience andeventually to attend grad school in either aquaticecology or water management.

James Benzie, a student from Moose Lake, MNsays, “Get to know other people and faculty – getinvolved. Do what you want, not what otherswant you to do. Try to balance your school lifewith your social life. Find your own way tostudy… the library doesn’t work for everyone. ”

James remembers one school day that began andended in disaster. “I was in physics lab and wewere using a flame and I started a towel on fire.Then I went to organic chemistry lab and blew upa test tube of something, which sprayed all overthe ceiling and floor. The stain is still there.Sometimes you have those days.”

One of James’s favorite classes wasUndergraduate Lab Teaching Experience. He feltit was valuable because he was forced to know thematerial forward and backwards, and got achance to work directly with the professor. Theprofessor that James admired most was RajKarim, because of his approachability and passionfor his work. James will be attending UMD

Medical School next year and hopes to become arural family doctor. He enjoys helping people andwould like being part of a small community.Michelle Kramer’s hometown is Baraboo, WI.As a graduating senior, she advises freshmen to“Study hard and play hard. Classes are just part ofthe college experience. Get to know your professors. They are a wacky group of people that canteach you a lot. If you think research is the careerchoice for you, be sure to get the experience as anundergraduate. If it isn’t for you, you can chooseanother career.”

Michelle shared a story about how to relievestress. “The class was Cell Biology, which wasright about lunch time. Sometimes we wouldbring food to class. One day we had a bunch ofstressed-out students and a bunch of animal crack-ers. One person started biting the limbs off theanimal crackers with lots of sound effects.Colleen Belk looked over at us and we were allsmiles. She was very down to earth and let us actlike grade school kids for awhile. It helped.”

Michelle looks back and wishes she had takenhistology or a general anatomy course in prepara-tion for medical school. And from the stories she’sheard, Coral Reef Field Studies sounded like agreat experience. Her plans are to specialize as apediatrician, and of course, since she’s engaged,she plans to get married some day. Her dreamplan though, which probably won’t happen, is towin the lottery and travel the world.

by Stacy Johnson and Kate Katich

T h e L i f e S c i e n t i s t • U n d e r g ra d u a t e S t u d e n t N e w s • 1 4

T h e L i f e S c i e n t i s t • U n d e r g ra d u a t e S t u d e n t N e w s • 1 5

One of the most valuable skills a university can teach its budding scientists is researchskills. Unfortunately most students don’t have the time to volunteer and the universitydoesn’t have an unlimited budget for materials and equipment. The UndergraduateResearch Opportunities Program (UROP) is, for serious students, a solution to thesedifficulties. Students have the chance to apply for up to $1300 to be used towardexpenses for a research project, directed and supervised by a faculty advisor. The fol-lowing students are the recipients of UROPgrants for the 1997-98 academic year, listed along with their advisor and topic.

Cherney. Melissa M.E. (C. Firling) The Effects of Adequan on Embryonic Chick Cartilage maintained In Vitro.

Ciernia, Josh (M.J. Oursler) SRC/RAS Signaling Pathway in Estrogen Treated Osteoclasts

Grahajm, Brittany (J. Pastor) Analyzing Moose Foraging Behaviour using GPS and GIS Technology

Kirkeide, Jill (M.J. Oursler) The Effect of Growth Factors on Bone Resorption

Mulley, Douglas (A. Goyal) Effect of UV-B on Photosynthesis of Algae

Nezworski, Jill (G. Niemi) Trends in the Northern Goshawk Population Continued

Sedgwick, Michael (Q.Q. Liu) Identification of the Genetic and Physiological Factors for Floral Development in Wild Rice

Tuck, Kathren (R. Karim) A Comparative Analysis of the Effects of Betulinic Acid and Betulin on Melanoma

Voracek, Julie (M.J. Oursler) The Role of the Isoflavanolds Genistein and Daidzein in the Production of TGF-(beta) by MCF-7 Beast Tumor Cells

Zarns, Lisa (M.J. Oursler) Effects of Constitutively Ras, Taf, and Src on MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells and Osteoclast Cells

The Biology Club had another great year, starting offwith a very successful spring picnic in May. Withrecord attendance, great food and beautiful weather,a good time was had by all. The fall quarter startedwith a pizza party and a Powerpoint presentationabout the department and faculty given by JerryNiemi and Lyle Shannon. In October, some clubmembers not only donated food to the food shelf, butalso got the wits scared out of them when they visit-ed the “Haunted Ship” on the William A. Irvin.Winter quarter meetings were mostly for socializing.This spring is expected to be busy with the tradition-al pizza and bowling event, new officer elections andthe annual spring picnic in May.

The Biology Club continued to provide tutoring ser-vices for undergraduate students. This past yearsome club members, particularly Michelle Kramerand David Mach, assisted the department and thetutoring center initiate a program for general biolo-gy, genetics and cell biology courses.

The Biology Club provided the coffee and cookiesfor Friday afternoon department seminars this year.Besides baking cookies, the club members also soldT-shirts and had a very successful plant sale.Because of the fund-raising, club membership wasfree and some of the activities were subsidized.Students who are interested in participating arealways welcome. The clubroom is located in Room235 of the Life Science Building.

UROP Awards Biology Club Newsby Stacy Johnson by Jenny Hoven

Biology Club Officers ‘97-’98

Left to Right: Kate Katich,Treasurer; Jenny Hoven, President;Michelle Kramer, Vice-President

Absent: Troy Humphreys, Secretary

The Biology Department encourages andvalues the qualities of scholarship, leadershipand service in its student members. Eachspring, outstanding senior students whoreflect these characteristics are nominated bythe faculty for the T.O. Odlaug Award, namedin honor of a former department head. Thestudent selected is formally recognized bythe department and receives a reference bookof choice. Two students, Debrah Erickson(left) and Aubie (Bundy) Shaw (right) areco-recipients for 1997. We congratulate thesetwo young women on their exceptional undergraduate careers.

Aubie, besides maintaining an excellent academic record, was active inBiology Club and the PreMed Association. She was the recipient oftwo UROPawards and presented her research findings at theMinnesota Academy of Science meetings, the UMD undergraduateresearch symposium, Sigma Xi exhibition and the National Council forUndergraduate Research. In addition she was a tutor for the DarlandInternational program and worked as an undergraduate research assis-tant for several Biology faculty members. Aubie has been acceptedinto the UMD Biology Department’s masters program and is currentlyworking with Dr. Merry Jo Oursler on the topic of insulin-like growthfactors in metastatic breast cancer-induced osteolysis.

Deb coupled her Biology degree with a minor in Russian, which result-ed in a travel/ study experience in Russia. An outstanding student, shewas selected for the CSE Dean’s List for ten quarters. On campus, herleadership experiences included intramural sports, elected offices inBiology Club and mentoring women students in the College of Scienceand Engineering. In addition she was awarded a grant for a UROPpro-ject, spent time as a volunteer in a local hospital and clinic and servedas a youth director for her church. Deb is currently working as anurse’s aide at St. Mary’s Hospital in Duluth, but has been accepted andwill attend the UMD Medical School in the fall.

T. O. Odlaug AwardWe in the Biology Department are proud of our graduatesand their accomplishments. At the time of this publication,the following have been notified of acceptance to profes-sional or graduate schools. Our best wishes to all of them!

PeterAas – School of MedicineUniversity of Minnesota,Duluth

James Benzie – School of MedicineUniversity of Minnesota,Duluth

Debrah Erickson – School of MedicineUniversity of Minnesota,Duluth

Joseph Lind - School of MedicineUniversity of Minnesota, Duluth

Joseph Madden – School of Dentistry University of Minnesota

Mark McSherry – School of MedicineUniversity of Minnesota,Duluth

Tom Meir – College of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Minnesota

Jill Nezworsli – College of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Minnesota

Matthew Thompson - M.S. Program in BiologyUniversity of Minnesota,Duluth

Joshua Ziebell – Southern College of OptometeryMemphis, Tennessee

Congratulations!

T h e L i f e S c i e n t i s t • U n d e r g ra d u a t e S t u d e n t N e w s • 1 6

UMD’s largest commencement ever was held atthe Duluth Entertainment and Convention Centeron May 24, with former Vice President Walter F.Mondale and Joan Mondale as the featured speak-ers. Degrees were conferred upon the followingBiology students:

Master of Science Degree Joseph J. AustinCynthia M. HaleKathleen R. MayoCatherine N. PodeszwaShane E. Yokum

Other Master’s Degrees in Biology also awarded in 1997:Charles W. BarnesWilliam P. BrownKaren J. EllingsonDavid A. PascoeScott A. StaiJohn R. Terwilliger

Bachelor of Arts DegreeMelissa J. JanzenJoshua D. LeClaireDavid A. MakiKenneth C. NystromNicolle L. Schellenberg

Bachelor of Science Degree (Biology OR Cell Biology)G. Bradley AlsopRebecca S. AndersenKevin G. Anderson

Joshua T. BartoeJames BenzieDanielle M. BuskeAubie K. BundyJason D. ByersCorrine CentaLei A. ChenNatalie J. DahlenTonya A. DavidianMindy DeadrickBernard R. DevinJohn C. DobsonTimothy P. DuffyKimberly A. ElofsonDebrah D. EricksonMartha A. FishChristine M. FisherAngela S. FreedJayson O. Fultz Douglas J. GathjeJacqueline D. GordonPatrick M. GrabnerChad GruszkaBrock B. HamreJamison L. HarkerBecky M. HodgkinsCatherine E. HonseRyan J. HokansonTroy D. HumphreysJanell B. JendroBeth E. JohnsonEric S. Johnson

Trevor G. JohnsonJohn P. Judge

Carolyn A. KampaMary K. KarstChadwick M. KooimanJoseph M. KosteckiMarc A. KrattenmakerKatherine E. KratzAndy A. KrubsackMichelle L. LangleeJohnathan C. LenzApril M. LeveyBryan W. LienkeJoseph B. LindJennifer M. LindgrenMary M. LunkeJohn A. MacDonaldBenjamin J. MadsenJodie MartiniCharity L. MayburyTanner J. McKennaKimberly A. MillerSamuel E. MillerJody L. NordwallSuzette A. OlsonPatry J. OmanKjersti L. PaulsonTanya K. PierceThomas J. PinkTroy E. RandgaardMichael S. RuuhelaJanna K. Salmela

Commencement 1997

Jill K. SalmiMichael J. ScottJoel M. SederstromPatrick W. ShannonLaura J. SherryJennifer SchultzAngela R. SmithJessica W. SteenMelissa N. SulzbachMatthew L. SundbergMark P. SuojanenHeather N. TromJonathan R. UttKenneth J. WaldvogelTravis W. WilleRebecca A. WitteWendy J. Wohlwend

Bachelor of AppliedScience DegreeAnthony E. AltiereCynthia A. DavisBrandy B. ForsmanJeffrey A. KolehmainenJoshua D. LeClaireValerie L. McLainPamela S. NicholsShannon K. SalmiK. Brian SeimGina L. Stelzer

T h e L i f e S c i e n t i s t • U n d e r g ra d u a t e S t u d e n t N e w s • 1 7

Nancy (Arnold) Auer (B.S. ’73) is a professor ofbiology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.She is pursuing her long-standing interest on lakesturgeon and currently has three research grants tosupport this work. She and her husband Marty,live in Ann Arbor with their son.

Jason Byers (B.S. ‘97) is working for 3M as acontract microbiologist, performing assays onantibacterial products. He will soon be supervis-ing a new laboratory for Pace AnalyticalLaboratory Services in Minneapolis, testing 3Mproducts in the research and development phase.

Ernest Bylkas, III (B.S. ’85) is an AssociatePastor at the Laurium Apostolic Lutheran Churchin Laurium, Michigan.

Dori Defoe (B.S. ’95) has returned to Duluth afterteaching high school biology for two years withthe Peace Corps in Tanzania. She plans to resumegraduate work in public health and to pursue acareer as a health professional in developingcountries.

Charles (Chuck) Elias (B.A. ’81) received abachelor’s degree, with honors, from MichiganState in 1993. He is a registered landscape archi-tect with Design Team Limited in addition to teaching site engineering to stu-dents at Lawrence Technological Institute.

Julia (Peart) Elias (B.S. ’76) has been workingfor General Motors Acceptance Corporation forthe past 20 years. She has been attending theUniversity of Michigan and plans to complete herMBAthis spring. Julia’s interests are in account-ing and information technology.

Shannon (Wright) Lotthammer (B.S. ’91)holds a master’s degree from the UM twin citiescampus and is currently employed by theMinnesota Pollution Control Agency as a waterquality specialist.

Mei-yao Louis (M.S. ’88) is a veterinarian (farmanimals and pets) practicing in Watertown, SD.She and her husband Rick have 2 children andraise cattle on a small ranch.

Bruce Meyers (B.S. ’94) is in the AcademicSkills Center at Kankakee Community College inIllinois. He visits Duluth every summer andenjoys walking through the department and remi-niscing.

Jodi (Arvidson) Nicholson (B.S. ’95) holdsbachelor’s degrees in both Biology andPsychology from UMD. She is attending EmoryUniversity in Atlanta, GAtraining for thePhysician Assistant Program.

Robyn Richie-Jannetta (B.S. ’94) is a gradu-ate student in the molecular physiology and bio-physics program at Vanderbilt University inNashville.

Charles Rose (M.S. ’92) completed his PhD inwater resources at Iowa State and is now a facul-ty member in the Environmental and TechnicalStudies Department at St. Cloud StateUniversity.

Mark Steinbrecher (B.S. ’93) graduated with adoctorate in optometry from the SouthernCollege of Optometry in Memphis, where heresides with his wife and daughter.

Darren Vogt (B.S. ’94) works as an environ-mental biologist for the 1854 Authority inDuluth. This organization protects, preserves andenhances the off-reservation treaty rights of theBois Forte and Grand Portage reservations.

Terry Zenner (B.A. and B.S. ’73) holds anMBA from the University of Phoenix, and ispresident of Applied Micro Technology inAurora, CO.

Gabriel Venticinque (’36 ) graduated fromDuluth State Teachers College and was the firstgraduate in biology education.

Alumni News

T h e L i f e S c i e n t i s t • A l u m n i N e w s • 1 8

Our records show that the following alumni and friendsmade a donation to the Biology Gift Account or the JackHargis Lecture Fund during the last year. We deeplyappreciate their generosity and thoughfulness. Thesegifts have helped us fulfil our educational mission.

Dr. Thomas E. and Dr. Caroline Boehnke BeckerDr. Edward BersuJon and Suzanne BirchDon and Sandra ChristianGabriel D’AVenticinqueMargaret DooleyPaul and Helen HantenMaurice MarguliesDr. Joseph MayasichPharmacia and UpjohnProctor and Gamble FundDonald RakowskyEdgar TurcotteJanice and Paul Wicklund

Gifts and Donations

T h e L i f e S c i e n t i s t • A l u m n i N e w s • 1 9

The Life Scientist – ’98

An annual newsletter for alumni, faculty,staff, students, and friends of the UMDBiology Department

Editor: Linda Holmstrand

Advisory Board: Gerald NiemiDavid Schimpf Ruth HemmingKay Rezanka

Photos: Ken MoranLinda Holmstrand

Student Writers: Jenny HovenStacy JohnsonKate KatichKay Rezanka

Graphic Design: Denise CornellUMD Graphic Design Services

University of Minnesota DuluthDepartment of Biology211 Life Science Bldg.10 University Dr.Duluth, MN 55812-2946email: lholmstr@d.umn.edu

Non-Profit OrgUS Postage

PAIDPermit No.

721Duluth MN

Alumninew address

name

address

class of UMD degree(MS, BS, BAS, BA)

What’s new? (promotions, special recognitions, changeof job, civic involvement, family, research, travel, etc.)

please return so we can update our files

UMD is an equal opportunity employer and educator

to:

printed on recycled paper