Theron O. “Ted” Odlaug1911 — 2000

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A TRIBUTE TO THERON O. “TED” ODLAUG by Linda Holmstrand

Dr. Theron O. Odlaug passed away at the age of88 years on January 31, 2000, at LakeshoreLutheran Home in Duluth, following several yearsof failing health. He leaves his wife of 62 years,Lucille, a daughter Margaret of Minneapolis anda son Michael and family of Bellevue,Washington. Besides immediate family, Dr.Odlaug is also survived by a “family” of closefriends, former colleagues and hundreds ofstudents. One of his former students wasinfluenced to the extent that he or she

anonymously donated $50,000 to endow ascholarship in Ted Odlaug's name. That gift willbe a lasting memorial to a very fine teacher and scholar.

Dr. Odlaug retired from the Biology departmentin 1978, closing a long and dedicated careerthat began in 1945 as a professor of zoology atthe former Duluth State Teachers College, laterto become the Duluth campus of the Universityof Minnesota. His service to UMD included 24years as the head of the Department of Biology.His doctorate was earned at New York University.Before joining the faculty here, Dr. Odlaug taughtin colleges in New York, Montana and Nebraska.At UMD he spent more than three decades in

“The family of Theron O. Odlaug is pleased,proud and happy that our husband and fatherhas been so honored for his teaching,counseling and dedication to his work. Ourthanks to the contributor of this wonderfulscholarship gift.” Lucille Odlaug

UMD Biology Department News

winter 2000

From the Department Head

the classroom, teaching courses in AnimalParasitology, Helminthology, Human Anatomy,Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates,Oceanography, and Water Quality Investigativeand Research Techniques. In 1971 he was listedin “Outstanding Educators in America” based onhis civic and professional achievements.

Professor Odlaug’s research on Lake Superiorwas a collaborative effort with the university’stwin cities-based School of Public Health.Beginning in the mid-50’s, he was the co-director of a program that provided training andresearch experience in aquatic biology forteachers, graduate students and public healthpersonnel. In the 50’s and 60’s, his summerswere spent at the UMD Limnological ResearchCenter on London Road (near the current EPAfacility). In 1966, the program received fundingto purchase a CPR (continuous planktonrecorder), a novel (at that time) sampling devicetowed behind an ore carrier. The samplescollected provided a baseline study of planktoncomponents in transects of Lake Superior. Inaddition to his limnological research, Dr. Odlaugalso published on the topic of parasite lifehistories, and authored a laboratory manual onthe anatomy of the fetal pig, a work that is nowin its eleventh edition.

The previous three paragraphs were easy towrite — they tell about some of the recordedfacts of Ted Odlaug’s life and work. But in thisarticle, I also want to convey some of theunrecorded, personal characteristics of this goodman. I sought the help of some of the BiologyProfessors Emeritus, a group of retired facultyand former colleagues. Jack Hofslund, BlanchardKrogstad, John Carlson and Paul Monsonremember the pioneer years when thedepartment was small and close-knit, a bunchof “green, young PhDs”. Facilities were poor, pay

was subpar, and there was only one telephonefor the entire science division. There were nolaboratory assistants and only a part-timesecretary. Through these years, Ted Odlaug hadthe respect and loyalty of his faculty and wasappointed and reappointed as department headfor more than 20 years. And no tenured facultymember ever left for greener pastures.

I have heard certain words over and over. (Tedwas)…. conservative, kind, polite, gentle,dedicated, patient, comfortable, helpful. On thetopic of his leadership, Helen Hanten said thathe “never dealt with a situation and made itworse.” In fact he was a quiet but skillfulcommunicator who made the management ofthe department seem deceptively simple. Manyof the stories I heard were humorous. Everyone Italked to remembered that when dining out, Tedalways ordered Salisbury steak, well done —burnt by most people’s standards — rememberthat he was a parasitologist! Ted also had agreat sense of humor, but was a notoriouslypoor storyteller — somehow he always blew thepunch line. He often put himself in the positionwhere he was the brunt of jokes andencounters, but he always could laugh athimself and have a good time at his own expense.

Yes, there are a lot of unwritten memories andstories to be shared about Ted Odlaug. I amproud to say that I knew him for more than fortyyears — first as a student and advisee, later as acolleague in the department. He was an inspira-tional teacher, a caring and considerate bossand a fine, upstanding Christian person. Alongwith others in the Biology Department, I want tosay a heartfelt ‘’thank you’’ to the person whoendowed the Odlaug Memorial ScholarshipFund. I think I know how you feel about Dr. Odlaug.

FROM THE DEPARTMENT HEAD by Randall E. Hicks

As I complete my second year as departmenthead, I am amazed at the positive changes inour department and very appreciative of ouralumni’s generosity. My desire is to see us growwhile retaining our strong programs in ecologicaland cellular biology. Our departmental strengthin research continues to feed undergraduate aswell as graduate research opportunities. Lastyear, I mentioned that many changes were takingplace and that several outstanding opportunitiesawaited us. This was not understated becausemany opportunities became reality and we wereblessed with several pleasant surprises.

Dr. Mel Whiteside retired this year but we werefortunate to search for five new facultymembers. These searches indicate a renewedperiod of growth for our department. In January,we welcomed Dr. Allen Mensinger aboard. Allen

studies the neurophysiology of fish. Some of histoadfish have even ridden into space aboard thespace shuttle! This summer, Dr. DonnBranstrator will join our department. Donn wasan Assistant Professor at DePaul in Chicago. Wewere fortunate to entice him away from thatuniversity to work as a plankton ecologist atUMD. Just recently, Dr. Matt Andrews agreed tojoin our faculty as a full professor of environ-mental cell biology. Matt comes to us from NorthCarolina State University in Raleigh. We lookforward to the exciting research program he willtransfer to UMD and his leadership as wecontinue to develop cell and molecular biologyon the UMD campus. Finally, we are concludingour faculty search for an insect ecologist andwill soon be conducting interviews to hire a newfisheries biologist. You will learn more aboutthese new faculty members in the coming years.

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in grants and contracts from NSF, EPA andothers. He was frequently an invited presenterat professional meetings and he was also areviewer for the Canadian Journal of AquaticSciences, Hydrobiologia and Archiv FurHydrobiologie.

Professor Whiteside taught Ecology Laboratory,Plankton Ecology, Biology and Society and hismost sought after class, Coral Reef Studies. The“Coral” class included a field trip to the FloridaKeys where the students would stay at a fieldstation on Pigeon Key and snorkel in the actualreefs they had been studying all quarter.

Mel spent time on a sabbatical in Denmarkdoing research and writing, and, of course had

WHAT A RETIREMENT!by Deb Shubat

Professor Melbourne Whiteside officially retiredas of January 2000, and is off to start the nextphase of his life adventure. His official home isnow his very seaworthy sailing vessel Itasca, andat the time of this writing, he is cruising withGildi through the South Pacific.

Mel received his B.A. in Biology in 1962 fromWillamette University, his M.S. in Zoology in1964from Arizona State University and his Ph.D. in1968 from Indiana University. He came to UMDfrom the University of Tennessee in 1985 to takethe position of Biology Department Head. Hisgoals at that time were to be situated closer tohis research on Lake Itasca, to promote researchon Lake Superior, and to develop curriculum forundergraduate and graduate education. Here at

UMD, Mel directed a talented group of graduatestudents. They include Roland Sigurdson, AnnSigford, Connie Schwegman, Jeff Schuldt, JaySandal, Michelle Kuns, and Rebecca Forman.

Researching and writing papers on zooplanktonecology took up much of Mel’s time at UMD. Twoof his recent publications include: “Quantitative

sampling techniques forage—0 fish from diverselake habitats”, and “Spatialdistributions of zooplanktonduring coastal upwelling inwestern Lake Superior.”During his tenure at UMDhe received more than fivehundred thousand dollars

Whiteside Retirement

We successfully navigated the transition tosemesters due in large part to the leadership ofLinda Holmstrand, one of our Associate Heads,our Executive Secretary Ruth Hemming, and ourpast Curriculum Committee Chair, Dr. ConradFirling. Our Biology Graduate Program remainsstrong and vibrant under the watchful eye of Dr.David Schimpf. This year, bachelor’s andmaster’s degree graduates from our departmenthave moved on to exciting opportunities rangingfrom a government fellowship in Washington, DC,to research positions in Florida, to furtherpostgraduate or professional training throughoutour country.

We are meeting our goal to make the freshmanexperience in biology the most fascinating timea student will spend at UMD. We are completingour first year of instructing Freshman Seminars.

They have been a rousing success. As oneexample, students in John Pastor’s BiologicalIllustration course had their work displayed inthe Tweed Museum of Art. Next year we willexpand to five Freshman Seminar classes andthe university has given our department atenure-track faculty position to help facilitatethis expansion.

As amazing as this year has been, there are stillopportunities on our horizon. We want toenhance instruction and research opportunitiesin cell and molecular biology as well as hire amolecular geneticist next year. This will happen ifour joint proposal with the ChemistryDepartment to the Howard Hughes MedicalInstitute is successful. During the past year, aChemistry alumnus donated at least one fourthof the construction costs to build the new

to sail there himself on his former boat, theNiña. We hear from Mike King and Todd Obey(Physics) who helped as crew on the boat thatMel is a compulsive sail “tweeker”. The word isthat one should never eat chicken chow meinon a boat with Mel. Todd and Mike believe theirstomach discomfort was due to food poisoningfrom those cheap dented cans, while Melclaims they just got sea sick.

Things aren’t quite the same around the BiologyDepartment without Mel and his irreverenthumor. We wish him well in his new life, andhope he’ll make it back to Duluth once in awhile to update us on his travels.

Laboratory Sciences Building. We look forward toobtaining the remaining construction funds fromthe legislature and seeing construction of thisbuilding start within a few years.

Finally, gifts of support from our alumni andfriends have been overwhelming (the pleasantsurprise I talked about earlier). Donations toscholarship funds and endowments in ourdepartment were at a record high this year.There is so much information and thanks toconvey that I just cannot do it justice here.Please look for the other articles in ournewsletter to understand the breadth of whathas happened during the past year and howappreciative we are of our friends and alumni.

Yes, it has been a truly amazing year. Wecontinue to be a department that emphasizes

undergraduate education. I see our program asa positive blend of high-quality undergraduateinstruction, significant research programs, stronggraduate training, and outreach of biologicalknowledge and understanding. Our intent is toretain the best from the past as we strive todevelop new areas in the future. I am thankfulfor the outstanding faculty and staff in ourdepartment. We are excited about the directionsour department is taking and hope you are aswell. Please visit our web page(http://d.umn.edu/biology) and considervisiting us when you are in Duluth.

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Melbourne Whiteside

Narayanan Rajendran,“Rajen”, joined the BiologyDepartment in June of1999 as a LaboratoryServices Coordinator. Rajenoriginates from Calicut,India and received his B.S.,M.S. and Ph.D. degreesfrom the University ofRockfort, India. Rajen hasconducted post-doctoral research in microbialbiotechnology and molecular biology, has shortterm industrial training and also worked as anAssistant Professor of Biotechnology at AnnUniversity, India. His most recent position was atMichigan State University where he was a post-doctoral research associate, identifyingmolecular mechanisms and the genesresponsible for the biodegradation of carbontetrachloride by Pseudomonas. He has 15papers published in peer-reviewed journals.Rajen and his wife, Preetha, have a three yearold son, Sibi. Rajen’s special interests includepainting, drawing, writing, photography, andcreating net-working ideas.

NEW STAFF MEMBERSby Ruth Hemming

This past year the Biology Department has hadthe opportunity to welcome three new staffmembers: Betty Myshack, Narayanan Rajendran,and Sharon Eck.

Betty Myshack began work on April 1, 1999, asour Accounts Specialist. Betty is a native ofDuluth and an alumnus of UMD, receiving aB.B.A. degree. She most recently worked for St.Louis County as an accountant in Virginia,Minnesota. Betty and her husband, George, havetwo daughters, Heather and Jessica; and twograndchildren, Alex and Quinn. Family activitiesconsume most of Betty’s free time, but she findstime to run (she’s intraining with Heather forGrandma’s half-marathonand the Jim McIntire half-marathon in Proctor). Shecollects “Beanie Babies”and just recently began todo oil painting as a new hobby.

New Faculty and Staff

NEW FACULTY

Last September, Carl Richards concurrentlyjoined the Biology Department as a professorand accepted the position of director for theMinnesota Sea Grant College Program. Dr.Richards, an aquatic ecologist, formerly was asenior research associate with UMD’s NRRI. Hehas been involved in studies on Eurasian ruffeecology and also site selection for the reintro-duction of coaster brook trout into Lake Superiorstreams. Other research projects involvelandscape influences on Arctic lakes, ecology ofmidwestern streams and the effect of sediment

contaminants on benthiccommunitites. Dr. Richardswill participate in theteaching of several biologycourses and in thedirection of graduatestudents. We welcome hisexperience and expertise.

Allen “Wally” Mensinger joined us in January,2000, as the department’s vertebratephysiologist. He leaves the position of researchinstructor in otolaryngology at the WashingtonUniversity School of Medicine in St. Louis. Al’sresearch is focused on teleost (toadfish) sensoryphysiology — some of his research specimenshave been aboard NASA’s space shuttle! He hasrecently been appointed Adjunct Scientist atMarine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, MA,where he will be involved with research andteaching this summer. Besides initiating thesetup of his research program at UMD, Dr.

Mensinger has also partic-ipated in the teaching ofintroductory biology thissemester. We are happy tohave Allen and his wifeRobin, and their twochildren — Matt, age 6 andMegan, age 2, here in Duluth.

4

Betty Myshack

Narayanan Rajendran

Allen Mensinger

Carl Richards

BIOLOGY FACULTY AWARDS

Dr. John Pastor was selected as the firstrecipient of the Chancellor’s Award forDistinguished Research. Dr. Pastor is also aSenior Research Associate at NRRI.

As winner of the award, his research was judgedto be of the highest quality and of broad interestto the UMD community. Dr. Pastor’s seminar title“Beauty and Aesthetics in Mathematical Ecologyand Art” illustrated the connection betweenmathematical modeling and the natural world ofthe artist. The award consisted of a cash awardor a travel expense grant, an honorary statuette“The Bulldog” and inscription of his name on aplaque in the Campus Center.

Raj Karim was one of four recipients of the JohnTate Award for Excellence in UndergraduateAdvising, a University of Minnesota Systemaward. He was recognized as having the abilityto recognize and cultivate potential in hisadvisees. In winning the award, Dr.Karim….”serves as a mentor, invites students toparticipate in his research, encourages studentsto excel and makes students feel welcome in hisoffice, laboratory and classroom.” He advisesnearly fifty students in the Biology Department,most of them in PreVeterinary Medicine.

Three Biology Faculty members, Virginia Borden,Arun Goyal and Lyle Shannon were chosen toparticipate in the UMD Faculty Tech Camp thisyear. The camp includes a week of workshopsand hands-on activities that enable faculty todesign and teach courses using technologicaltools. The incentives are a laptop computer,supporting software and individual assistance incompleting a project.

Sharon Eck officially began work in August of1999 our three-quarter time OfficeAssistant/Receptionist. This is the first time theoffice has been supported by three staffmembers. With the department growth over thepast years, this position was a welcome additionand has improved the office workflow. Sharon isa native of Duluth. She most recently worked forOrthopedic Associates of Duluth and worked asa Temporary Office Support Staff in Biology fromFebruary until August. Sharon and her husbandDavid have a twelve year old daughter, Alex; ayellow lab, Sandy; and a bunny, Midnight.Sharon began taking classes at UMD fallsemester; her goals are to receive a degree in

Biology and conductresearch. Sharon says, “It’sa unique experience to bestarting school again after20 years and Alex thinksit’s neat to give Mom ahand with her homework”.Sharon enjoys skiing,camping and canoeingwith her family.

Betty, Rajen, and Sharon are welcome additionsto the Biology Department staff. They have allbeen doing a great job in learning the ropes oftheir respective jobs and have contributed to asuccessful and productive academic year.

News Briefs

NEWS BRIEFS

New Arrivals… Congratulations to…

QinQin Liu (faculty) and David Schuler on thebirth of their son Louis Liu Schuler, bornNovember 3, 1999 in Folsom City, California.

Anne Gingery (graduate student) and RichNarum on the arrival of baby boy Anders KnuteGingery Narum in March, 2000.

Randy (lab coordinator) and Paula Hedin on thebirth of their daughter Sydney Helen Hedin, bornMarch 18, 2000. She joins her sister, Dayle, whowill be three in September.

Jack R. Hargis Memorial Lecture Series

David Schindler, University of AlbertaDepartment of Biological Sciences and KilliamProfessor of Ecology, spoke on the “Cumulativeeffects of acid precipitation, climate change, andstratospheric ozone depletion on biodiversityand ecosystem functions in boreal lakes” . Theseminar was followed by a reception in theGriggs Center. It was sponsored by the BiologyDepartment in memory of Dr. Jack Hargis.

Biotechnology Initiative

A new program in plant biotechnology is thefocus of a cooperative program between NRRIand the College of Science and Engineering.Directed by Co-Principal Investigators Arun Goyalof the Biology Department and Neil Nelson ofNRRI, the project will use recombinant DNA andmolecular biology techniques to createtransgenic hybrid poplars that express industrialenzymes and pharmaceuticals. The long termobjectives are to develop and producerecombinant proteins as a new “molecularfarming” industry in northern Minnesota.

Dr. Arun Goyal has been awarded a singlesemester sabbatical for fall semester, 2000.

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Sharon Eck

Visit with a Professor Emeritus

CURRENT FACULTY GRANTS

A. Goyal (Co-PI) with Neil Nelson initiated amajor research program on PlantBiotechnology entitled “Production of highvalue macromolecules in hybrid poplar”.NRRI/MinnTech. April 1999–June 2002;$345,000.

A. Goyal (Co-PI) with Neil Nelson and ChrisEdwardson. Forest Products Innovation andImplementation. USDA-CSREES; June1999–June 2001; $255,396.

G. Sabel, J. Anderson, D. Gustafson, B.McCarthy, R. Axler, R. Hicks (Co-PI), J. Crosby, T.Bovee, WLSSD, and Minnesota OSTContractors Association. “On-Site SewageTreatment Alternatives: PathogenRemoval/Technology Transfer”. LegislativeCommission on Minnesota Resources; July1997—June 1999; $500,000; ~$75,000.

R. P. Axler, R. E. Hicks (Co-PI), B. I. McCarthy,“Pathogen and Nutrient Removal byConstructed Wetlands for Treatment of SingleHome and Small Community WastewaterFlows”. Competitive Grants Program,Minnesota Sea Grant College Program;February 1, 1998—January 31,2000;$80,400; ~$20,000.

G.J. Niemi. Boreal Owl: its habitat and prey inthe Superior National Forest. Joint fundingfrom the USDA Forest Service and MinnesotaDepartment of Natural Resources.1999—present. $40,000.

G.J. Niemi. Distribution of Canada lynx in theupper midwestern United States. Joint fundingfrom USDA Forest Service, MinnesotaDepartment of Natural Resources, and U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service. 1999—present. $35,000.

G.J. Niemi. Boulder Lake Management Area—Environmental Education and Research Program(Partnership program between Center for Waterand the Environment, NRRI; Minnesota Power;Minnesota Department of Natural Resources;and St. Louis County. 1994—present. $59,500.

G.J. Niemi. Monitoring bird populations inMinnesota’s national forests. North CentralForest Experiment Station, Chippewa NationalForest, Superior National Forest, USDA ForestService and US Fish and Wildlife Service.1991—present. $198,360.

G.J. Niemi. Effects of changes in the forestecosystem on the biodiversity of Minnesota’snorthern forest birds. Minnesota LegislativeCommission on Minnesota Resources.1991—present. $1,788,000.

G. Sabel, J. Anderson, D. Gustafson, B. McCarthy,R. Axler, R.E. Hicks (Co-PI), J. Crosby, T. Bovee, P.Weidman, and Minnesota OST ContractorsAssociation. “On-Site Sewage TreatmentAlternatives: Performance, Outreach &Demonstration”. Legislative Commission onMinnesota Resources; July 1999—June 2001;$550,000; ~$75,000.

VISIT WITH A PROFESSOR EMERITUS…. sixth in a seriesby Linda Holmstrand

It seems like only yesterday, but actually it wasfive years ago, that I wrote an article for thisnewsletter about the retirement of ProfessorGeorge Ahlgren. Several weeks ago, I arrangedto meet George and Elaine Ahlgren, who still livein Duluth, for coffee and an update on theiractivities. We spent an enjoyable, leisurely hourreminiscing and looking at pictures.

Dr. Ahlgren retired from the UMD BiologyDepartment in 1995 after nearly thirty years ofservice. Alumni probably will remember him astheir professor for General (plant) Biology, PlantPhysiology and a required core course in CellBiology, which he taught for more than twentyyears. He was a popular, easy-going teacher,who always had an open door, especially forthose who could converse in Finnish. Besides aheavy teaching load, he also researchedshattering of wild rice grains and dormancy inZizania aquatica and directed the work of sixmaster’s thesis graduate students.

As I reread the ‘95 article, I noted that theAhlgrens at that time had several goals for theirretirement — pursuing their shared interest intheir Finnish heritage, spending time with familyand traveling. It seems they have done all three!They are both members of the Finnish MusicGroup “Jarvenpaa Singers” — translatedLakehead Singers — that perform often in theDuluth area. In July they will travel with thegroup to Toronto for a “Grand Finn Fest”, a jointmusical celebration of Canadians andAmericans. They also still occasionally dancewith a Finnish folk dance group, in full costume,for Finnish activities in nursing homes andschools. Besides local travels, they have visitedJapan and Finland.

The five Ahlgren children all graduated fromUMD and are establishing lives of their own.

Daughter Valerie is now a stay-at-home momafter working for a number of years as a chemistfor Minnesota Power. She and her husbandDarrell have two children. Erik and his wife Lisa,also a UMD graduate, live in Fergus Falls withtheir two boys. Erik is the president ofShoremaster Industries which deals in docks,boat lifts and other marine supplies. Karl andhis wife Yuki, whom he met and married inJapan, live in Long Prairie with their son. Karlteaches English as a Second Language forchildren of Mexican immigrants. Sara, thesecond daughter, is a manager for a servicecenter in Plymouth, MN. She and her husbandTerry Bogie, live in St. Paul. Anna, the youngestAhlgren, is a high school English teacher insouth St. Paul. She will be married in Septemberto Mike Ossana and they plan to move to DesMoines, Iowa. No doubt the Ahlgren vehicle willput on many miles as George and Elaine travelto see their children and grandchildren.

Finally, a few comments about theaccompanying picture. It shows George relaxingin the living room of his cabin on Linwood Lake,north of Duluth. One of his retirement goals wasto build this cabin. Now it’s done and it’s time torelax! Colleagues and friends in the BiologyDepartment wish George and Elaine a continuedhappy and healthy retirement. This is how it wasmeant to be.

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George Ahlgren relaxesat his cabin

R. E. Hicks (PI), “Survival and Virulence ofPathogenic Bacteria within MicrobialCommunities Attached to Suspended Particles ina Freshwater Estuary”. Minnesota Sea GrantCollege Program; March 1, 1999—January 31, 2001. $48,210.

L. Shannon (PI), L. Holmstrand, V. Borden,A.Goyal, R. Karim and M.J. Oursler. Chancellor’sSmall Grant to Develop and ImplementComputer-based Teaching Materials for GeneralBiology. FY99 $5,250.

L. Shannon (PI), L. Holmstrand and K. Rezanka.Development of a Portable Network ofComputers for Use in Biology Core Courses. CSETechnology Fee Funds. FY99, $29,300.

M. R. Karim (Co-PI) Mechanisms of AntiviralActivity by Betulin and its Analogs. AcademicHealth Center, University of Minnesota, July1,1999—June 30, 2001, $200,000.

M.R. Karim (Co-PI) Investigation of Betulin,Allobetulin and Analogs therapy to treat HerpesVirus and Fungal infections, MinnesotaTehnology Initiatives, Continuation Feb.1,1998—July 31, 1999, 48,000.

M.R. Karim (Co-PI) Chemical Extractives fromBirch Bark—Potlatch and Minnesota Power, Feb1, 1999—July 1, 2000, $50,000.

J. Pastor (PI), Y. Cohen, “Moose foraging strategy,energetics, and ecosystem processes in boreallandscapes,” National Science Foundation,1994—1999 $765,000.

C. Johnston (PI), J. Pastor, and H. Mooers,Control of productivity and plant speciessegregation by nitrogen fluxes to wetland beavermeadows, National Science Foundation,1997—2000, $600,000.

S. Bridgham (PI), J. Pastor, and J. Chen, Carbonand energy flow and plant community responseto climate change in peatlands, NationalScience Foundation, 1997—2001, $1,380,889.

J. Pastor (PI), Y. Cohen, R. Moen, and B. Dewey.Moose population cycles, ecosystem properties,and landscape patterns on Isle Royale, NationalScience Foundation, 1998—2003, $300,000.

J. Pastor (PI), P. Wolter, Mapping and modellingforest change in a boreal landscape, NASA,2000—2003, $349,841.

C. Richards (PI) Legislative Commission onMinnesota Resources. Predictive Modeling forthe Miller Creek Watershed. 1997—2000.

C. Richards (PI) U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency. STAR Grant Program Development andEvaluation of Multi-scale Mechanistic Indicatorsof Regional Landscapes. 1997—2000.$925,000.

C. Richards (Co-PI) U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency. STAR GrantProgram.Environmental Factors that InfluenceAmphibian Community Structure and Health.1997—2000. $498,338.

C. Richards (Co-PI) with John Hobie and 12others. National Science Foundation. KeyConnections in Arctic Aquatic Landscapes.1997—2000. $2,989,784.

C. Richards (Co-PI). Minnesota Department ofNatural Resources. 1997—2000. $529,620.Lake Superior Land Use Decision SupportSystem.

C. Richards (Co-PI) U.S. EPA Office ofEnvironmental Justice. Assessing andCommunicating Risk: A Partnership to Evaluate aSuperfund Site on Leech Lake Tribal Lands.1997—2000. $249,781.

C. Richards (Co-PI) Minnesota Sea GrantProgram. Watershed Effects on StreamProductivity and Water Quality Discharge in LakeSuperior Tributary Streams. 1996—2000.$224,591.

C. Richards (PI). Minnesota Sea Grant Program.Evaluating Potential Reintroduction Sites forCoaster Brook Trout within the Lake SuperiorBasin. 1998—2001.

L. J. Shannon, Co-PI and K. Yin. Acousticalmapping of Lake Superior Zooplankton. SeaGrant FY98 (extended through 2000) $65,000.

Co-PIs A.R. Klemer, M. Mageau, M.Wackernagel, D. Yount and I. Harvie. “ReducingDuluth’s Ecological Footprint” State of MinnesotaEnvironmental Assistance Grant.6/1/99—8/31/00, $24,500.

A.F. Mensinger (PI), “Chronic Neural Recordingvia acoustical telemetry from free-swimmingfish,” Grant-in-Aid of Research, Artistry andScholarship; January 2000 to January 2001; $25,000.

M.J. Oursler (PI) “Breast Cancer Stimulation ofOsteolysis”; Department of the Army: October 1,1997—September 30, 2000 $ 286,509.

M.J. Oursler (PI) “The role of src in estrogen’sprotective effects on cardiovascular disease andosteoporosis,” American Heart AssociationBeginning Grant in Aid, April 1, 1998—March 31, 2000, $59,405.

M.J. Oursler (PI) “Metastatic breast cancerstimulation of osteolysis: the role of osteoclastinhibitory factor and osteoclast differentiationfactor,” Whiteside Institute for Clinical Research,January 1, 1999—December 31, 1999; $5,000.

M.J. Oursler (PI) “Mechanisms of TransformingGrowth Factor Beta Regulation of TumorProgression in Metastatic Cancer”. Departmentof the Army: October 1, 2000—September 30,2003 $322,754.

M. J. Oursler (PI) “Target Cells for TGF-ßRegulation of the Osteoclast Phenotype,”Minnesota Medical Foundation: March 1,2000—February 28,2001 $12,000.

7Current Faculty Grants

Faculty Publications in the Last Year

Hawrot, R.Y., J.M. Hanowski, A.R. Lima, G.J.Niemi, and L.Pfannmuller. Bird populationtrends in Minnesota and northwesternWisconsin forests, 1991—1997.The Loon 70:130—137. 1999.

Niemi, G.J., A.E. Hershey, L. Shannon,J.M.Hanowski, A. Lima, R.P. Axler, andR.R.Regal. Ecological effects of mosquitocontrol on zooplankton, insects, and birds.Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 18:549—559. 1999.L Pederson, B. Winding.

N.T. Foged, T.C. Spelsberg, and M.J. Oursler,“Identification of breast cancer cell line-derived paracrine factors that stimulateosteoclast activity,” Cancer Research, vol.59,pp. 5840—5855 November 1999

Pastor, J. and S.D. Bridgham. 1999. Nutrientefficiency along nutrient availability gradients.Oecologia 118: 50—58.

Pastor, J., Y. Cohen, and R. Moen. 1999. Thegeneration of spatial patterns in boreallandscapes. Ecosystems 2: 439—450.

Pastor, J., K. Standke, K. Farnsworth, R. Moen,and Y. Cohen. 1999. Further development ofthe Spalinger-Hobbs mechanistic foragingmodel for free-ranging moose. CanadianJournal of Zoology 77: 1505—1512.

Bridgham, S.D., J. Pastor, K. Updegraff, T.J.Malterer, K. Johnson, C. Harth, and J. Chen.1999. Ecosystem control over temperature andenergy flux in northern peatlands. EcologicalApplications 9: 1345—1358.

Hale, C.M., J. Pastor, and K. Rusterholz. 1999.Comparison of structural and compositionalcharacteristics in old-growth versus maturehardwood forests of Minnesota, U.S.A. CanadianJournal of Forest Research 29: 1479—1489.

Hershey, A.E., G. Gettel, M.E. McDonald, M. C.Miller, H. Mooers, W.J. O’Brien, J. Pastor, C.Richards, and J. A. Schuldt. 1999. A geomorphic-trophic model for landscape control of trophicstructure in arctic lakes. BioScience 49: 887—897.

Richards, C. and R. Hollingsworth. 1999.Managing for fish in Riparian Areas. pp 151-162In S. Verry (ed) Riparian Management in Forestsof the Continental Eastern U.S.Pergammon Press.

D.J. Schimpf, and N. P. Danz, “Light passagethrough leaf litter: variation among northernhardwood trees,” Agricultural and ForestMeteorology, vol.97, pp. 103—111,October 1999.

FACULTY PUBLICATIONS IN THE LAST YEAR

Aluminum toxicity perturbs long bone calcifi-cation in the embryonic chick. C.E. Firling, T.A.Hill, and A.R. Severson. Archives of Toxicology,Vol. 73 issue 7 (1999), pp. 359—366

Hicks, R.E., and D.A. Pascoe. 2000. Acomparison of cyanobacterial dominance withinthe picoplankton of the North American GreatLakes estimated by 16S rRNA-basedhybridizations and direct cell counts. pp. —InExploring the Great Lakes of the world: Food-web dynamics, health, & integrity, (Munawar, M.and R. Becky, eds.). [book]

The Effect of Betulin in the Formation of Cellularand Viral Proteins of Cells in Response toHerpes simplex Virus Type 2 (HSV-2) Infections.Jonathon Edward Delf, M. Reza-ul Karim andRobert M. Carlson. Proceedings — NCUR 1999,pp. 1512—1516

A.F. Mensinger, D.J. Anderson, C.J. Buchko, M.A.Johnson, D.C. Martin, R. B. Silver and S. M.Highstein. “Chronic recording of regeneratingVIIIth nerve axons with a sieve electrode,”Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 83,pp. 611—615, January 2000.

A.F. Mensinger and S.M. Highstein.“Regeneration of the horizontal semicircularcanal nerve in the toadfish Opsanus tau,”Journal of Comparative Neurology, vol. 410,pp. 653—676. April 1999.

A.F. Mensinger and M.K. Powers. “Visual functionin the regenerating teleost retina followingcytotoxic lesioning,” Visual Neuroscience, vol. 16,pp. 1—11. March 1999.

Price, N.N. and A.F. Mensinger, “Predator-preyinteractions of juvenile toadfish, Opsanus tau,”Biological Bulletin, vol. 197, 246—247.October, 1999.

Tang, K.Q., N.N. Price, M. D. O’Neill, A.F.Mensinger, and R. T. Hanlon. 1999. Temperatureeffects on first-year growth of cultured oystertoadfish, Opsanus tau,” Biological Bulletin, vol.197, pp. 245—246. October, 1999.

Hershey, A.E., L. Shannon, G.J. Niemi, A.R. Lima,and R.R. Regal. Prairie wetlands of south-centralMinnesota: effects of drought on invertebratecommunities. Pages 515—541 in D. Batzer, R. B.Rader, and S.A.Wissinger (Eds), Invertebrates inFreshwater Wetlands of North America: Ecologyand Management. John Wiley and Sons Inc. 1999.

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Graduate Student Profiles

GRADUATE STUDENT PROFILESby Megan Kingsley

Accustomed to using automated cameras tophotograph ground nest predation, ChrisBurdett’s thesis project, “Effects of Forest Typeand Fragmentation on the Predation Rates ofArtificial Ground Nests” is nearing completion.With three years experience teaching andcoordinating general biology courses under hisbelt and plans to finish a Ph.D. program, Chris isgraduating this spring. He will manage aCanadian Lynx monitoring program this summer.Chris, a native of Pittsburg, PA, is married, andenjoys hiking and birding.

Holding a bachelor degree inbiochemistry/molecular biology from MarquetteUniversity, this Wausau, WI, native is working withadvisor Randall Hicks on the distribution ofarchael nucleic acids in the large lakes of threecontinents. A teaching assistant this year forGeneral Microbiology and Animal Diversity,Brendan Keough plans to finish his degree thissummer. He presented some of his research lastyear at an ASLO conference in Santa Fe, NMand at the recent Sigma Xi poster session.

Christian Matson hails from Hingham,Massachusetts. He received his undergraduatedegrees in biology and chemistry from NorthlandCollege, Ashland, in 1996. He is currentlystudying biotechnology under Dr. Arun Goyal andplans to graduate in the spring of 2002. Hisexperience as a TA for General Biology I is astep toward his ultimate goal of teaching. Hecame to UMD from working at Chicago’s AbbottLabs for three years, and his family lives in theBoston area. With hunting, fishing, and canningas pastimes, Christian fits into the Minnesotacrowd well.

Mark Prankus, an Indiana University graduate,enjoys spending time with his wife, Heather, aswell as hiking, fishing, and playing with his twodogs. Studying stream ecology under Dr. CarlRichards, Mark’s thesis project is“Macroinvertebrate Communities on WoodyDebris in Streams of Varying Land Use andGeology”. Mark has been a TA for several biologycourses the last several years and was an RA inthe summer of 1999. Having completed hisfieldwork, he will spend this summer processingthe invertebrate samples, and graduate in thefall of 2000. Eventually he may be involved inland and water resource management, andwould like to research restoration techniques.

Other Biology Graduate students include: SimgeAkbulut, Lisa Belmonte, Xu Chen, Mick Gillespie,Mary Karst, Jenny Kysely, Toni Lamkin, BradyMattsson, Jean Mengelkoch, Frances Newton,Jim Noren, Mark Paulson, Matt Roforth, MichaelScott and Matt Thompson.

A native of Menomonee Falls, WI, Carolyn Schollearned her Biology degree at the University ofWisconsin-Oshkosh. She has been a teachingassistant in Biology & Society, Plant Biology andPlankton Ecology. Advised by Dr. Andrew Klemer,she is studying the effect of watershedpopulations on the water quality of small inlandlakes. In the future, she would like to work as awatershed/water resource manager.

David VanderMeulen of Lowell, Michigan isstudying peatland plant decomposition, litterquality, and how these factors relate to globalwarming, He has finished field collections andpreliminary chemistry lab work for his thesis.This summer he will work with his advisor, Dr.John Pastor, on a peatland mesocosm project.After graduation in the fall of 2001, David islooking forward to a career in water resources inor near the Duluth area.

Studying the mechanism of tumor-driven boneloss, this northern Minnesota native received herbachelor’s degree in Biology from UMD. AubieShaw will be defending her master’s thesis workin June and then will take a pleasure trip intothe BWCA before starting work on her PhD.Aubie was selected as the Biology Department’sOutstanding Teaching Assistant for the ‘98—‘99academic year. (See the article and picture onpage 10.)

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Poster Exhibit

OUTSTANDING GRADUATE TEACHING AWARD by Carrie Quast

Aubie Shaw is the recipient of the 1998—1999Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award.This award is presented to the top teachingassistant in each department and is chosen byfaculty members. Recipients receive a plaqueand a monetary award.

Aubie has been a teaching assistant in a varietyof classes at UMD including General Biology,Biology and Society, Genetics Lab and iscurrently assisting with the advanced MolecularBiology lab. She goes far beyond what isexpected of her, staying late to allow students tofinish experiments, and scheduling extra time forrepeating lab procedures if necessary. Hersupervising professors have found her to bereliable, conscientious and dedicated to helpingother students.

Originally from Eveleth, Minnesota, Aubie hadher start at UMD as an undergraduate, receivingher bachelor’s degree in biology in 1998. She iscurrently completing her master’s degree andanticipates completion in June. Aubie is workingin Dr. Merry Jo Oursler’s lab on the topic ofmetastatic breast cancer. Her thesis specifically

deals with the regulation of osteoclast differen-tiation by growth factors. During ‘98 and ‘99 shepresented her work with poster exhibits for theAmerican Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Aubie’s plan for the near future is to start herPhD work at UMD with Dr. Oursler, continuing herprevious studies on breast cancer research. Shesomeday hopes to be able to do research andto teach at a mid-size university. On behalf ofthe Biology Department, Aubie, congratulationson doing an excellent job in both teaching andresearch. Good luck in the future!

SIGMA XI POSTER EXHIBIT 2000by Brendan Keough

The Sixteenth Annual Sigma Xi Poster Exhibitionwas held in the UMD Medical School atrium lastFebruary. Program Chair Arun Goyal arranged theexhibit and encouraged participation by manystudents and staff in the Department of Biology.Contributions from biology students, faculty, andstaff totaled a third of all posters presented,many of which received awards or specialrecognition.

There were three presentations from Dr. MerryJo Oursler’s lab.

Aubie Shaw presented “TNF-a StimulatesOsteoclast Maturation and Inhibits Apoptosis ofMature Osteoclasts: A Model for TumorOsteolysis.”

Anne Gingery presented “TGF-b is a SurvivalFactor for TGF-b-Induced Osteoclasts,” whichearned one of the ten special recognition awards.

Lisa Lenertz presented “Osteoporosis:Granulocyte-Macrophage-Colony StimulatingFactor is identified as an OsteoclastDifferentiation Inhibitor.”

There were seven presentations from Dr. ArunGoyal’s lab, which won the Highest ContributionAward from one laboratory. The contributionsfrom this laboratory were excluded from awardconsideration due to possible conflict of interest.

Lionel Brounts presented “Phytoremediation ofTCE using Populus” and “Novel Genes Inducedby low CO2 in Dunaliella.”

Durba Ghoshal presented “Purification andcharacterization of an osmoregulatory isoform ofDHAP-reductase from Dunaliella tertiolecta” and“DIC-Pump(s) in Unicellular Green Alga Dunaliella.”

Matt Roforth presented “Steroidal Inhibition andEnhancement of Herpes simplex Virus-1.”

John Thull presented “Effect of Elevated CO2 onProteins Located in the Chloroplast Envelope.”

Kari Dresback presented “Phycoremediation.”

There were four presentations from Dr. RajKarim’s lab. This laboratory won the specialaward for group effort.

Ben Koch presented “Antibacterial Activity ofStructural Analogs of Betulin Against Escherichiacoli, Bacillus subtilis, and Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureus.”

Peter Keyel presented “In Vitro Effect Acyclovir,Betulin and Cyclodextrin Solutions with DifferentIonic Strengths Against Herpes Simplex VirusInfections.”

Venu Nayar presented “Effectiveness ofTriterpenoid Compounds and PolyethyleneimineDerivatives of Betulin against Human PathogenicCandida Species,” which earned the specialaward for innovative presentation.

Xu Chen presented “Induction of AcquiredResistance in Bean Plants Against Pythiumultimum Fungal Infection by 9,10—epoxy, 18—hydroxy octadecanoic acid.”

There was one presentation from Dr. RandallHicks’ lab.

Brendan Keough presented “Distrubution ofArchaeal Nucleic Acids in Picoplankton fromGreat Lakes of the World,” which earned one offive best poster awards.

Congratulations to all presenters for theirenthusiastic participation!

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Aubie Shaw recieves theOutstanding Graduate TeachingAssistant Award award from TimHolst, Associate Dean of CSE

Degree Recipients

MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE (M.S.)

Gaea E. CrozierNicholas P. DanzSandy J. FritzlarJames A. GanglPaula M. HedinKurt W. JohnsonScott P. McGovernKay M. RezankaJay O. SandalTamara A. SwansonJoan T. Weyandt-FultonKevin W. Wolfe

BACHELOR OF APPLIED SCIENCE DEGREE(B.A.S.)

Lisa A. DannewitzChad D. HollinbeckMark R. JohnsonJohn A. MacDonaldPatricia J. NelsonJohn W. RudolphTom C. SjobergMark T. WiltermuthTyler S. Zimmerman

BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE (B.A.)

Linda K. AylsworthJoshua N. CierniaLisa A. DannewitzTimothy A. DoumaPatrick W. KeenanRyan P. PetersonAnn M. ReuterAmy L. Schmiesser

Michael S. MalloyCraig C. MalyBrandon T. MartinsonMichelle S. MatejkaJill L. McBrideNathan D. McParlanMarc S. McSherryErin S. MedinTracy L. MeekMelinda A. M. MeyersNathan A. MilenderAbigail L. MillerAngela B. MossbargerErin L. MunsonFrances j. NewtonNicole C. NorineAnn M. PalmerMark A. PaulsonKelli J. PolkinghorneKevin C. ReichartMatthew M. RossingChristopher J. SheahanTisha J. SimonsonCory S. SimsChad D. SmithNicole L. StrandJonathan V. SvendsenAnton J. TremlScott P. TrombleyJeanna M. Walters TronnesJoseph P. TrowbridgeMelissa L. TveteKristopher J. UberAmber J. UlsethTeresa A. VendittoMark J. VonderharrCorey A. WarnerBryan M. WeghornTracy L. WimerKristine R. Wyman

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE (B.S.)

Kyle D. AndersonTammi S. BauerKimberly M. BigelowReneé J. BlahaMichael R. BourdaghsAbram H. BurgherKate A. CarlsonJacqueline M. CasperCory J. ChoppKari J. ChristoffesonClaudia M. ConroySarah M. CoplanPaul R. CoppockPhillip J. DemullingJennifer L. DickmannJohn D. DingmannChanda L. DrennenDouglas E. DyllaEmily L. EricksonJacqueline A. FinckCarl D. FreyholtzDavid C. GettmanConnie J. HankinsChad S. HeintzAdam W. HenneyJay D. HildebrandKarl M. HuffAndela K. JacobsenMichael L. JanssenJill A. KirkeideCamille F. KundelAdam T. LangJacob R. LangJennifer M. LangAnthony K. Larson Andrew T. LenzDavid B. MachDavid E. MahagnoulJenny L. MakiAngela T. Malley

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COMMENCEMENT 1999

UMD’s largest ever commencement ceremonieswere held at the DECC on May 22, 1999. Morethan 1000 graduates marched in the ceremonyalong with nearly 100 faculty members.Featured speaker for the event was Berkeley LawProfessor Emeritus John “Jack” Coons, whograduated from UMD in 1950. ChancellorKathryn Martin awarded honorary Doctor of Lawdegrees to Dr. Coons, to former U of M RegentErwin Goldfine and to community leader BeverlyGoldfine. Biology students receiving degrees arelisted to the right.

OUTSTANDING FIRST YEAR BIOLOGY STUDENT AWARDby Tara Hoff

The Outstanding Freshman Biology Awardrecognizes the student who has excelled in theintroductory biology courses (1111, 1112, and1113 under the quarter system). The award isgiven on the basis of total points accumulatedin lecture and lab, as well as recommendationsfrom the teaching assistants. The teachingassistants base their recommendations on thestudents’ enthusiasm for biology, theirunderstanding of concepts, and their leadershipin the classroom. The award recipient for the1998—99 academic year was Beth O’Brien fromLakeville, MN. She received a plaque and aDuluth pack for her excellence in biology.

Currently, Beth is a sophomore Biology majortaking courses in organic chemistry, physics, andeconomics/statistics. She is involved in variousactivities, including aerobics and intramuralsports here at UMD She also enjoys camping,hiking, volunteering, and being with her friends.Beth is unsure of what her future will bring, butshe would like to pursue a career in environ-mental biology. She has a special interest inpollution control and plans on working at apollution control agency this summer.

BIOLOGY CLUB ‘’Where the Wildlife Is”by Kristin Kielsa and Anna Varner

The mission of the Biology Club is to providebiology students with a connection to biologyfaculty and to other students. This year thebiology club has over 50 members and has heldmany social events, as well as interestingeducational activities. These include seeing“Amazon” at the Duluth OMNIMAX, a weekendexcursion to the new Science Museum in St.Paul, and meeting candidates applying for openpositions in our department.

We have enjoyed many outings and events so farthis year and are looking forward to upcomingactivities. During the first week of April, we heldour annual Beta Fish Fundraiser. Also, on April20th, Earth Day, we were proud to present Dr.Mattoo as a guest speaker in the SpectrumLecture Series. Our club is also excited abouthosting the annual biology department spring picnic.

Biology Club officers for the 1999—2000 schoolyear are: Kristin Kielsa and Anna Varner, Co-Presidents; Angela Hallgren, Treasurer; MaryMoe, Secretary; and Marni Hogan,Undergraduate Representative. For moreinformation about the Biology Club, visit us at:www.d.umn.edu/biology/club/home.html

Students

FIRST TURCOTTE SCHOLARSHIP WINNER

Ann Torborg, a junior Biology major from St. Joseph, Minnesota, is the first student to be awardedthe $1000 Turcotte Scholarship in Biology. The scholarship was endowed by Dr. Edgar Turcotte inmemory of his parents and will be awarded annually to an undergraduate majoring in biology. Annhad the highest grade point average of applicants for the scholarship and has excelled especially incourses in organic chemistry and cell biology. In addition to her serious studying, she has been anactive member of the PreVetMed Club, serving as its secretary this year. Ann says she has alwaysbeen interested in animals and has worked at a veterinary clinic for several years. Her goal is toattend veterinary school and receive her DVM degree. In her spare time, Ann enjoys outdooractivities, especially swimming and water-skiing. Congratulations, Ann, on your accomplishments!

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Biology Club Officers: FrontRow (L to R): Mary Moe,Anna Varner, Kristin KielsaBack Row (L to R): MarniHogen, Angie Halgren

Beth O’Brien

Ann Torborg recieves the TurcotteScholarship from Raj Karim

PRE VET MED CLUBby Barb Isaacson

The Pre Veterinary Medicine club had anothergreat year. It started with an orientation picnic inthe back yard of Dr. Raj. Karim, our club advisor.This provided incoming freshman with anopportunity to meet existing members as well asmany of the Biology Department faculty. Eventhough the weather was not in our favor, we hada good turn out and were able to welcome agood number of new freshman to our club. Inaddition, we have welcomed a number ofupperclassmen to the club this year, and ourclub is now at a record high of 34 members.

One of our more interesting outings this yearwas a behind-the-scenes tour of the LakeSuperior Zoo. We learned about feeding habitsof some of the animals, saw a number of x-rays,and saw some slides of blood work. In additionto the Lake Superior Zoo, we also made a trip tothe Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley. We also tookour annual trip to the University of MinnesotaSchool of Veterinary Medicine in St. Paul. Therewe learned about admission processes, saw theclassrooms and laboratories of first yearstudents, and saw parts of the campus smallanimal hospital.

As a club we provide students with anopportunity to meet others with a commoncareer goal and provide opportunities to learnabout admission to veterinary schools. Anyoneinterested in being a part of the Pre VeterinaryClub should contact Barb Isaacson atbisaacso@d.umn.edu

THE TOOTH FAIRIESby Vanessa Strom and Adam Huneke

The 1999—2000 school year has been anexciting one for the UMD Pre—Dent Club. Ourorganization has been designed for motivatedstudents who wish to be accepted into dentalschool and enter the incredible field of dentistry.The main goals of the club are to provide asupport system for members and help in thedecision process of pursuing dentistry andchoosing which school to attend. There are manyways that the members support each other.Older members pass on knowledge and adviceto younger members about preparing for classesand for the DAT (Dental Admission Test). A DATfile is currently being established for ourmembers to aid them in their learning process.

Current activities include intramural broomball.Although our present record may not be perfect(0—4—1), we play with heart. Last season, wecalled ourselves, “Novocain”. After ending theseason with a 0—5 record, we thought the “ToothFairies” would be more appropriate. This year theclub has also had several pizza parties and avolunteer activity at the Women’s Coalition thatincluded cleaning the shelter.

Our future plans include hosting a guest speakersuch as an oral surgeon or an orthodontist, aspring campus clean-up, and a spring barbeque.

Students

THE PRE—OPTOMETRY CLUBby Emily Dold and Dena Bauer

The UMD Pre—Optometry Club is fairly new. Theclub’s officers, Dena Bauer (sophomore) andEmily Dold (junior) are currently trying topromote the club and build its enrollment. Theclub is a very useful tool for students who areinterested in optometry. There is informationavailable about various optometry schools, theOAT admissions test, requirements for entry andmuch more.

Future plans for the club include appearancesby guest speakers discussing the profession andfieldtrips to doctor’s offices to see first handwhat an optometrist’s job includes. AnOptometry web page is also partially completed.

For anyone interested in joining, contact Dena (dbauer@d.umn.edu),Emily (edold@d.umn.edu), or Dr. Conrad Firling, Pre—Optometry advisor.

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PreOptometry Club: Emily Doldand Dena Bauer

PreVetMed Club Officers (L toR): Barb Isaacson, President:Ann Torborg, Secretary: MikeNewfield, Public Relations:Raku Petterson, PublicRelations: Aaron Hokanson,President-elect

PreDent Club members: FrontRow (L to R):ToddChristianson, Vanessa StromBack Row (L to R): Russ Dylla,Adam Huneke, Cory Larson,Scott Johnson

TECH FEE FUNDS

A General Biology student in the accompanying photo is using some ofthe new computer equipment purchased from CSE Technology Feefunds. In the introductory biology laboratory, each of the six bencheshas a computer that is networked with others in the room, including aninstructor’s computer, using RadioLAN wireless technology. Severalinteractive learning packages have been developed which allowstudents to see images (microscopic sections of tissues and animaldissections, for example) on their computer screen and then click onlabels to locate important structures. The eventual goal is to developlearning packages for each lab exercise on a CD ROM, for use asinstructional and review tools. The proposal for these funds wassubmitted by Lyle Shannon, Kay Rezanka and Linda Holmstrand.

Senior Spotlight

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT by Charlene Johnson

For many biology undergraduates, their senioryear seems so far off and graduation a distantdream of a diploma announcing their new title:Bachelor of Science. For seniors, however, thisdream is fast becoming a reality as they preparefor the conclusion of their undergraduate career.Whether you jam pack your year full of coursesyou’ve put off over time, or relax with a fewenjoyable electives, your senior year is a time tomake decisions that can affect your entire lifeafter graduation.

Marni Hogen expects to graduate this spring,majoring in Biology with minors in Chemistryand Environmental Studies. Her senior year hasbeen jam packed with many different courses inher major and minors, leaving her little time forfreedom, but she says it’s worth it so she cangraduate in just three years. She hopes to get ajob in the field of environmental biology andperhaps go to law school to study environmental law.

Marni’s life at UMD has been very full. She hasparticipated in Biology Club, Glensheen tourguiding, academic orientation assistance, and

Kirby leadership program, besides having a veryfull course-load. She says she can’t wait for thetime when she doesn’t have to live out of herdaily planner. Marni has gained many insightsand contacts through her days at UMD that maylead her to a future with Minnesota PollutionControl Agency, or other companies who haverecently received her resume.

Frank Modich has also been very busy at UMDduring his 5 years as an undergraduate pursuinga double major in Cell Biology andBiochemistry/Molecular Biology. He’ll finally begraduating this spring and hopes to attend theSchool of Veterinary Medicine in the twin cities.Alternate plans might be to attend WilliamMitchell Law School to become an intellectualproperty manager.

During his stay at UMD, Frank participated inintramural sports and Two-to-Tango dance club,but regrets not getting involved with varsitysports. His most meaningful experience waswhen, after taking biology and chemistrycourses, he was offered opportunities to be aundergrad teaching assistant in those courses.

It meant a lot to him to help studentsunderstand the concepts of the class.

I, Charlene Johnson, am a senior, finallygraduating after 5 years. I started at theUniversity of Alaska, spent some time at LakeSuperior College, and finally found my calling atUMD. My senior year has been a mix of bothjamming and relaxing, including the elusiveQuantitative Analysis (for my Chemistry minor),Evolution, a few lab courses, electives, and threeconcurrent research projects during my firstsemester. My final semester consists of twoelectives that I have thoroughly enjoyed and asimple little seminar requirement.

I have decided to pursue graduate school atUMD to study plant ecology. My goal is toconduct field research related to plant ecologyon a contract basis with government agencies innorthern Minnesota, or to work with industriessuch as mining, logging, or land development.My experiences with undergraduate research,Biology Club, and writing for the Life Scientistnewsletter have helped me broaden my horizonsmuch further than I would have ever expected.

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T.O. Odlaug Award

Dr. Severson. She would also like to thank thestaff she worked with at the Duluth VeterinaryHospital. She writes, “My experiences thereremain a primary reason why I want to becomea veterinarian — and what keeps me involvedwith my work at school.”

Although she misses Duluth and working withthe biology supplemental instruction program,she and her husband are having a wonderfultime exploring the plethora of activities in thetwin cities. They celebrated their first weddinganniversary this past December. Cory would liketo eventually enter a mixed animal practice and“work in a small, semi-rural community — prettyshocking for a city girl from SouthernCalifornia!”

Our advice for undergraduates is “Get involved!” Undergraduate researchopportunities are invaluable preparations for acareer beyond the university. Make good use offaculty, staff, and especially your advisor, whocan introduce you to a whole world of resourcesand opportunities that you may never find onyour own. I thank Dr. David Schimpf who helpedme open many doors leading into my futurecareer. Marni thanks Lyle Shannon and JannyWalker for their advisement and impeccableorganization. Frank wants to thank the BiologyDepartment for three wonderful years, withspecial thanks to Dr. Raj Karim and Dr. ArunGoyal for their insight and support. Theprofessors and staff at UMD can help youachieve the goals that you set for yourself, andeven some new ones. Frank leaves us with astrong piece of advice: “Set your goals high andshoot for them. When you have difficulty inreaching these goals, do not lower them, but setthem higher. You are only given one chance tosucceed, so make the most of it!”

T. O. ODLAUG AWARDby Megan Kingsley

Cory Sims is the twentieth recipient of theOdlaug Award. Since 1979, the Biology facultyhas nominated a senior biology student whodisplays scholarship, strong leadership qualities,service to department, and participation inundergraduate research. The award was createdin honor of Dr. Theron O. Odlaug, a formerdepartment head who retired in 1978. Dr.Odlaug passed away this past January. As asupplement to the award, the recipient is givena reference book of her choice.

Cory graduated magna cum laude with abachelor of science in biology. In herundergraduate career, she was a CSE studentmentor, a biology student representative, ageneral biology supplemental instructor, and aresearch assistant in the UMD Medical School.She also worked as a vet assistant at the DuluthVeterinary Hospital.

Cory is completing the second semester of herfirst year at the University of Minnesota Collegeof Veterinary Medicine. Her course load includesphysiology, pharmacology, neurobiology, andorganology. She is working as a vet assistant atthe McKeever Dermatology Clinics in Edina.She’s a representative on the student council ofthe American Veterinary Medical Association anda student technician in the chemistry andhematology lab of the University of MinnesotaVeterinary Teaching Hospital.

Cory writes that toughing out the upper divisionbiology courses that were collaborated with themedical school faculty at UMD gave her a solidfoundation for her current veterinary schoolcourses. She appreciates the help she receivedfrom all the professors who were willing to listento her questions and offer advice when she wasmaking plans for vet school. These include CathyPodesczwa, Dr. Karim, Dr. Schimpf, Dr. Firling,and medical school professors Dr. Johnson and

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Cory Sims

UROP Awards

UROP AWARDSby Charlene Johnson

The Undergraduate Research OpportunitiesProgram (UROP) is a wonderful opportunity forstudents to get started on their way to becomingresearch scientists. In the past, the UROPprogram, which is open to all University ofMinnesota students, has sponsored more UMDBiology majors than in any other field. Within thebiology program, UROP projects have beencompleted in plant and animal ecology (bothterrestrial and aquatic), cell biology, microbialbiology, and various medical topics.

As an undergraduate, I was awarded a UROPgrant for the study of two rare plants in St. CroixState Park in Pine County, Minnesota. This studygave me hands on experience in research designand implementation, vascular plant identifi-cation, field experience in data collection andanalysis of plant population and communityinteractions and soil composition. I also learnedthat field work is not the only component to asuccessful research project. Throughout theproject I was in close contact with park officials,the Minnesota Department of NaturalResources, the National Park Service, and, ofcourse, my advisor, Dr. David Schimpf. Theassociations that I made throughout the courseof this project are invaluable when consideringmy future as a field botanist. UROP can giveparticipants the incentive to gain practicalexperience and make critical contacts that willset them competitively above many of theirgraduating colleagues when it comes time tofinding a job or applying to graduate school.

UROP participants are eligible for up to a $1400stipend and $300 toward expenses incurredthroughout the project. Grants are generallyoffered for 1 year. Listed below are the names ofBiology and Cell Biology majors, their projecttitles, and faculty sponsors for spring through fall 1999:

Elizabeth Bradley“Betulin, Allobetulin, and Derivatives asAntifungal AgentsSponsor: Dr. Raj Karim, Biology

Lionel Brounts“Isolation of Noval Genes Induced by Micro-Gravity in Dunaliella”Sponsor: Dr. Arun Goyal, Biology

Lina Castilla“Isolation of Algal Mutants for Biodegradation ofOrganic Materials”Sponsor: Dr. Arun Goyal, Biology

Kari Dresback“Phytoremediation”Sponsor: Dr. Arun Goyal, Biology

Sarah Elfering“Redox Signalling: Characterization ofMitochondrial Nitrosylated Proteins”Sponsor: Dr. Cecilia Giulivi, Chemistry

Ryan Horazdovsky“Effects of TGF-B on Osteoclast Activation”Sponsor: Dr. Merry Jo Oursler, Biology

Charlene Johnson“Ecological Survey and Collection of Rare Plantsin St. Croix State Park: Lysimachia quadrifoliaand Cirsium hillii”Sponsor: Dr. David J. Schimpf, Biology

Benjamin Koch“The Effect of Betulin, Allobetulin, and DerivativeAgainst Three Different Bacteria”Sponsor: Dr. Raj Karim, Biology

Rachel MaKarrall“Long Term and Seasonal Effects of a Non-Native Predatory Cladoceran (Bythotrephescedarstroemi) on an Inland Lake ZooplanktonCommunity”Sponsor: Lyle Shannon, Biology

Venu Nayar“Antifungal Activities of PolyethyleneimineDerivatives of Betulin Against Candida Species”Sponsor: Dr. Raj Karim, Biology

Melissa Sadlovsky“The Functional Role of Nuclear Lamins DuringS-phase of the Cell Cycle”Sponsor: Dr. Jon Holy, School of Medicine

John Schwalbe“A Comparative Study of the Effects onTemporary Ponds of Clear-Cut Logging”Sponsor: Dr. Gerald Niemi, Biology

Christian Sutter“Cardiovascular Responses to Acute Stress inOral Creatine Supplement Users”Sponsor: Dr. Mustafa al’Absi, School ofMedicine

John Thull“Identification of Chloroplast Envelope ProteinsAffected by Carbon Dioxide”Sponsor: Dr. Arun Goyal, Biology

Kathren Tuck“A Study of the Effects of A5 Bulges on RNAFolding”Sponsor: Dr. Peter Kebbekus, Chemistry

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Alumni News

LAKEHEAD PIPELINE SCHOLARSHIPS

Two Biology students have recently beenawarded $1,100 scholarship awards byLakehead Pipeline System, the world’s longestpipeline system for liquid petroleum. Thestudents are Vicki M. Krebsbach, a seniormajoring in Life Science Teaching and JoshuaZellman, a sophomore PreVeterinary Medicinemajor. Congratulations to both students!

ALUMNI NEWSby Charlene Johnson

Beth (Coleman) Boman (B.S. ‘87) is marriedwith a 6 year old daughter, Laurel. She has beenworking in the Analytical Research andDevelopment lab for 3M Pharmaceuticals in St.Paul for the past 10 years, first as an analyticalchemist, currently as a medical servicesassociate.

Dr. Carmen Czachor (B.S. ‘86) graduated fromthe University of Minnesota College of VeterinaryMedicine in 1995. She now has a privateveterinary practice in Port Angeles, Washington.She is married to Andrew May and has twochildren, Spencer and Jason.

Diane (Harrison) Grell (B.S. ‘91) completed hermaster’s degree in education from St.Scholastica in July of ‘99. She has beenteaching science at Proctor Junior High Schoolfor the last five years. She has two sons, Lucasand Jonathan.

Kelley Rae Jewett (B.S. ‘84) has practicedfamily medicine in Liberia, West Africa, duringher service to the Peace Corps. In January of2000, she returned to Liberia to work in ahospital and will stay at least three years.

John Krenz (M.S. ‘88) earned his Ph.D. from theUniversity of Georgia in 1995 and conductedpostdoctoral research at the University ofMissouri, Columbia, from 1995—1998. He isnow an assistant professor of biology atMinnesota State University in Mankato. He andhis wife Elaine have two sons— Karl (3 years)and Erik (1year). John visited UMD this pastwinter and presented a seminar entitled “SexualStrategies in the dimorphic mole salamanderAmbystoma talpoideum”.

Geri Tesser (B.S. ‘92) is currently teachingscience in the Stillwater Area School District.

Matthew Vaillant (B.S. ’95) is currently a juniorin the U of M School of Dentistry in the twincities. He and his wife, also a graduate of UMD,have a four month old son. Matt is lookingforward to joining his family’s small townpractice upon completion of his degree.

**Editor’s Note: Biology Alumni, please usethe response form on the back of thenewsletter, or email lholmstr@d.umn.edu to letus know about your life after UMD. Your formerprofessors and classmates are interested inyour whereabouts and your accomplishments.

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Special Opportunities

SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT UMDBIOLOGY STUDENTSby Randall E. Hicks,Biology Department Head

The contributions of friends and alumni continueto be an important resource as we grow andimprove. This year, we are thankful to havereceived several large gifts, but we are equallyappreciative of the smaller gifts which are thecore of our development program (please seeour list of donors). No matter how small a gift,there are special areas in our department whereyour gift will make an important difference.

Now for the Good News and Surprises — TheFirst Good NewsLast year, the first permanently endowedscholarship was developed for undergraduatebiology majors at UMD — the Edgar and AlmaTurcotte Scholarship. Only a few months afterpresenting the first $1,000 scholarship last fall(please see accompanying article), we receivedan early Christmas present. Dr. Ed Turcotte madeanother generous contribution that doubled thesize of this scholarship endowment. Now, we canaward two $1,000 Turcotte Scholarships eachyear. We are extremely thankful for Dr. Turcotte’scontinuing generosity!

A Great Loss, but an Unexpected SurpriseIn late January, Dr. Ted Odlaug passed away.Many of you remember Dr. Odlaug as a mentorand the long time Head of the Department ofBiology (please see the article on the front pageof this newsletter). We appreciate the manydonations we have received for the “Ted OdlaugScholarship Endowment Fund” which was set upby Lucille Odlaug. These initial gifts took us a

long way toward developing a permanentscholarship in Ted’s name. Just three weeks ago,though, we were pleasantly surprised when UMDreceived a $50,000 donation to this scholarshipendowment from one of Dr. Odlaug’s formerstudents. The donor wishes to remainanonymous but wants to challenge all of Dr.Odlaug’s former students to also contribute tothis scholarship fund. We are overwhelmed bythe generosity of this anonymous donor. Whoeveryou are, please know that the Odlaug family, ourdepartment, and UMD students appreciate yourthoughtfulness. In the future, our department willproudly award at least two $1,000 scholarshipseach year to undergraduate biology students inDr. Odlaug’s name. Thank you to everyone whohas contributed!

Another Pleasant SurpriseOnly this year did our department realize that Dr.Hollie Collins, one of our emeritus facultymembers, had been developing a “Fish &Wildlife Endowment” to help students andenhance fisheries and wildlife education atUMD. Dr. Collins did this gradually before heretired. This endowment will be renamed tohonor Dr. Collins and used wisely in the futurewith his guidance. Thank you Hollie!

Our Students Still Need Your HelpOne of our goals last year was to raise $10,000by July, 2000 to endow a Biology StudentAwards Fund. Obtaining university funds todevelop student awards is nearly impossible

after the other needs within the university aremet. This fund will permanently provide funds forsmall gifts to accompany our existing annualawards such as the Outstanding FreshmanStudent Award and the Outstanding GraduateTeaching Assistant Award. The endowment hasgrown during the past year but our goal has notbeen met. We need your help if we are to finishthis endowment by our target date. The BiologyFaculty have already contributed almost aquarter of the funds needed to meet our goalbecause they understand the importance ofrecognizing students in all stages of theireducation. If you want to help us reach this goal,please earmark your gift for the “UMD—BiologyStudent Awards Fund”.

Our second goal continues to be raising a largerendowment over the next five years to supportundergraduate and graduate research. Our thirdgoal is to endow annual support for the studentclubs associated with the Department of Biology(i.e., Biology Club, PreVet Med Club, PreDentClub, PreOptometry Club). The emeritus faculty,your past professors, are very excited aboutthese fundraising goals we have set. If you, yourfamily, or your business would like to help usreach our goals, then please contact eithermyself (218—726—7263; rhicks@d.umn.edu) orSteve Johnston in the UMD University Relationsand Development Office (218—726—6995;sjohnst1@d.umn.edu) to discuss your gift further.

18

Gifts and Donations

GIFTS AND DONATIONS

The following alumni and friends made adonation to the UMD Biology Department in thepast year. We sincerely appreciate theirgenerosity. These contributions have helped us tofulfill our educational mission.

Mr. Philip D. LoucksDr. Armas W. TamminenMr. Mark S. SchabergMrs. Ingrid V. WellsJohn C. & BJ Smith KohlstedtDr. Conrad & Martha FirlingDr. Daniel R. SherryDr. Stephen C. & Doreen S. HedmanDr. Gerald J. NiemiJ. Clark & Jean A. LaunderganDr. M. Raj KarimMargaret B. & John V. ThomasMr. Edgar L. TurcotteAllan and Margaret DooleyDr. Edward T. BersuElsie T. HoppeMr. Gabriel D’a VenticinqueBruce and Barbara Highland Jr.Mrs. Margaret DooleyMrs. Betty J. FosterPaul T. and Helen B. HantenMr. Brian P. BorgmanBarbara J. JonesDr. Lloyd W. TurtinenMr. Patrick A. McFarlaneMr. Peter S. Ross

Dr. Thomas E. BeckerDr. Caroline Boehnke—BeckerDr. Ronald D. CheethamDr. Maureen J. FrikkeDr. Randall E. HicksPharmacia & Upjohn Co.3 M FDN Inc.Dr. Barbara J. WilsonDr. Joseph M. & Sally A. MayasichMr. & Mrs. Leverett P. HoagDr. Hollie & Barbara CollinsLinda L. and Kenneth HolmstrandJulieann M. & David L. BealDr. John B. & Delores M. CarlsonAudrey M. & Eugene S. LeyGeorge & Jane StarrEleanor R. & Gerald W. HeaneyHoward G. and Agnes E. HansonDr. George E. & Elaine V. AhlgrenMrs. Lorayne S. SielaffMrs. M. Luella DettmanDr. Vincent R. & Nancy P. MagnusonMr. Paul C. OdlaugDr. Theron E. OdlaugMs. Olga PichettiDr. & Mrs. Pershing B. Hofslund

All gifts to our department and UMD are taxdeductible and the UMD Development Office willbe glad to provide the documentation you need.Many corporations and organizations matchindividual donations to educational institutions,so I urge you to inquire whether your employerwill match a contribution you might make to theDepartment of Biology. Please send your gifts toSteve Johnston at the UMD University Relationsand Development Office (315 DarlandAdministration Building, UMD, Duluth, MN55812). We are truly grateful for the continuinggenerosity of our alumni and friends.

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With a gift of You Can:$10,000 Permanently endow a student scholarship or research award named

for a loved one or a favorite professor

$1,000 Help us complete our UMD—Biology Students Award Fund or reach our student research endowment goal

$100 Support student clubs in the Biology Department or contribute to our unrestricted Biology Department Fund

For more information on the UMD BiologyDepartment, visit our web site at:

http://www.d.umn.edu/biologyThe Life Scientist is also available on this website.

Name

Address

Class of 19

UMD Degree

What’s new? (prom

otions,special recognitions,change of job,civic involvement,fam

ily,research,travel,etc.)

University of Minnesota DuluthDepartment of Biology211 Life Science Building10 University DriveDuluth, MN 55812—2946

UMD is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

Contributing Writers: Dena BauerEmily DoldArun Goyal

Ruth HemmingRandall Hicks

Tara HoffAdam HunekeBarb Isaacson

Charlene JohnsonBrendan Keough

Kristin KielsaCarrie QuastDeb Shubat

Vanessa StromAnna Varner

Graphic Design: Jesse Bodell &UMD Graphic Design Services

Special Thanks to:Ruth Hemming, Sharon Eck, Betty Myshack

and Bridget Thomson McInnesfor clerical and technical assistance

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The Life Scientist — 2000An annual newsletter for alumni, faculty, staff,

students and friends of the UMD Biology Department

Editor: Linda HolmstrandEmail: lholmstr@d.umn.edu

Photos: Brett GroehlerKen Moran

Linda Holmstrand

ALUM

NIUPDATE

Printed on Recycled Paper