News, Honors and Awards

Department of Biological Sciences Newsletter, Biobriefs (PDF) Spring 1999, Spring, 2000

The Department of Biological Sciences received the Program Leadership Award from Eastern Illinois University.  The award recognizes an academic department that has achieved documented recognition for achievements in education.

Congratulations to Dr. Robert Fisher, who was named Professor Laureate for 2000-2001.

Eric Bollinger,  Britto P. Nathan and Paul V. Switzer were awarded COS Achievement and Contribution Awards for Research/Creativity.

Graduate students Erin D. Casey and Anthony J. Deets received Graduate School Research/Creative Activity Awards for their research projects, respectively,  "Population Differentiation and Biogeography of Desmognathus Monticola," and "Queen Relatedness in Polygyne Colonies of the Yellow Jacket Vespula Squamosa."

Research Grants and Awards

Eric Bollinger received an EIU Summer Research Award for "Effects of Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula) Infestation on Breeding Birds of The Cheyenne National Grassland, North Dakota."  He also received an EIU CFR Award for "A Comparison of Breeding Bird Densities and Nest Success in Orchard Grass and Redtop CRP Grasslands."

Gary Bulla received funding from the Veteran's Administration for "A novel hepatocyte membrane protein induced by viral hepatitis"  with principal Investigator, Claus Fimmel, MD. The funds will provide supplies and a graduate assistantship for Gary Bulla.  Gary also received funding from Interim Research Support, St. Louis University School of Medicine as a Principal Investigator in a number of projects.

Janice Coons and Henry Owen received an EIU Summer Research Award for  "Reproductive Potential of Two Endangered Plant Species in Illinois."  Janice Coons also received funding from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for "Reproductive Potential in Three Colonies of Silvery Bladderpod (Lesquerella ludoviciana)."

Charles J. Costa received an EIU COS Mini-grant as well as an EIU CFR award for "Structure Function Relationships Between Protein Domains in the Sodium Pump."

Steven Daniel received funding from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for "Properties of Symbiotic Nitrogen-fixing Bacteria Isolated from Common and Endangered Legumes."  He also received an EIU CFR Award for "Oxalate Biosynthesis by the Fungal Soybean Pathogen        Sclerotinia sclerotiorum."

Robert Fisher received an EIU Summer Research Award for "The Effects of Habitat Fragmentation on Dispersal Rates and Genetic Diversity of Darters."  He also received an EIU CFR Award for "The Effects of Habitat Fragmentation on Fish Development Stability."

Gary Fritz received an  EIU COS Mini-grant as well as an EIU Summer Research Award for. "Intranest Competition of Larvae in Multiple-queen Nests of the Yelowjackets, Vespula squamosa."

Kipp Kruse received funding from the Illinois Department of Commerce-Department of Sustainable Energy – renewable energy resources, specifically to study wind energy in Illinois.  He also received an award from the Illinois Department of Commerce & Community Affairs for "Alternative Energy Source Annual Report."

Jeff Laursen received an EIU CFR Award for "Using Molecular Data and Parasite Susceptibility Patterns to Investigate Snail Phylogenies."

Marina Marjanovic received an EIU COS Mini-grant

Andrew Methven received a grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Mark Mort received funding from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for "Status Survey of a Rare Lily Chamaelirium luteum (Liliaceae) in Illinois."  He also received an EIU CFR Award for "Phylogenetics of the Stonecrop Family (Crassulaceae)."

Stephen Mullin received funding from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for "Management of Amphibian Communities at Warbler Woods LWR, Coles County, Ill."  Steven also received funding from The Jadel Foundation for "Population status and management of the amphibian community at Warbler Woods Nature Preserve" and funding from the Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program for "Population Status and Management of the Amphibian Community at Warbler Woods Nature Preserve."

Britto Nathan received an EIU Summer Research Award for "Characterization of a Transgenic Mouse Model for Alzheimer's Disease," funding from the National Institutes of Health-AREA Program-"Effects of apoE on olfactory neuron plasticity in mice" $93,310 (co-PI with Kipp Kruse), and an EIU CFR Award for "Estrogen as a Treatment for Alzheimer's Disease - Potential Mechanisms of Action."

Thomas Nelson received funding from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for "Estimating the abundance and distribution of beaver populations in Illinois using aerial surveys" and "Deer Check Station FY2001."  Tom also received funding from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife (through SIUC) for "Relative Abundance of Beavers in Illinois" and an EIU CFR Award for  "Managing Wetlands for Migratory Birds."

Henry Owen received funding from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for "Reproductive Potential of the Endangered Species Stylisma pickeringii."

Charles Pederson received funding from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for "Use of Genetic Markers to Evaluate Patterns of Dispersal of an Exotic Species in Illinois Reservoirs."

Paul Switzer received an EIU Summer Research Award for "Homosexual Pairing in the Japanese Beetle."

Gordon Tucker received an EIU COS Mini-grant.

Gene Wong received an EIU CFR Award for  "Factors Affecting Actin Cytoskeleton Organization in Adult Neurite Outgrowth."

Publications

Bollinger, E. K. and J. Dylan Maddox. 2000 (appeared in print in winter 2002). A double-brooded

Dickcissel. The Prairie Naturalist 32:253-255.

Gaines K.F., A.L. Bryan, Jr., and P.M. Dixon. 2000. The effects of drought on foraging habitat

selection of breeding wood storks in coastal Georgia. Waterbirds. 23:64-73.
 

Gaines K.F., C.G. Lord, C.S. Boring, I.L. Brisbin, Jr., M. Gochfeld and J. Burger. 2000. Raccoons as

potential vectors of radionuclide contamination to human food chains from a nuclear industrial

site. Journal of Wildlife Management. 64:199-208.

Romanek C.S., K.F. Gaines, A.L. Bryan, Jr. and I.L. Brisbin, Jr. 2000. Foraging ecology of the

endangered wood stork recorded in the stable isotopes signature of feathers. Oecologia.

125:584-594.

Methven, Andrew, Hughes, Karen W., Petersen, Ronald H. Flammulina RFLP patterns identify species and show biogeographical patterns within species. Mycologia. 92(6). November-December, 2000. 1064-1070.

Van Timmeren, S, P. Switzer and K. Kruse. 2000.  Emergence and reproductive patterns in the

Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). J. Kansas Entomol. Soc. 74

(1):17-27.

Widinski, Ross W.,Klein, Rita M., Gosses, Matthew W., Schnake, Karen K., Groves, G. Matthew, Smith, Collin D., Pederson, Charles L. Nitrogen limitation of algal standing crop in strip mine lakes Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science. 94(1). 2000. 37-53.

Research Poster Presentations

Damann, K.

Physiography of the Charleston Area. 1953.

Fischer, R.U. and Popp, K.

The Effects of Stream Fragmentation on Fish Communities.  2000.

Higgins, C. and Nelson, T.

Use of Forest Fragments by Southern Flying Squirrels. 2000

Kirkham, K. and Fischer, R.U.

Effects of Riparian Zone Fragmentation on Primary Productivity and Fish Growth Rates. 2000.

Rule, L. and Nelson, T.

Demographics and Movements of Chipmunks in a Fragmented Landscape. 2000