Biology Department
Biology Department News 2004 -2005
Sept 2004
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Dr. Rick Cowlishaw Becomes Permanent Addition to SC Faculty- Dr. Rick Cowlishaw has agreed to sign on as a permanent member of Southwestern's Biology faculty after serving as a visiting faculty member for the past two years. Rick's teaching duties have included Biology 1, Planet Earth, Marine Biology, Environmental Issues and Microbiology. He is also the new advisor for Beta Beta Beta this year. Rick is originally from Oregon where he received his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon and his Bachelor's degree from Oregon State University. It is interesting to note that all of our biology faculty did their graduate work within sight of the Pacific Ocean. Rick's dissertation research was on complex trophic interactions among microzooplankton in an estuarine community. Rick also has a lot of experience in conservation biology and applied ecology having worked for the National Marine Fisheries Service on salmon migration and the Forest Service on preservation of the Spotted Owl. In addition, Rick worked with the Peace Corps for 2 years in Guatemala on a soil conservation project. Rick and his wife, Nancy, have a four-year-old son, Evan.
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Science Division Welcomes its Newest Baby
Dr. Michael Tessmer, Associate Professor of Chemistry, and his wife, Joy, welcomed a new little isotope, Madeline Emma Tessmer, this summer on June 4th. To see pictures of the happy family, click on over to http://www.sckans.edu/~mtessmer/start.html.
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Southwestern College's Biology Program Opens its Doors to a Bumper Crop of Freshmen
The fall enrollment in our freshmen biology classes will be at least 64 students according to the registrar's office. This is the largest group of students in that course in recent memory. Part of the surge in enrollment comes from the recent inclusion of Biology 111 as a requirement for both the Nursing and Athletic Training programs as well a healthy sized freshmen class for the entire campus. We hope to see a large number of them continue on in the biology program. Admissions believes that this group of freshmen is one of the most talented they have seen in some time.
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Biology and Biochemistry Students Participate in Summer Research/Educational Activities
- Biochemistry major Nathan Blue is having an interesting summer with an internship at Wyldewood Cellars winery in Mulvane, Kansas. The winery is famous for its elderberry wines.
- Eric Lind, a biochemistry major from Inman, is in Dallas this summer working with underprivileged youth.
- Amber Brather, biology major, spent the summer at the Shoals Marine Laboratory in Maine taking courses and scrubbing the barnacles off the bottoms of boats.
- Lacy Mohler, biology major from El Dorado, spent the
summer in Chicago, working with the Urban Life Center.
- Biology Faculty Also Keep Busy Over the Summer
- Dr. Charles Hunter and his family returned again to the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology where he taught Adaptations of Marine Animals. He also got in some wonderful hiking in Bell and Wildhorse Canyons in Utah on his trip back.
- Dr. Rick Cowlishaw attended a Chataqua Workshop entitled "The Earth System and Global Climate Change" is Seattle, WA. Rick also got a research manuscript published in the journal "Estuaries" and submitted another manuscript for publication to the same journal.
- Dr. Patrick Ross stayed in Winfield for most of the
summer taking on full time childcare duties for his son, Sam, and newborn
daughter, Anna, as well as working on some grant applications. This
summer, Pat was profiled in both the local Winfield paper and the South China
Morning Post, serving the Malay Strait.
- Graduates Continue Their Education in Science.
This fall, a number of our biology and biochemistry graduates will be starting their education at institutions of higher learning across the country. Students beginning graduate work in biology include:- Aron Fast, Biochemistry major from Hesston, will be starting his first year at the University of Kansas' School of Medicine. Aron is part of KU's Scholars in Primary Care Program, which only accepts six students a year from the state of Kansas. Over the past 7 years of its existence, Southwestern has placed more students into this program than any other Kansas school other than KU or KSU.
- April Cummins, Biochemistry major from Douglass, and Niki Nicholas, Biology major from Johnson, will be starting their first year at KSU's School of Veterinary Medicine.
- Alissa Hoffman, Biology major from Cheyenne Wells, CO, will be starting graduate work on a Master's Degree in Public Health from the University of Northern Colorado.
- A number other graduates this year are taking a year
off before pursuing graduate work. Check back on this site next year for
information on those Science Builders.
- Newest additions to the Biology Department of the
scaly and hairy variety
We added a number of live animals to our collection over the summer- Mary Riley '04 from Springfield, MO, donated her two leopard geckoes to our herp collection. These lizards are big hits with the students due to their docile nature and comical expressions.
- Elizabeth Hull, an incoming Marine Biology major from Lebo, brought along her yearling king snake when she moved in this August. It turns out that she was unwelcome guest in the residence halls (the snake, not Elizabeth). The snake is now staying with us in Beech.
- Another incoming freshmen, Aaron Rose from Parsons, handed over his pet dwarf hamster for our care. The snakes are very interested, but we will keep him safe from harm.
- Finally, some local fishermen pulled out a 14 inch
Amazonian Pacu from the Walnut River. The Pacu is not a resident of
Kansas waters. It probably was dumped into the river after a fish
hobbyist found it getting too big for its tank. These fish are
vegetarians, unlike their close cousin, the piranha, and can grow to 3 feet in
length. The Pacu was brought in and is now swimmingly happily in one of
our large display tanks. We have yet to decide if he would be happier in
the Kansas or South American tank.
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Epiflourescent Microscope added to the Science Division Toy Box - Biology Department utilized funds from the Beech Equipment Fund to buy a new Leica Epiflourescent Microscope. In addition, we also added eight phase-contrast microscopes for use in our Cell Biology and Animal Physiology courses. These new tools will allow our students to engage in new and exciting laboratory exercises and research projects.
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Dr. Patrick Ross takes on new responsibility as Science Division Head
Patrick Ross, Associate Professor of Biology, will be taking on some new administrative duties this coming year in his new role as Head of the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Dr. Ross has been with the college since 1997 and has made a name for himself through his public activism promoting the teaching of evolution in Kansas and his work with Southwestern's chapter of Beta Beta Beta Undergraduate Biology Honor Society. As part of the change in responsibilities, Dr. Rick Cowlishaw will be taking over for Dr. Ross as the Beta Beta Beta advisor for the coming year.
