Just over a dozen College of Biological Sciences students made their way to the Galápagos Islands this spring along with faculty members Sehoya Cotner and Randy Moore. The group spent two weeks exploring the pristine islands while working on related research projects.
“I think the thing that is so amazing about the Galápagos, especially for biology students, is that it represents the culmination of all your classroom experiences,” says Cotner. “So many things we learn about in introductory biology like Darwin’s finches, or in behavioral ecology like the groove-billed anis or the Galápagos hawk, or in evolution with the tortoises. They’re all in front of your eyes.”
Moore considers the Galápagos the most iconic place for biologists. “When you’re there it’s overwhelming. We were told when we disembarked onto land the first time, ‘You’re going to see everything not in the first 200 yards or the first 20 yards—but in your first two steps.’ And it was true!”
Watch an audio slideshow.
Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories turns 100 in 2009. Help support a legacy of ecological research and education that continues today. Order the 2009 Itasca Centennial calendar now. Each month features an image of Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories’ unique flora and fauna—from orchids to water lilies to woodcocks. The calendar costs $10.
A $10,000 pledge to Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve will go toward creating a series of gardens around the new Raymond Lindeman Research and Discovery Center. The gardens will reflect the biodiversity of the field station.
Peregrine falcon expert Harrison “Bud” Tordoff, died July 23. “He was the heart and soul of the whole peregrine restoration effort (in the Midwest),” says Pat Redig, founder and former director of the University of Minnesota’s Raptor Center.
Tordoff joined the faculty of the College of Biological Sciences’ Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior in 1970. He was director of the Bell Museum of Natural History from 1970–83, and served as acting dean for CBS from 1986–87. Tordoff was best known for his peregrine falcon restoration efforts. He retired in 1991, but remained involved in falcon recovery and conservation.
For a decade the Master of Biological Sciences program has filled a critical niche for those looking for a boost to their careers or a way to update their knowledge.
The program, which allows students to draw on a variety of subject areas within the biological sciences, has opened the door to medical and dental school and other programs for its graduates. It also serves those who need to stay current in their field such as teachers and industry scientists. Says one graduate, a high school teacher: “The MBS program helped me advance my knowledge in valuable core areas in biology making me a much more effective teacher. Choosing my research capstone prepared me to teach my students the research process.”
Students in the program complete a research project on topics ranging from bioinformatics to microbiology.
After agreeing on a single text to be used for all biochemistry sections, College of Biological Sciences faculty members successfully negotiated with publishers to offer the textbook to students for $60 less than the previous course textbook.
“With 1,200 students per year, this is one of the larger courses at the University,” says Professor Paul Siliciano, “so we had some bargaining power.
“With tuition increasing, we felt it was important to control textbook costs,” says Siliciano. “The students told us that although tuition far exceeds textbook costs, saving even $20 on books is important to them.”
James Koerner, professor emeritus in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, died May 31. He was 78. Koerner helped found the neuroscience graduate program at the University of Minnesota and was active in the summer research program in neuroscience at the University’s field station in Itasca State Park from 1995–98. The James F. Koerner Itasca Neuroscience Fund is being established in his honor.
Scott Lanyon has been named head of the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior. Lanyon served as the director of the Bell Museum of Natural History for more than a decade.
Lanyon teaches and conducts research on the evolutionary history of New World blackbirds. He is also participating in Tree of Life, an international effort to better understand evolutionary relationships among the Earth’s species.
As Bell director, Lanyon improved collections and bolstered research and outreach programs. He led the museum through planning for a new building and increased private support.
Prior to joining the University of Minnesota, Lanyon held positions as a scientist and curator at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.
Bell Museum of Natural History
Through January 4, 2009
CBS alum Lynn Rogers’ photographs provide an intimate look at the lives of bears and a new understanding of their foraging habits, maternal care and social behavior.
