Students Celebrate Darwin at Chicago Conference

 student at the Darwin Conference 10-09
Shown are: front row - Katie Miedona, Anne Scott, Luke Obermeyer
back row - Amanda Hilgers, Cassie Lytle, Andrea Weiner, Dr. Brent Graves, Heath Mason, John Pfeiffer

  Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin as a young man about the time of his trip on the H.M.S. Beagle.

NMU students, along with trip leader Dr. Brent Graves, recently attended a conference at the University of Chicago that celebrated the accomplishments of Charles Darwin in conjunction with the 200th anniversary of his birth, the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species, and the 50th anniversary of a similar conference at UChi that helped stimulate the modern synthesis of genetics and evolutionary theory.  For the October 2009 conference, students had the opportunity to hear talks given by the leaders in modern evolutionary theory.

For more information on the conference and the Darwin celebrations, follow this link



Biology Department Open House For December Graduates

Come join us for a celebration of the accomplishments of our graduating seniors!  The Department welcomes students, their families and supporters to view the facilities and reminisce about their times at NMU.

The Open House will take place immediately following graduation on December 12 in the New Science Facility Atrium (2nd Floor). Faculty will be present. Refreshments will be provided.



News and Information

Bil Severud with beaver

Five biology students received funding for their research through the NMU Spooner Award program in 2008-9. Projects ranged from cancer biology to agricultural research to wildlife & fisheries management.  To receive the award, students prepared detailed proposals for submission to the review committee which judged the proposed work on the basis on significance of the project and potential for production of a manuscript or presentation.

Winners were: Rachel Hovel (undergrad), Trisha Sippel (grad), Mike Peters (grad), Bill Severud (grad), and Julie Howard (grad).

J Leonard

Dr. Jill Leonard received one of three 2009 NMU Distinguished Faculty Awards for her teaching, service, and research on migratory fishes.

...........................................Off the Beaten Path...........................................

Barbara Kerkove, a dual Biology and Art & Design major, won Best of Show among the NMU art majors in 2009 for her work using electrophoresis creatively.  Barbara spent several years learning electrophoresis and other skills useful for genetics research in Dr. Kate Teeter's lab before turning her eyes to combining her science and her art.

Check out her video of the process on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48fvCW3mKrg

Celebration of Student Works

Bright Ideas graphic

Upcoming Student Grant
Proposal Deadline:

Winter NMU Spooner Awards are due to the department January 15, 2010

More information...


A Welcome!

Help us welcome our new Biology Department Head, Dr. Patrick Brown!  Dr. Brown has been working with us since July 1 after moving to Marquette from Alaska.

Dr. Brown's specialty within Biology is waterfowl ecology and wetlands management.  He also has a particular interest in using landscape analyses for conservation purposes.

Link to more info...


Community Partners
Upper Michigan Brain Tumor Center receives Instrument Grant

Drs Winn and Rovin

The Upper Michigan Brain Tumor Center (UMBTC) has been awarded an instrument grant from Turner Biosystems, Inc.  (www.turnerbiosystems.com). The Modulus Microplate Multimode Reader will allow the researchers of the UMBTC to measure luminescence, fluorescence and absorbance and to conduct assays they were previously unable to conduct.

NMU biology faculty and student researchers and Marquette General Health System's medical experts specializing in neuroscience and cancer make up the Upper Michigan Brain Tumor Center (UMBTC) team.

 To learn more, go to HopeStartsHere.org