University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
College of Biological Sciences
http://www.cbs.umn.edu/

Faculty directory

David D. Biesboer
Ph.D., Indiana University, 1979.
, Professor, Director, Itasca Biological Station biesboer@umn.edu

Areas of Research: Ecophysiology and anatomy of angiosperms

Robert Brambl
Ph.D., University of Nebraska, 1970.
, Professor brambl@umn.edu

Areas of Research: Molecular and Cellular Biology

J. Steve Gantt
Ph.D., University of California-Irvine, 1982.
, Associate Professor gantt001@umn.edu

Areas of Research: Plant molecular biology

Sue Gibson
Ph.D. Cornell University, 1989
, Associate Professor gibso043@umn.edu

Scholarly Areas:
Molecular genetics; isolation and characterization of plant mutants defective in the ability to respond to soluble sugar levels; regulation of source-sink interactions, manipulation of indole alkaloid metabolism to increase production of anti-cancer agents;  eQTL analysis of soybean composition and yield.
 

Jane Glazebrook
Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1991.
, Professor jglazebr@umn.edu

Areas of  Research:  Genomics of plant defense responses 

Florence K. Gleason
Ph.D., University of Iowa, 1971
, Professor iqa6016@umn.edu

Areas of Research:  Isolation of antibiotics from cyanobacteria, Physiology of invasive aquatic plants 

 

William M. Gray
Ph.D. University of Iowa, 1995.
, Associate Professor grayx051@umn.edu

Areas of Research: Molecular basis of auxin-regulated growth and development; ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis 

Fumiaki Katagiri
Ph.D., Rockefeller University, 1991
, Associate Professor katagiri@umn.edu

Areas of Research: Systems biology of plant disease resistance.
 

Peter LeFebvre
Ph.D., Yale, 1980.
, Professor pete@umn.edu

Areas of Research: Cytoskeleton and cell motility.

Igor Libourel
Ph.D., University of Oxford, 2004
, Assistant Professor libourel@umn.edu

Areas of Research:  Metabolic Systems Biology 

Professor Georgiana May
Ph.D., University of California-Berkeley 1987
 gmay@umn.edu

 

The tiniest of creatures have the largest impact on our lives. Through field experiments, I study microbes—including fungus and pathogens—and their profound effects on plant communities.

David Marks
Ph.D., Purdue University, 1985.
, Professor marks004@umn.edu

Areas of Research: Molecular genetic control of cell fate in plants

David J. McLaughlin
Ph.D., University of California-Berkeley, 1968.
, Professor davem@umn.edu

Areas of Research: Evolution and systematics of higher fungi; macrofungal biodiversity

David Moeller
Ph.D., Cornell University, 2003
, Assistant Professor moeller@umn.edu

Areas of Research: Evolution of species’ geographic ranges, Ecology and genetics of speciation, Mating system and floral evolution, Evolution of plant-herbivore and plant-pollinator interactions, Molecular population genetics and phylogeography.

Min Ni
Ph.D., University of Oklahoma, 1992
, Associate Professor nixxx008@umn.edu

Areas of Research: Light signal transduction and regulation of seed development

Neil E. Olszewski
Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1983
, Professor neil@umn.edu

Areas of Research:  Function of O-GlcNAc protein modification in growth and development; molecular genetics of plant DNA viruses  

Jennifer Powers
Ph.D., Duke University, 2001
, Asssistant Professor (Joint) powers@umn.edu

Areas of Research: Terrestrial biogeochemistry, ecosystem processes, microbial ecology, tropical ecology   and landscape ecology.  

Imke Schmitt
Ph.D. Essen University 2002
, Adjunct Assistant Professor imke.schmitt@senckenberg.de

Areas of Research: Evolution of lichenized fungi, molecular phylogenetics, symbiosis, fungal systematics, evolution of biosyntheic genes.

Carolyn Silflow
Ph.D., University of Georgia, 1977
, Professor silfl001@umn.edu

Areas of Research: Genetic mechanisms; Cytoskelton and cell motility; Plant cell and molecular biology.

Nathan M. Springer
Ph.D. University of Minnesota, 2000
, Associate Professor springer@umn.edu

Areas of Research:  Epigenetic mechanisms of gene expression, interspecific variation in genome structure and gene expression. 

Peter Tiffin
Ph.D. Duke University, 1999
, Associate Professor ptiffin@umn.edu

Areas of Research: Plant population genetics, molecular ecology, evolutionary response to elevated CO2 and other environmental changes, ecology and evolution of plant-herbivore and plant-microbe interactions

Kathryn A. VandenBosch
Professor and Department Head
 vande102@umn.edu

Areas of Research: Cell biology of plant/microbe symbioses; functional genomics of legumes.

John M. Ward
Ph.D., University of Maryland, 1991
, Associate Professor jward@umn.edu

Areas of Research:  Membrane proteins and transport physiology. 

George Weiblen
Ph.D., Harvard University, 1999
, Associate Professor, Assistant Curator of Vascular Plants, Bell Museum of Natural History gweiblen@umn.edu

Areas of Research: Plant systematics, molecular phylogenetics, coevolution, and plant/pollinator interactions.

Susan M. Wick
Ph.D., Stanford University, 1979
, Professor wickx002@umn.edu

Areas of Research:  Plant cell biology and plant development.

Nevin D. Young
Distinguished McKnight Professor
 neviny@umn.edu

Areas of Research:  Genomics of plants and plant disease resistance genes.

Emeritus Professors
Iris Charvat
Ph.D., University of California-Santa Barbara, 1973
, Professor Emeritus charv001@tc.umn.edu

Areas of Research:  Mycorrhizal associations; fungal development; seed bank dynamics in wet lands. 

Edward J. Cushing
Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1963
 cushing@umn.edu

 

Research interests: Ecology and paleoecology of vegetation and landscapes; phytogeography; Quaternary vegetation history of Minnesota and Indonesia; pollen and spore morphology and analysis.

Willard L. Koukkari
Ph.D., University of New Hampshire, 1962
, Professor Emeritus, Horace T. Morse Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor koukk001@umn.edu

Areas of Research: Biological oscillations and the temporal organization of plant development.

Peter Snustad
Ph.D., University of California at Davis, 1965
, Professor Emeritus snust001@umn.edu

Areas of Research: Cytoskeleton and cell motility, Gene expression, Developmental mechanisms.

Thomas K. Soulen
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1963
, Associate Professor Emeritus soule001@umn.edu

Areas of Research: Metabolic aspects of plant development; control of flowering in duckweeds.

Clifford M. Wetmore
Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1965
, Professor Emeritus wetmore@umn.edu

Areas of Research: Lichenology.