Summer 2014 - Academics - Saint Michael`s College

Summer 2013
A note from the chair - It has been a year of changes in the
department. We welcome a large incoming class and have added an 8th
General Biology section to meet their needs. Upper level courses have
also expanded: we will offer 5 sections of Biological Communications
and 3 sections each of Cell Biology, Anatomy, and Physiology.
It is my pleasure to congratulate promoted faculty members: Laura Benton has assumed a
faculty instructor position; Adam Weaver has earned tenure and promotion to associate professor; Mark
Lubkowitz has been promoted to full professor.
Paul Constantino (SMC Biology ‘92) joins our faculty bringing expertise in cranial and dental
anatomy of extinct hominids to our new Human Anatomy and Physiology sequence. The new sequence
prepares graduates enter nursing, physical therapy, and physician’s assistant programs as well as
medical, dental, and veterinarian schools. Paul joins Adam Weaver and Doug Facey to expand our
expertise in anatomy and physiology. Learn more about Paul on the Biology Alumni Profile page.
Adam Weaver has assumed the pre-health advisor role following in the footsteps of Donna
Bozzone who served in this role for many years. We encourage health-care bound students to be in
regular communication with Adam and sooner rather than later.
Summer 2014 has also been busy on the research front. Three students joined Katie Chang in
the Vermont EPSCoR water quality lab in Cheray. We have had 4 students funded by the Hartnett
endowment working with Donna Bozzone, Doug Facey, and Dagan Loisel. Mark Lubkowitz provided NSF
funded-research opportunities for 7 students in the laboratories of his collaborators in at University of
Florida, University of Missouri, Purdue University, and University of Nebraska.
It is truly a pleasure to assume the chair duties when the department and indeed the college is
in such a vibrant state. The ongoing efforts of the faculty and students have ensured that we are well
positioned to support the class of 2018 as they embark on the next steps of their scientific careers. I
look forward to meeting the challenges of the coming academic year in the company of amazing
colleagues and students. Declan McCabe
NEWS UPDATES
Congratulations to our outstanding Biology
senior - Marci Wood, who is completing her first
year in the Doctor of Pharmacy program at the
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Honors for students:
Biologists of the class of 2014 inducted into honor societies:
Phi Beta Kappa: Devin Latremore; Cynthia Edgerton; Amanda Costa; Jaclynn Campos; Hannah Lynch
Junior inductees: Brianne Conlon; Lauren Miranda; Monica Thomas
Beta Beta Beta, the Biology Honor Society: Stephanie Bacon; Jaclynn Campos; Amanda Costa; Corynne
Dedeo; Emily Dieter; Eric MacPherson; Spencer Mallette; Michael Thomsen; Marci Wood
Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society: Amanda Costa; Corynne Dedeo; Molly McGovern
Beta Beta Beta News:
The Saint Michael’s chapter of Beta Beta Beta,
the National Biology Honors Society, was very busy this past academic year.
Officers Amanda Costa (President, Senior), Stephanie Bacon (Vice President,
Senior), Max Brenner (Secretary, Senior), Emily Dieter (Treasurer, Senior),
Marci Wood (Public Relations Specialist, Senior), and Courtney Pinto
(Historian, Junior) hosted a total of nineteen events within their twosemester term, which comprised an even spread of guest, faculty, and alumni
speakers; faculty-lead events; bake sale and biology t-shirt fundraisers; Friday
Knight Dry activities; and registration socials. These interactive events were
geared to peak student’s interest in biology careers and research.
Speakers included pulmonologist/ UVM Medical College associate professor Dr. Mageto, a UVM Medical
College admissions counselor, Sigma Xi physicist Dr. Leslie-Pelecky, Saint Michael’s professor and health
careers advisor Dr. Bozzone, Saint Michael’s professor and Fulbright-Nehru Senior Scholar Dr.
Banschbach, and alumni Heidi Chapman (2013, Experimental and Molecular Medicine), Jenna Foderaro
(2009, Molecular and Cellular Biology), and Alex Canepa (2010, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food,
and Markets). Faculty lead events were comprised of a hike up Mount Mansfield lead by Professor
Hope, during which students learned about the various plant species on the mountain, and “Tour of the
Tongue”, a dinner held by Professor Lubkowitz in which students simultaneous enjoy engaging
conversation and learn first-hand about the vast complexities that are our tongue’s interactions with
foods and flavors.
New members and officers were inducted on April 12th. Incoming officers Courtney Pinto (President,
rising senior), Hannah Kittler (Vice President, rising senior), Lauren Hastings (Secretary, rising senior),
Lauren Loy (Treasurer, rising senior), Nicole Traugh (Public Relations Specialist, rising junior), and Zeke
Geffken (Historian, rising sophomore) have already assumed their responsibilities by coordinating
student luncheons with three new biology professor candidates in order to provide important feedback
for the selection process. Newly inducted regular members include: Allison Bergeron, Dana Bourne,
Jaclynn Campos, Amanda Carpenter, Corynne Dedeo, Mike Gordon, Spencer Mallette, Michael
Thomsen, Nicole Traugh, and Michael Wojcik. New associate members include: Erin Dwyer, Ezekiel
Geffken, and Eliza McDonald.
Ongoing Camp Johnson project; Peter Hope –
This spring on the day after graduation, the biology
department continued our collaboration with the Vermont
Army National Guard at Camp Johnson by helping to sponsor
another prescribed burn in the guard’s tract of the threatened
pine-oak-heath sandplain forest. The sandy soils were put in
place when the area was a delta of the ancient Winooski River
flowing into the Champlain Sea around 10,000 years ago. The sandy soils are so well drained and dry
that the forest would periodically burn which creates the special conditions that many of the rare plants
and animals living in the sandplain forest need to live and thrive. The controlled burns also afford our
students great research opportunities. The students in Biology151 (Introduction to Ecology and
Evolution) can design studies examining the differences in the plants and/or macroinvertebrates in areas
burned in the springs of 2014, 2013, 1998, 1995, or in control unburned areas. Students get hand-on
experience in an ongoing ecosystem restoration project.
The Biology Department supports the prescribed burns using funds from the John C. Hartnett
Endowment which helps provide research opportunities for students in our courses and also opens
opportunities for summer research projects. In addition to helping fund the prescribed burns, the
department helped plant pitch pines which were grown from seeds collected from trees growing in the
forest and nearby. Twelve days after the burn 38 two year old pitch pines were planted in the newly
burned area. Because of the great many years since the area burned, there aren’t enough pitch pine
seed trees left so the forest needed a little additional help.
Large-scale ecological experimentation is a luxury rarely afforded small liberal arts college
biology programs. Having access to 4 conservation burns of different ages and a control plot
immediately adjacent to our campus means that our
incoming students can really see how ecological research is
done. Furthermore, our students experience firsthand how
their biological skills can be applied to habitat conservation at
a time when sand plain forests have become critically rare in
our region. The class of 2018 will be the first group to work
in the 2014 burned area and will contribute to the data set
that our students have been building since 2006.
Faculty Books
Mark Lubkowitz, and colleague, Valerie Bang-Jensen (Associate Professor of
Education), have co-authored a book exploring children’s literature and plant
biology for teachers of grades K-4. Books in Bloom: Discover the science in
great children’s literature, explores the literary elements and biological
“backstory” in 17 outstanding picture books. Teachers, parents, and anyone
involved with children and gardening will find ideas and suggestions for both
literacy and science lessons or just plain backyard fun in sections called Discover the Book, Explore the
Biology, Talking Points, and Learning Experiences. Connections to the Common Core State Standards and
Next Generation Science Standards are provided. To learn more about the book, watch this interview
with the co-authors Valerie Bang-Jensen and Mark Lubkowitz:
http://www.kidsgardening.org/activity/books-bloom-new-teaching-tool-your-classroom
Donna Bozzone and Doug Green
A honey bee buzzes in front of a bright gold sunflower on the
front of Biology for the Informed Citizen, coauthored by
professor of biology Donna Bozzone and her late husband,
professor of biology Doug Green. The finished book, as lively,
accessible, intelligent and inspiring as Bozzone is herself, was
published in December 2013 by Oxford University Press, the
result of six years of writing, researching, editing and
reviewing, first together and then on her own after Green’s
death from cancer in 2010.
In the preface of the textbook, a valuable new teaching tool
for to teach biology to non-science majors, she writes, “We
wrote biology for the informed citizen because we love
biology and are convinced that everyone should have a basic
understanding of biology to function as a fully engaged, contributing member of society….[this book]
presents biology in the context of important cultural and social issues you are likely to encounter now
and in the future…. We chose to address biology in a way that will help you learn what you need to
know about biology to make informed decisions in your life; become effective, engaged citizens.”
In short, Bozzone says, they started off with the question, “What do you need to know as a thinking and
informed citizen?”
The book began in 2007, she and Green signed a contract with Oxford University Press. Bozzone had
already authored three high school science textbooks, and edited a general series on cancer. She and
Green formatted the book to be appealing visually as well as in its written content. “People learn best
with stories, so we led each section with a story,” she says. Each chapter opens with a case study that
highlights a biological issue or a challenge, focusing on the consequences of biology. They discuss the
process of science the How Do We Know, section and also explore the Life Application and Technology
Connection for each question.
Green and Bozzone continued to collaborate together on the project after his diagnosis in 2008. He died
in early 2011, and Bozzone carried on with the project. Completing the book was both rewarding, and
emotional. “ In some ways, I feel like I gave birth to Doug’s and my third child, after a very long labor,”
she says.
Bozzone traveled to the Oxford annual sales meeting to promote the book, which is being received with
great praise. “This text promises to be one of the best nonmajors texts I’ve seen in the last few years,”
says one peer reviewer. Another praises its overall presentation as being extremely user-friendly and
inviting.
Student and class of 2014 PROFILES
Mary Hall – Class of 2014
Hometown: Harwich, Massachusetts
Career Interest: Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine, Masters in
Acupuncture
Experience as a biology major: My experience over these four
years has been a great one. I first decided to become a
biology major in high school due to my interest in the subject.
When I visited Saint Mike’s for the first time I got to see the
department and even met some of the professors. One of the
things that drew me there was how welcoming everyone was.
Throughout my time here that opinion was only solidified
further. Every professor is excited about teaching and helping
students find their way. I came in very focused on the health
aspect of biology but left with an interest in a broad range of topics – one of my biggest regrets is not
taking plant bio! That is something I never would have said coming in as a first-year. It has been a great
four years and I wouldn’t change it for the world!
Research: Over the 2013-2014 Christmas break I traveled to Cuba with Professor Talentino and
Professor Lubcowitz as well as other students of the biology department. There, we collaborated with
the University of Havana and performed research on the coral reefs in the Bay of Pigs. It was definitely
one of the greatest experiences I’ve had within the biology department. I knew from the start of my
time here at Saint Michael’s I wanted to enter the health field so traveling to Cuba to do something
completely unrelated to medicine was a great experience. I think it really ensured that I got the
complete biology experience.
I also did research for the math department after my first year and throughout some of my
sophomore year. Though the research was very much math based I was able to tie some of the
structural aspects of DNA and even present at a conference about it. Though I ended up not continuing
in math I believe it was a great opportunity to tie in my multiple interests and see how interconnected
many subjects are.
Other experience: During my first year I joined Saint Michael’s Rescue and have worked my way up to a
Nationally Certified Advanced-EMT and ambulance driver. I truly believe my experience there has
solidified my desire to become a naturopath. The ability to have the hands-on medical experience while
I was learning about anatomy, physiology, microbiology, ect gave me an understanding of my desired
career that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. It also gave me a sense of confidence in talking with patients
and making decisions that would affect the health of an individual. Rescue has been an amazing
experience and one that will stay with me forever.
Post-graduation plans: I will be attending the University of Bridgeport in the Fall of 2014 for their
Naturopathic medical school as well as their school of acupuncture.
Meghan Stanton – Class of 2014
Hometown: Hampstead, New Hampshire
Career interest: I'm interested in several different fields
pertaining to pharmacy and am looking forward to being able
to explore more pharmaceutical avenues while at graduate
school.
Experience as a biology major: I honestly enjoyed every
aspect of my education at St. Mike's, particularly my classes
within the Biology Department. The faculty care not only
about how successful you are as a student, but also about you
as a student outside of the classroom which I really
appreciated. I enjoyed being able to take such a variety of
classes within my major, that allowed me to realize some of
my interests that I didn't know I had.
Research: For the past two summers I worked in the Limnology Lab at the New Hampshire Department
of Environmental Services as one of the interns for the Volunteer Lake Assessment Program. This job
included research projects examining the previous and current health of various New Hampshire's lake,
analyzing several different parameters and documenting the health of over 175 lakes and ponds.
Other experience: Each year at St. Mike's I worked in the Chemistry Department, prepping for the
General Chemistry labs and working as a Teaching Assistant for the labs.
Post-graduation plans: In September I will start a 34 month Doctorate of Pharmacy program at
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Manchester, New Hampshire.
I understand that you recently landed a new opportunity; can you share how that transpired: While
tabling for the Student Association at one of the Accepted Students Days this spring, I was approached
by a woman, I had never met before, who felt bad for me because no other parents or prospective
students had been approaching my table. It turns out that she happened to live in a neighboring town to
mine and that she is a pharmacy technician at a CVS that will be on my way to MCPHS next year. She
offered me a position in the pharmacy for the summer, mentioned that they had been interested in
hiring a student from Mass. College of Pharmacy for a while and that I would most likely be able to
continue to work there throughout my time studying at MCPHS. Although I originally wasn't super
excited about waking up early on a Saturday, I am really glad I attended the Accepted Students day and
was able to make the connection that offered me this ideal opportunity.
Donny McGuirl - Class of 2015
Hometown: Warwick, Rhode Island
Career interest: Medical Field
Experience as a biology major: My experience as a biology
major at St. Mikes has been amazing. I cannot say enough
about the professors in this department. I have been lucky
enough to grow close to many of my professors, and they have
been a big reason why I have enjoyed my time in the Biology
department. As a student, you get excited to see professors
that are passionate about what they are teaching, and it makes
class that much more enjoyable. Anybody who has gone
through the program knows how challenging it can be, but the
professors always seem to be there when you need them the
most. I will cherish the relationships I have made through this
major for the rest of my life.
Research: I have been blessed with the opportunity to study with two professors during the 2014
summer. I will be studying genetic differences of local fish populations under the guidance of Professor
Facey and Professor Loisel. I took Professor Facey’s Ichthyology class as a junior and it was one of the
most challenging classes I have taken, but the excitement and passion Professor Facey brought to class
each day inspired me to learn more. The same can be said for Professor Loisel’s population genetics
class. Through this class I became fascinated with genetics and eager to learn more. I could not be more
excited to study under these two mentors this summer.
Other experience: Perhaps my best experience in this department has been as a teaching assistant and
tutor. After my first semester, Professor Martin asked me if I would be interested in being a teaching
assistant, and I happily said I would. Looking back, I would say that this has been the best opportunity in
my college career. Working side by side with the professors has given me a unique perspective and has
taught me more than I could ever hope to learn in a classroom. I cannot thank Professor Martin enough
for this opportunity.
Post-graduation plans: After St. Mikes I plan on applying to a physician assistants program.
ALUMNI NEWS & PROFILES
Philip A. Lavoie Jr., DDS - Class of 1983
Current position - Dentist, Burlington, Vermont.
Home town - Burlington, Vermont.
Background - Saint Michael's College Bachelor of Arts 1983;
Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska - Doctor of Dental
Surgery 1987; Fletcher Allen Hospital, Burlington, VermontGeneral Practice Residency 1988
What got you interested in your current field? An
appreciation of the life sciences.
What led you down the path to where you are now? I
believed a Biology degree from SMC, with a solid effort would
hold potential for many directions. My plan was to attend
SMC and possibly pursue graduate school outside Vermont. I
did not decide on going to Dental School till half way through
my Junior year. When I graduated Dental School I had a
portable degree. Health care will always be needed. I had an
opportunity in Vermont, so was able to return home to practice.
What experiences in the Saint Michael's College biology department prepared you for your postgraduate training and your career? An independent study option Junior year allowed me to explore
Dentistry and help confirm my decision to go to Dental School. In addition, my dedicated and
enthusiastic Biology professors inspired me to put the necessary time into and enjoy my studies, which
helped in post-graduate training.
Do you have any advice for students interested in your field? Do well at whatever you are doing to
keep your options open. Talk to a few Dentists.
Are there specific opportunities you think biology majors should pursue before graduation? Take
advantage of your Liberal Arts education at SMC to gain insight into and an appreciation of other
academic fields. Balance that with your Biology studies and what Vermont has to offer for a wellrounded and meaningful education experience.
What advice would you give current Saint Michael's College students interested in graduate study
and/or specifically interested in your field? If you have an interest in a specific field (medical, dental,
biochemistry, physiology, environment, genomics, research and development, ...... ) talk to your adviser
about it and explore it outside the classroom.
Amy Usowski - Class of 2005: Conservation Administrator
for the Town of Harwich, Mass
Amy is originally from Southampton, Mass, and
received a Bachelor of Science from Saint Michael's College in
2005. She completed additional coursework at UMASS
Amherst and Cape Cod Community College. Amy has been
living on Cape Cod for the past 8 years, starting when she took
an environmental service position with AmeriCorps Cape Cod.
What does the position of conservation administrator entail?
As Conservation Administrator, I am in charge of upholding local, state, and federal laws
regarding the protection of wetlands such as salt marshes, beaches, and rivers. I work with local
landowners and engineers to help design projects that meet or exceed these standards. I staff a board
of 7 volunteers who help render decisions on parcels, am an advisor to another town committee which
considers which properties to purchase for the town, and along with the Harwich Conservation Trust
work to manage over 1000 acres of protected Open Space in Harwich.
What got you interested in your current field? I always have felt very connected with the outdoors. I
grew up in a rural area and playtime consisted of going out and playing in the woods. My grandfather
really fostered my love for it early on as well, taking me and my brother hiking and fishing. I knew that
that was what made me happy, and what I was interested in, so I came to Saint Michael's with a major
in Biology. There I was given so many learning opportunities to figure out exactly what I was most
passionate about.
What led you down the path to where you are now? I think I first really figured out that I wanted to go
into environmental policy when I studied abroad through SMC with the School for Field Studies in
Mexico my junior year. There we learned about environmental resource management and got to work
with the local community in implementing environmentally sustainable fishing and ecotourism
practices. After working in a lab for a year after graduation to make ends meet, I applied for and was
accepted into AmeriCorps Cape Cod to do a year of service in the environmental field. I learned so much
about local policy, resources, flora and fauna, and made so many valuable connections. It was what
allowed me to eventually get the job I have now, along with my degree.
What experiences in the Saint Michael's College biology department prepared you for your postgraduate training and your career? It was the variety of experiences that I was encouraged to take part
in that prepared me most. It ranges from the wide array of courses offered in the Biology Department
and the dedication of the professors which allow a student to figure out what they are most passionate
about and then explore it deeper. In particular, the field-based courses such as Aquatic Ecology taught
by Professor Declan McCabe and Forest Ecology taught by Professor Peter Hope were very helpful,
because even though my focus turned out to be coastal ecology and environmental policy, the
groundwork that was laid in those courses pertain to numerous ecosystems.
Do you have any advice for students interested in your field? Don't feel like your focus has to be
super-defined. I always got the question 'Well what EXACTLY are you interested in?' My answer then,
and still is now, EVERYTHING. If you are interested in entire ecosystems and how to manage and protect
them, then getting into the field of Conservation, either on the governmental or non-profit end of
things, might be a good match. Consider volunteering or interning for a local Land Trust (most towns
have them) or with your Town's Conservation or Natural Resources Department. Many municipalities
and environmental non-profits here on Cape Cod hire college students in the summer to do field work.
This is an excellent way to learn and get your foot in the door. Also, year-long volunteer programs that
have an environmental branch such as AmeriCorps or GreenCorps can give you not only the experience
that employers want, but many times the contacts you end up making end up being future employers.
Are there specific opportunities you think biology majors should pursue before graduation? Doing
either/both a individual research project with a professor or completing a senior research internship.
Both allow you to study and learn something at a deeper level, and allow you to make valuable
connections outside of the college.
Steve Marko - Class of 2005
Current position - PGY1 Emergency Medicine Resident at
Yale-New Haven Hospital
Background: Raised in Cheshire, MA and went to Hoosac
Valley High School. BS from St. Mike's, MD/MPH from the
University of Connecticut 2014
What got you interested in your current field? I thought
about medicine during college but didn't get any experience
in the field till afterward. I fell in love with it when I took an
entry level medical assistant job in the Department of Surgery
at Fletcher Allen. Was considering public health as well, per
Dr. Bozzone's suggestion, and eventually decided to pursue
both medical and public health degrees, which I could do on
the same campus at the University of Connecticut Health Center.
What led you down the path to where you are now? Honestly, it was trial and error. During school I
waffled between several things but had a strange aspiration to be a game warden. I did an internship in
the wildlife field and it was really not for me. After college I initially took a job working in a lab at UVM. It
was OK and they paid me well but I didn't love it and definitely didn't want to do it forever. Multiple
people had suggested medicine over the years so I gave it a shot. Volunteering at Fletcher Allen was my
way in the door there.
What experiences in the Saint Michael's College biology department prepared you for your postgraduate training and your career? In medicine you really can't binge study. Well, you can pass your
courses like that, but it won't make you a good doctor. St. Mike's taught me how to study to be able to
retain my knowledge for the long haul. Also, the environment at St. Mike's was collaborative and not at
all cutthroat. Thankfully, UConn was the same way so it made it an easy transition.
Do you have any advice for students interested in your field? Get experience! Get a job, volunteer, or
whatever but there's no way to know you'll be happy and good at it unless you try it out. When applying
to schools, broaden your search to include places you didn't initially think about and do a lot of research
into the programs.
Are there specific opportunities you think biology majors should pursue before graduation? Check out
St. Mike's EMS, Fletcher Allen volunteer opportunities, summer jobs in the field back home, and
definitely DEFINITELY go on a trip to Montreal with the Science Club.
What advice would you give current Saint Michael's College students interested in graduate study
and/or specifically interested in your field?
When you apply to medical school the numbers that matter most are your GPA in the classic premedical coursework and the MCAT. So take other courses out of your comfort zone and in something
other than biology. And enjoy your courses in philosophy, religion, and humanities; they really do make
you a better person. If I had it to do over I would probably double major in a language and biology rather
than minor in chemistry and load up on every biology course I could take.