Contents
Intro to Bio Club, Tri-Beta and Herp Club
Seminars and Events
Monday, October 10
Alyssa Anderson
Instructor, Department of Biology, St. Olaf College
Dynamics of Winter-Emerging Chironomidae in Minnesota Trout Streams
4:00 pm, RNS 410
Meeting – First annual meeting for the St. Olaf Chapter of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
6:00 pm, Buntrock 142
Wednesday, October 12
Grad School in the Sciences Panel
3:00 – 4:00 pm, RNS 310
Hear about the admissions process, life as a graduate student, and career options from St. Olaf professors. Counts as a biology club event. Sponsored by Tri-Beta
Thursday, October 13
Natural Lands Learning and Sharing needs volunteers
Lead or co-lead a group of 2nd graders from Greenvale Elementary this Thursday from 12:55-2:30. Meet at the baseball pond. No experience necessary. Contact Diane Angell if interested.
Student Research in Costa Rica – Ecology, Agriculture and Biomedical Studies
Two students will speak about their research in Costa Rica and Chris Vaughan, Director of ACM Costa Rica program, will speak about the program itself.
7:30 – 8:30pm, RNS 410
Friday, October 28
Dave Thomas
Muscle biophysics – The Synergy of Education and Research in Biophysics
Joint Biology and Chemistry Seminar
3:00 pm
Monday, October 31
Greg Connell
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
Therapeutic targeting of an RNA editing reaction within the Leishmania pathogens
4:00 pm, RNS 410
Welcome Back Alyssa Anderson |
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| By Julie Dahl ’12I had the wonderful opportunity to get to know about our new instructor of biology, Alyssa Anderson ‘06. Anderson has come back to Olaf to teach Invertebrate Biology for the fall semester. Reminiscing, Anderson describes her time as an Olaf student. She was in the Biology Club and was involved in Natural Lands work like buckthorn pulls, tree plantings, and prairie burns. Anderson’s favorite courses at Olaf included vertebrate biology, limnology, and animal behavior.After graduating, Anderson decided to do a gap year to narrow down her interests before going on to study ecology graduate school. She got a job at the water resource center at the Minnesota State University, Mankato. There, she was involved in developing a biomonitoring strategy for a southeastern Minnesota watershed. This work got Anderson interested in stream monitoring. While applying for graduate school, she got into touch with a University of Minnesota professor who was also very interested in stream monitoring. This professor was very involved in Chironomids, an aquatic fly that is active in the winter months. Anderson has had the opportunity to study these Chironomids during the frigid Minnesota winter (she may or may not have succeeded in keeping her waders dry). Her graduate research for her Ph.D., to be finished within the next year, has focused on how Chironomid winter activity in streams and lakes affects the winter diet of brown trout.In addition to studying winter Chironomids activity at the University of Minnesota, Anderson had the spectacular opportunity to go to Norway on a Fulbright. Thinking there might be something useful in bringing stream samples from the U.S., she brought over invertebrates sampled from Minnesota streams. Using morphological and molecular techniques, she and her colleagues analyzed these samples. To their surprise, they discovered three new species and redescribed another species of midges. Anderson and her colleagues will soon be publishing the results of these findings.Anderson encourages any St. Olaf student to take advantage of abroad and off-campus programs. During her time at Olaf, Anderson went on the Interim Winter Ecology trip to Itasca State Park and also went on the Environmental Science in Australia trip. Both, she says, helped her get research positions and made her a better graduate school candidate. For seniors wondering what to do post-graduation, Anderson is a great resource, and would enjoy sharing her recent experiences to help students figure out their plans for life after St. Olaf. | ||
The Student Naturalists |
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| The Curator of the Natural Lands annually selects two to three upperclassmen, who are familiar with the campus and Northfield environments, to be college student naturalists. Student naturalists are responsible for many environment-related tasks including leading field trips, writing for Biomass, maintaining information boards about the natural lands, and organizing tree plantings and other activities.
Jon Henn – I’m a senior biology major from Golden Valley, a Twin Cities suburb. My love for nature grew out of many summers at the cabin in northern Wisconsin, camping and backpacking trips to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, and building forts in the woods neighboring my home. A combination of classes and other experiences, such as studying scarlet macaws in Costa Rica last spring and working at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum last summer, have further increased my knowledge and appreciation of nature. I discovered the Natural Lands shortly after I arrived at St. Olaf and spending the summer of 2010 researching prairie and forest restoration projects at St. Olaf increased my awareness of the Natural Lands. I am very excited to have the opportunity to share the wonders that the Natural Lands provide with the St. Olaf community! After graduation, I hope to continue studying ecology most likely by pursuing a PhD in ecology. Christina Herron-Sweet – I’m a senior environmental studies and music double major from San Diego, California. My love of wildlife and the outdoors started as a kid going to the San Diego Zoo with my grandma, helping my dad in our front yard vegetable garden, and vacationing in national parks with my family. My biology and environmental science classes in high school hooked me on the natural sciences, which led me to pursue an environmental studies major at St. Olaf. I was introduced to the Natural Lands in my first semester here when my first year writing class (writing about the environment) took a tour of the natural lands with former curator of Natural Lands Gene Bakko. Since then, I have immensely enjoyed the Natural Lands in many ways: running on the cross country trails, conducting restoration ecology research in the prairies and forests, taking pictures of wildflowers, and observing wildlife from the benches that overlook the wetlands. I plan to pursue a career in natural resource management or environmental education. Rachel Wieme – I am a senior Biology and Spanish major from central Minnesota, where I spent much of my time on various activities outdoors. At the time, I did not realize that my love of nature would someday be the main driver of my career choices. Since arriving at St. Olaf I have had numerous opportunities, through various biology and environmental studies classes, to exercise my interest in learning about the natural systems in which we live as well as the impacts that humans actions are causing in these systems. This same interest, and the desire to share it with others who may have the same feeling, is why I became a student naturalist. I have had research experiences on the tallgrass prairies of Kansas, on an organic cacao farm in Costa Rica, and finally this past summer on restoration projects here on the St. Olaf Natural Lands. Although each one was a unique learning experience, together they have prepared me for the task of working on and sharing the natural lands with the St. Olaf community. I also hope to continue research in my future as I go on to graduate school after St. Olaf. |
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Intro to Bio Club, Tri-Beta, and Herp Club! |
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| By Natalie Hofmeister ’13Biology Club invites any student interested in Biology to participate; this is an informal club open to everyone! Bio-Club is a great opportunity to talk with the professors and to meet other students interested in Biology over snacks, field trips, and parties. Other possible activities include an informational session about applying to graduate school, workshops to help underclassmen with planning their schedules, and/or presentations from alumni currently working in biological fields. To join, email any of the officers named below.Tri-Beta, the Biology Honor Society, is open to biology majors with a minimum biology GPA of 3.3 and completion of 3 biology courses who has completed two Bio-Club activities and two service-related projects. Applications to become a member of the honor society will be accepted in the spring. For more information on either Bio Club or Tri-Beta, see the bulletin board outside Tory Borovsky’s office (RNS 360) or visit https://www.stolaf.edu/orgs/tribeta/.This year’s officers are… Ali Seline – President Jennifer Berger – Vice President Leah Anderson – Secretary Lauren Kramer – Treasurer Kyle Cassling – HistorianUpcoming Events: Grad School in the Sciences Panel – Wednesday, October 12, 3:00 – 4:00 pm, RNS 310. Hear about the admissions process, life as a graduate student, and career options from St. Olaf professors. Counts as a biology club event. Halloween Party and Christmas Party (TBD – more info coming soon!) Herpetology Club is also reorganizing this year. Stay tuned for frogging field trips, school visits, and more! Herp Club maintains the terrarium in the 4th floor atrium which holds two leopard frogs and a false map turtle, and a new tortoise terrarium will be coming soon. To get involved and/or join the e-mail alias, contact Emily Geary (geary@stolaf.edu). To get involved in any of these activities or clubs, check back here or check your email for details in the coming months! |
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Images from this year’s first Bio Club Event – Waffles with the Profs |
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