May 16, 2013 - Faculty and Staff End of the Year BBQ at Cat Cove!

Chef Ted Maney (L) with Joe Butner

Left to right: Christine Maney, Lisa Dillisio, Sheila Schreiner, Sue Case and Mark Fregeau.

Harry Pariser (L) and Nelson Scottgake

Passing the Torch - Current Chair, Mark and Fregeau (L) and our future Chair Ryan Fisher.

Group Photo at Cat Cove - May 14, 2013.

 May 14, 2013 - A small and lovely gathering of Biology faculty, staff and graduating Seniors at Cat Cove.

"Good Germs, Bad Germs," Peter Alachi at the Explorers

Peter Alachi gave over an hour long presentation on 4/26 to the Explorers LLI Institute on the topic of beneficial and harmful bacteria in our bodies, "Good Germs, Bad Germs, why we Need Bacteria to Live."  Fifty three attendees listened his PowerPoint presentation, which was very well received.  Chairperson Ted Novakowski stated that the talk was extremely informative and enlightening and that "many more of us will be sure to wash our hands often!".

One Health Forum and Public Dialogue (Monday, April 22, 2013 6:00pm - 8:30pm)

One Health Forum and Public Dialogue

 

Monday, April 22, 2013

6:00pm - 8:30pm

 

 

The Northeast Branch of the American Society for Microbiology, in association with the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine of Tufts University School of Medicine, is sponsoring this forum and public dialogue on One Health on Monday, April 22, 2013 (Earth Day), 6:00PM-8:30PM, in Room 114 of the Arthur M. Sackler Center for Medical Education, Tufts University, Boston Campus.

 

The forum will feature a panel that will consist of a physician, veterinarian, microbiologist and environmental scientist.  The panel will present their perspectives on the One Health Initiative (“a worldwide strategy for expanding interdisciplinary collaborations and communications in all aspects of health care for humans, animals and the environment”, http://www.onehealthinitiative.com) and then engage the audience in a discussion of the meaning of One Health, its inclusion in educational and training programs, incorporating the perspective into career paths, and how the One Health Initiative can be promoted generally. 

 

The invited audience in includes undergraduates in pre-professional programs, graduate students in the biosciences, health professions students and post-graduate trainees, although all who are interested are invited.  A light supper will be provided.  The event is free, but registration is required

 

Register at: http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=g8sdkygab&oeidk=a07e77ydotd7902b556

A Day in Emily's Shoes Seminar - Monday, March 25, 11 am, MH 539

60th Anniversary of Watson and Crick's Discovery of the Molecular Structure of DNA

Today (Feb 28, 2013) is the 60th anniversary of Watson and Crick's landmark discovery of the molecular structure of DNA - they subsequently published their findings in the Journal Nature (April 25, 1953.).   

James Watson (R) and Francis Crick.

DESERT > JUNGLE > GENETOWN - Lunch Seminar with Amanda Kennedy (’12)

DESERT > JUNGLE > GENETOWN

Lunch Seminar with Amanda Kennedy (’12)

Monday, Feb 25^th, 11 am, MH 539

Pizza and Drinks--All Departments Invited

How does an aspiring science student go from high school in the “middle of nowhere, New Hampshire” to the desert, the jungle, and finally the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard? Just ask someone who sat at your lab bench—only one year ago! Amanda Kennedy (’12), one of our very own BioSociety alumni, will take a break from “playing with blood and quantifying DNA using an army of robots” to have lunch with us, share her story, and offer advice for students dreaming about their own futures. (She will also be inviting students, on a space available basis, to visit the Broad Institute for a tour later this semester.)

Amanda Kennedy served a lot of drinks at Gulu Gulu Café to fund her studies in Cell and Molecular Biology at Salem State University. She also studied field genetics with Operation Wallacea and the Bedouin people of Sinai, Egypt where she learned to collect biodiversity data and extract DNA from a variety of organisms. After graduating in 2012 with her B.S. in Biology, Amanda was briefly drawn to another field project -- this time in the jungle of Honduras. Between DNA extractions, Amanda applied for jobs back here in Genetown USA (Cambridge, MA), and landed her first full-time position as a technician at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. The Broad is a nonprofit research institute that uses genomic data to address a variety of medical questions such as “puzzling out autism's genetic clues, and uncovering common melanoma mutations.”

It is helpful to RSVP on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/events/417597658315320/

Biological Society Hosts: Eric Silva, Jennifer Sawyer, and Victoria Gillespie

Faculty Hosts: Tracy Ware and Sheila Schreiner

On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin - Raffle!

Tickets sold at the Darwin Festival - for $1, you're eligible to win this beautiful edition of the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin!  Buy $5, $10, $20 of tickets and increase your odds of winning.  5 books available for 5 draws.

New Bio-Society t-Shirt! $10

Got SSU Biology 2013 t-shirt?  Well for only $10 you can get one!

Sold by the BioSociety during the Darwin Festival week.

The Big Picture on Evolution - a 16 page booklet

2/12/2013 - Happy Birthday Charles Darwin!

"Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution," says Theodosius Dobzhansky in 1973.

This 16 page colorful pdf pamphlet explains Evolution to High School students in England. It provides answers to important questions about Darwinian Evolution:

• Why is this theory so controversial?
• What forces control the destiny of life on Earth?
• What is Natural Selection and how does Evolution work?
• How did life begin?
• Which came first, proteins, RNA, or DNA?

http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/stellent/groups/corporatesite/@msh_publishing_group/documents/web_document/wtd026042.pdf

Vorticella Feeding Frenzy - Filmed 2/6/2013 at the Micro Lab, SSU

Slide and Microscopy by Professor Amy Sprenkle
Film and edit by Instructor Peter Alachi 

Vorticella, a protozoan, is seen here feeding on various microorganisms, mostly bacteria. The genus is commonly found in fresh bodies of water - this sample is from the sedentary water of vase flowers. The ciliate is shown anchored by a stalk onto some substrate while rapidly beating its cilia and creating a vortex to take up mixed microbial populations, which are subsequently digested inside its feeding vacuoles.  

February 12, 1809 - Darwin and Lincoln: Birthdays and Evolution

Source - http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,12215148001_1879622,00.html

Darwin Festival Schedule, 2013

Darwin FestivalSM 2013 Salem State University  Department of Biology Schedule of Events February 11-15, 2013 DUE TO THE BLIZZARD OF 2013, MONDAY'S EVENTS ARE CANCELED.
Printer-Friendly Schedules:  Lectures Only:  HTM   PDF       Full Schedule:  HTM  PDF

	MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013
8:00 a.m.	VIDEO: “Darwin’s Secret Notebooks” - National Geographic.	Slater Lecture Hall
9:00 a.m.	“HOW RACE BECOMES BIOLOGY: GENES, ENVIRONMENT, AND HEALTH” - Clarence Gravlee, Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville.  Co-sponsored by the Campus Center.	Veterans Hall
10:00 a.m.	VIDEO: “To the Ends of the Earth” - Frozen Planet.	Slater Lecture Hall
11:00 a.m.	“GENES INFLUENCE BEHAVIOR, BUT IT’S NOT SO SIMPLE” - Steven Hyman, Director, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute, Cambridge MA. Sponsored by the Salem State Chapter of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.	Veterans Hall
12:30 p.m.	VIDEO: “What Makes Us Human?” - NOVA scienceNOW.	Slater Lecture Hall
1:30 p.m.	“A SUSTAINABLE WORKFORCE = A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY” - Adrian Dahlin, Rising Green, Holyoke MA. Sponsored by the Department of Chemistry & Physics and the Charles Albert Read Trust.	Veterans Hall
2:30 p.m.	VIDEO: “Silence of the Bees” (110 min) - Nature.	Slater Lecture Hall

	TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013 - Charles Darwin’s Birthday
8:00 a.m.	VIDEO: “Revealing the Origins of Life” – NOVA scienceNOW - Where Did We Come From?	Slater Lecture Hall
9:30 a.m.	“SEX DIFFERENCES IN CHIMPANZEE BEHAVIOR” - Zarin Machanda, Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge MA. The Keville-DePalma Founders Lecture	Veterans Hall
11:00 a.m.	VIDEO: “Cracking Your Genetic Code” - NOVA.	Slater Lecture Hall
12:30 p.m.	“THE GEOMETRIC CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE EVOLUTION OF ALGAL CELL WALLS: THE ROAD TO LAND PLANTS AND COMPLEX MULTICELLULAR LIFE” - Larry Lewis, Department of Biology, Salem State University, Salem MA. Sponsored by the Biological Society.	Veterans Hall
2:00 p.m.	VIDEO: “Mind Over Money” - NOVA.	Slater Lecture Hall
3:15 p.m.	VIDEO: “Incredible Journey of the Butterflies” - NOVA.	Slater Lecture Hall

	WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2013 Charles Albert Read Science Lectures
8:00 a.m.	VIDEO: “Ultimate Mars Challenge” - NOVA.	Slater Lecture Hall
9:00 a.m.	“THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF NITROGEN” - Robinson W. Fulweiler, Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston MA. Sponsored by the Charles Albert Read Trust.	Veterans Hall
10:00 a.m.	VIDEO: “What Females Want” - Nature.	Slater Lecture Hall
11:00 a.m.	“EFFECT OF WINTER CLIMATE CHANGE ON NORTHERN HARDWOOD FORESTS” - Pamela Templer, Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston MA. Sponsored by the Charles Albert Read Trust.	Veterans Hall
12:30 p.m.	VIDEO: “The Last Frontier” - Frozen Planet.	Slater Lecture Hall
1:30 p.m.	“TINY FOSSILS TELL TIME ACROSS THE PACIFIC” - Nicholas Venti, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Sponsored by the Department of Geological Sciences and the Charles Albert Read Trust	Veterans Hall
2:30 p.m.	VIDEO:  “Blue Gold: World Water Wars”  (90 min) - PBS	Slater Lecture Hall

	THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 Charles Albert Read Science Lectures
8:00 a.m.	VIDEO: “Ice Age Death Trap” - NOVA.	Slater Lecture Hall
9:30 a.m.	“THE BENEFIT OF BUDDIES: AN INSECT PERSPECTIVE ON COOPERATION AND SOCIAL LIVING” - Lynn Fletcher, Department of Biology, Salem State University, Salem MA. Sponsored by the Charles Albert Read Trust.	Veterans Hall
11:00 a.m.	“DOWN TO THE LAST DROP: CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER RESOURCES IN THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST” - Christopher Williams, Department of Geography, Clark University, Worcester MA.  Sponsored by the Department of Geography and the Charles Albert Read Trust.	Veterans Hall
12:30 p.m.	VIDEO: “Can I Eat That?” - NOVA scienceNOW.	Slater Lecture Hall
2:00 p.m.	VIDEO: “And What Males Will Do” - Nature.	Slater Lecture Hall
3:15 p.m.	VIDEO: “A Sense of Wonder” - Bullfrog Films.	Slater Lecture Hall

	FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2013 - Biology Alumni Day
8:00 a.m.	VIDEO: “Animal Odd Couples” - Nature.	Slater Lecture Hall
9:00 a.m.	VIDEO: “Lice and Human Evolution” - NOVA scienceNOW - Where Did We Come From?	Slater Lecture Hall
10:00 a.m.	VIDEO: “On Thin Ice” - Frozen Planet.	Slater Lecture Hall
11:00 a.m.	“ACOUSTICS: BEYOND WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE” - Seth Horowitz, President, The Engine Institute, Warwick, RI.	Veterans Hall
12:30 p.m.	“HOW SLOW CAN LIFE GO? LESSONS FROM THE SUBSEAFLOOR” - Steven D'Hondt, Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Kingston.	Veterans Hall
1:30 p.m.	VIDEO: “Hurricane Katrina: The Storm That Drowned a City” - NOVA.	Slater Lecture Hall
2:30 p.m.	“INTERNAL PARASITES OF NORTH ATLANTIC SHARKS” - Mae Taylor SSU ‘07, Visiting Lecturer, Biology Department, Salem State University.	Veterans Hall

Founded By:  Philip A. DePalma and Virginia F. Keville Darwin Festival main page    History of the Darwin Festival    Links and References Salem State Biology    Salem State Home Page

If you require interpretative services, please contact the Office for Students with Disabilities at TTY (978)-542-7146 orosd@salemstate.edu. To help us best meet your needs, please notify us of your requirements at least 2 weeks in advance. All videos are close-captioned. Veterans Hall is located on the 2nd floor of the Ellison Campus Center. Dr. Schuyler G. Slater Lecture Hall (MH 444) is located on the 4th floor of the Frederick A. Meier Arts & Sciences Hall. The Festival is open to the public. All events are free. The location for all events is Salem State University's North Campus, 352 Lafayette St., Salem, Massachusetts, 01970. For directions, go to www.salemstate.edu or contact the Biology Department (978-542-6236). Major funding for the DARWIN FESTIVALSM has been provided by the Salem State University Administration, the Charles Albert Read Trust Fund, the Student Government Association through the Biological Society, the Keville-DePalma Darwin Festival Endowment Fund, contributions from Hayden McNeil Publishers, McGraw Hill, Pearson Higher Education,Simbiotic Software, WH Freeman, and other individual contributions. Darwin FestivalSM Committee: Susan M. Case (Coordinator), Juditha C. A. Burchsted, Ryan Fisher, Lynn Fletcher, Gary Heisermann, Paul Kelly, Sheila Schreiner, T. Nelson Scottgale, Alan M. Young. and Amanda Viecelli (President, Biological Society). Founded by Philip A. DePalma and Virginia F. Keville

Cape Ann Wild Bird Rescue Rehabber in Jeopardy of Eviction

Dear Colleagues:

Some of you know that a friend of mine, Jodi Swensen, is a licensed bird rehabber. Unfortunately, she has run into a major problem, so I was hoping I could reach out to our community of biologists to help in a small way.  It turns out that Jodi's landlord has fallen behind in his mortgage payments, and Jodi may soon find herself being evicted. The house is already listed by the bank for a short sale. 

Jodi's rehabbing activities occupy almost every room in her house, as well as a large part of the outside areas. The likelihood of her finding another affordable place to rent that would allow a rehabbing operation is slim at best. Jodi is hoping to appeal to Bank of America as well as local politicians to see if some kind of accommodation might be possible — even to the extent of her taking over the mortgage at reduced payments. 

Granted, this is a long shot, but she is still hoping. To this end, she has prepared a petition on SignOn to be delivered to several recipients. If you could be so kind, I know she would appreciate your signature on the petition. The site is here:

http://signon.org/sign/help-save-the-cape-ann.fb23?source=c.fb&r_by=6824786

Here is a web page for her rehab operation:

http://www.CAWildBirdRescue.org

There are links at her web page to news stories about her activities. 

Please sign the petition, if you are so inclined, and maybe even spread the word.

Thanks!

David W. Tapley