Faculty Research Interests

All of our faculty conduct research projects in a subdiscipline of biology.  Below are listed the names of our faculty, a brief summary of their interests, and (where available) links to their websites.

Greg Adler:  Tropical ecology.

Stephen Bentivenga:  Mycology.

Sheldon Cooper:  Animal ecological physiology, avian thermoregulation and energetics. Co-Chairman of the Department.

David Dilkes:  Vertebrate paleontology, specifically the early evolutionary history of amphibians and reptiles.

Lisa Dorn:  Plant genetics and evolution.

Beatrice Holton:  Control of tension in epithelial sheets such as the chorioamniotic membrane of avian embryos.

Toivo Kallas:  Molecular genetics and biochemistry of electron transport mechanisms, redox-signaling, and oxygen radicals in microalgae.

Greg Kleinheinz:  Public health microbiology, environmental microbiology.

Todd Kostman:  Calcium regulation in plants. Co-chairman of the Department.

Courtney Kurtz: Immunology, digestive physiology, hibernation physiology.

Thomas Lammers:  Classification and evolution of the flowering plant family Campanulaceae. Curator of the Herbarium.

Eric Matson:  Microbial Ecology.

Colleen McDermott:  Microbial contamination of beaches, source tracking of microbial contamination, cyanobacterial toxins.  Associate Dean of Letters & Science for the Math/Science Division.

Elsbeth "Misty" McPhee:  Also a faculty member in the Environmental Studies program. Effects of captivity on behavior and morphology; effects of captive breeding on the success of reintroduction programs for endangered wildlife; behavioral response to novel environments

Michelle "Shelly" Michalski:  Tick-borne disease in WI, wildlife reservoir of Neosporosis in WI, maturation of Brugia malayi microfilariae

Sabrina Mueller-Spitz: Undergraduate Microbiology Internship Coordinator.

Robert Pillsbury:  Wetland ecology, freshwater algae

Walter Rainboth:  Systematics and taxonomy of Asian cyprinid fishes.

Teri Shors:  Virology, poxviruses and environmental virology.

Robert Stelzer:  Nutrient flux and cycling in streams, roles of species in freshwater ecosystems, lake and stream food webs. Graduate Coordinator. Undergraduate Biology Internship Coordinator.

Dana Vaughan:  Physiology and cell biology of vertebrate CNS/retina in health and disease; hibernation physiology. Curator of the Squirrel Colony. 

Robert Wise:  Plant stress physiology and ultrastructure.

Jennifer Zaspel:  Curator of the Insect Museum.