Biology Department Alumni News

Biology DepartmentAlumni NewsVolume 33Fall 2009 EditionProgress on the New Science Hall AdditionFall 2009 NewsScience HallConstructionFaculty ActivitiesStudent ActivitiesAlumni NewsInside this issue:Biology MajorNews2Biology Majors‟Awards2Biology FacultyNews3Sports Section—Annual SoftballGame3Alumni News4The new 65,000 square foot addition to Science Hall is progressing.The renovation of the lecture hallsin Science Hall (what used to beS200 A and B) has been completed. The old greenhouses wererazed and are being replaced by anew, state-of-the-art greenhouse.The new addition is scheduled tobe completed in May, 2010. Atthat point, we will move out of the„old‟ Science Hall, which will becompletely renovated. That project should be completed in 2011.The pictures on the right showstages of the completion of theaddition. Photo Credits — J.W. LeeApril 2009June 2009November, Main EntranceNovember 2009Biology Faculty—Then and NowFront row (left to right): Edith Wallace, JohnRosengren, Miryam Wahrman, Don Levine, SteveVail, Danielle Desroches, Norm Schanz, EileenGardnerMiddle row: Carol Wilderson, Sue Sgro, GailNeufeld Horner, Kathy Hu, Marty Hahn, AlIsaacson, Jaishri MenonBack Row: Lance Risley, Jean Werth, SharonHanks, Mike Sebetich, Bob Chesney, DaveWeisbrot, Jane Voos, Neil Grant, Ching Hu, eSpagnaCareyWaldburgerMikePeekAlumni News5LanceRisleyNancyMalbaSue esrochesEileenGardnerNormSchanzJW Lee20092009

Page 2Biology Department Alumni NewsBiology Majors’ AwardsAt our award ceremony on May14, 2009, 6 students were inducted into Beta Beta Beta, theBiology honor society.HeikeDroegmoeller received the Outstanding Senior Award . The C.Kent Warner award went to JamesVanGurp, Jr. The undergraduateresearch award went to Annazanita Yap.The Leona EmrichAward was given to Jennifer Borgia and the Monroe Spivak Awardwent to Marilyn Kitchell. EnnidGonzalez received the PASS/MAPS Award for Academic Excellence. We also gave an award to thestudent who did best overall on ourassessment exam, Daniel Oquendo.The Biology department also givesscholarships every year, funded byour C. Kent Warner Foundation.The awards for 2009-2010 went toBrian Harris, Matthew Snyder, JohnUrban, Edgar Valdivia and YazanVwichDr. Chesney with Beta Beta Beta RecipientsAnnabelle Beltran, Joyce Lau, Adam Long andJohn Urban May 14, 2009Biology Majors’ ResearchThe Biology majors at WPUhave been busy over thepast year. In the 2008-2009year 15 students were supported by MAPS/PASS toconduct research and complete internships off campus.One student, JohnUrban, was sent by the department to Cambridge University in England to conduct research on Africansleeping sickness.Dr. Menon organized ourthird annual UndergraduateResearch Day in April2009. It was attended by115 registrants (82 studentsand 33 professors) from 11different institutions repre-senting four states. Thirtytwo posters were presented. It was a great experiencefor all the students involvedand was also excellent forthe reputation of the department and university. Two ofour students won first prizein their categories, BrittanyKnoll in Physiology & Behavior andJohn Urban for Genetics. They are eligible toreceive travel money to go tothe American Society forBiochemistry and MolecularBiology Meetings next yearin California.On April 17, 2010 we willhost the Fourth Annual Undergraduate Research Day.2009 Winners of the Undergraduate Research SymposiumAwards with Associate Dean Fuller-Stanley and Dean DeYoungISSBB ScholarshipsSome of our May 2009 Biology graduates at the2009 Biology Year-End Ceremony24 Biology and Biotechnology majors received Success inBiology and Biotechnology) scholarships this year, fundedby a grant from the National Science Foundation. Thesescholarships aremeant to defraythe cost of education for Science, Engineering and Mathmajors who aregoing into research or teaching careers, andcan cover allexpenses.

Volume 33Page 3Biology Faculty - What we’re doing nowOur faculty have been veryproductive over the past year,with 23 articles in refereedjournals, 3 in review, 13 nonrefereed publications, 2 bookchapters, and 31 presentationsat regional, national and international meetings. The facultyhave also been very active inapplying for outside funding,with over 1,500,000 in activegrants, and several pending.Dr. Benno — is playingpiano for the band “Moment‟sNotice” and is working withstudents studying autism usinga mouse model.Dr. Chesney—is still Graduate Coordinator and served asacting chair of the departmentthis summer. His daughterreceived her PhD in Psychology this year.Dr. Desroches—is the Academic Coordinator of theGarden-StateLouis StokeAlliance for Minority Participation in the Science, NorthernCluster (GS-LSAMP), and thePASS-MAPS coordinator. Shealso is the editor of "WPUNJCelebrating Student Researchand Internships Activities”.Dr. Gardner — traveled toBrazil over the summer but isback to work above the equator now. She‟s still the Director for the ISSBB Scholarshipgrant and is also directing theNoyce Scholarship grant.Dr. Gilley - Dr. Gilley andhis wife have welcomed theaddition of a new daughter,Esme Sophie, born 11/11/09.Dr. Leonard—won theprestigious WPUNJ “Awardfor Excellence in Teaching” at the annual FacultyRecognition Luncheon onMay 19, 2009.Dr. Menon— is continuingher research on amphibianmetamorphosis and is planning our fourth annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.Dr. Risley— is continuinghis FAA funded research onbats near the Atlantic Cityairport, and is still the chairof the Biology department,Dr. Patnaik— was promoted to full professor thisyear.Dr. Sebetich— with Dr.Pardi was awarded a grantfrom USEPA to investigatethe major watershed tribut ary t o GreenwoodLake. They spent the springand summer biologically andchemically monitoring thewater quality of BelcherCreek and its tributaries.The overall objectivewas to assess the ecologicaleffect of surface stream in-flow on Greenwood Lake. Dr.Sebetich also went on a safarito South Africa last summer(see photo).Dr. Slaymaker—Last summer, with two undergraduates,completed screening PCRprimers for genetic diversitystudies of American Beachgrass. They are now selectingthe final primers. This projectis a collaboration with Dr.Peek. The two labs will samplefive NJ beachgrass populationsto calculate the genotypic diversity and to determine ifrestored NJ beachgrass populations are increasing in diversity.The knowledge can be used toimprove ecosystem management practices.Dr. Spagna— is working withan undergraduate student on aproject involving the sequestration of metal ions (Zn, Mn) inthe jaws of trap-jaw ants.Dr. Vail— is the co-owner ofa1946 Cessna 120, fulfillment ofa lifelong obsession withflight. He is always looking foran excuse to fly, thus the battracking (see photo) He andDr. Peek are planning an aerialsurvey of NJ beach/dune habitats.Dr. Wahrman— experiencedthe Bay of Fundy tides by kayaking and hiking in New Brunswick, Canada, collected fossilsin Joggins, Nova Scotia, and hasa new granddaughter namedIlana Sophia.Dr. Waldburger was promoted to Associate Professorthis year.Dr. Vail (at controls)tracks batswith Dr. Patnaik in his Cessna 120Dr. Claire Leonard receives awardfor Teaching ExcellenceDr. Mike Sebetich and friend inSouth AfricaAnnual Faculty-Student Softball Game (May 2009)ISSBB ScholarsDr. Peek organized the third annual Faculty/Student Softball game on May 15, 2009.This year, for the first time, the students handily beat the faculty.

Department of BiologyWilliam Paterson University of NJPage 4Alumni ActivitiesWILLIAM PATERSONUNIVERSITYBiology DepartmentWilliam Paterson University300 Pompton Rd.Wayne, NJ 07470Phone: 973-720-2245Editor: Dr. Eileen GardnerE-mail Contact:gardnere@wpunj.eduWe’re on Facebook!Bio William PatersonPLEASE RESPOND TO OURALUMNI SURVEYVisit the Alumni link on theBiology website:http://www.wpunj.edu/biology/Alumni NewsHere is some news ofwhat our alumni havebeen doing. Please let usknow what you’re up to.You may visit our facebook (Bio William Paterson) or you may email Dr.E i l e enG a rd n e ratgardnere@wpunj.edu.1986Kathleen Ullrich (Sayad)(BS1986, MS BT 1992) isteaching Biology and General Science at JFK HighSchool in Paterson. Sheand Louis Sayad (BS1986,MS BT 1992) have threechildren.1991Daniel Kennedy (1991)just became a Flight Surgeon for the USAF.He graduated Des MoinesUniversity Osteopathicmedical school in 1997. Hedid his Internship at St Josephs in Paterson, completing his Residency in Internal Medicine at Mountainside Hosp in Montclair. Hemarried his WP sweetheartKerry Farrell and they have3 children. He is now practicing as a hospitalist inGrand Rapids.Christina Smith-Libbey(1991) is a teacher of Biology, Marine Science, andEnvironmental Science atGulf Coast High School inNaples, FL. She has adaughter and a son (ages 9and 5). She was one ofthe top 100 teachers of Collier County last year and isnow at Edison State College working on obtainingan RN.1997Giovanni D’Alia (BS 1997,MS, 2005) spent eight yearsas a director of manufacturing development in NJ Biotech (Elusys therapeuticsand Progenitor Cell therapies). He is now back inschool full time pursuing asecondary Ed teachers certificate. He is also workingas a Biology adjunct professor at WPUNJ.1998Regina Wilson (1998) received her PhD in MolecularBiology from NorthwesternUniversity in 2005 and nowhas a postdoctoral positionat Johns Hopkins University.2001Jacqueline Terzano (BS2001;MS 2004) has beenemployed with ScheringPlough Research Institute inUnion,NJ f or f ouryears. She is responsible forall the Toxicology Purification Campaigns as well asthe Viral Clearance of theproducts.2002Chiara Brandoni (MS 2002)got married in Italy in 2005,received her PhD in scienceeducation from Columbia in2007, and has a son and adaughter.She has beenteaching middle and highschool Biology for eightyears, teaches graduate students at Columbia, and conducts research on creativityand divergent thinking.Dennis Daly (B.S. Env. Sci.2002, M.S. Biology 2007)has joined the adjunct facultyat WPUNJ, teaching biologyand environmental science,and is engaged to be married.Crystal Frazier (2002) is aPhysician’s Assistant with anMS in Forensic Medicine.She is working in the Office ofthe Chief Medical Examiner inManhattan and is also working in Emergency Medicine atMontefiore in the Bronx.Amna Kahn (2002, Communication) is at the AmericanUniversity of Antigua Collegeof MedicineWilliam Fazzone - (2002Biotech) has his PhD and isdoing research at Departmentof Pathology, Keck School ofMedicine, at the University ofSouthern California in LosAngeles.2003Anthony Natale (2003) isworking at the University ofthe Sciences in Philadelphiaas Laboratory Preparator,This semester he will alsoteach one of the lab sections.2004Christine Johnson (B.S. Biology 2004, M.S. Biology2006) has joined the full-timefaculty of biology at theCounty College of Morris. Prior to joining CCM,Christine worked on cancerresearch at the Garden StateCancer Center in Belleville,NJ.Derrick Rodriguez (2004),received his RN from Mountainside Hospital School ofNursing (Montclair, NJ). He isnow working for AtlanticHealth System's OverlookHospital in the NeuroIntensiveCare Unit. He took a medicalmission trip this summer toBangladesh.Kirsten Weidele (Roer)(2004)– was accepted intothe Carolinas College ofHealth Sciences LaboratoryScienctist/Medical Technology Program in 2009