B ta College ofArts & SciencesDepartment ofhnvironmental

& Plant Biology:

I

UNIVERSITY Atheizs, Ohio 45701-2979

1822 - 2003 181 years of Teaching Plant Biology OHIO UNIVERSITY

REPORT FROM THE CHAIRAs Ohio University begins its celebration to commemorate the first 200 years of

educational service to the “Ohio Territory”, we are proud that botany ranks among the oldestand strongest disciplines in the academy. Exemplary achievements by our loyal alumni, ourcurrent students, our former and current faculty, and our dedicated staff have broughtinternational recognition to the Department of Environmental and Plant Biology as a premiereprogram for the comprehensive study of plant science

At his acceptance speech for a 2003 College of Arts and Sciences DistinguishedAlumnus Award, Dr ROBERT GOLDBERG, currently Distinguished Professor of Molecular, Celland Developmental Biology at UCLA (BS 1966), repeatedly emphasized the critical roleplayed by emeritus Distinguished Professor of Botany, NORM COHN, m stimulating his interestin plant science Although Norm no longer makes personal contributions to our program, hisinfluence lives on in the form of the current vigor of the department Likewise, the retirementof Dr IRWIN UNGAR and the early retirement of Dr JOHN MITCHELL in June of 2003 have reducedtheir day-to-day involvement in departmental activities, while at the same time, theyemphasize a legacy of dedicated plant biology strengthened by additional generations ofsuccessful alumni. ,

These events also remind us of the ever changing landscape of botany by setting inmotion additional changes that continue to reshape the department Dr HARVEY BALLARD hasbeen awarded tenure and promoted to the rank of Associate Professor, and Dr BRIANMCCARTHY is now a Full Professor We are currently in the process of recruiting a new facultymember to focus on Plant Cell Wall Biology, and to increase our involvement in this excitingarea Although this new position is designed to further strengthen the cellular and molecularfocus of our curriculum, a growing integration of the populational, organismal, and cell/molecular disciplines promises to thrust this new position into the mainstream of our plantbiology activities

The past year also has brought changes in our support staff With the retirement ofCOOKIE TRIVETT (MS 1984, PhD 1991) as Departmental Administrator, we are happy towelcome CONNIE POLLARD to this position We are also delighted that JEFF HARMI50N hasrecently joined us as IT Administrator (the computer guy), and that Zachery Rinkes (MSES2003) began his duties November 1 as Lab Coordinator, to honor the tradition of BETTY MOORE(BS 1963, MS 1974)

As incoming Chair, I am pleased to reportthat Department of Environmental and PlantBiology has prospered undER three years ofleadership by PHIL CANTINO, and that Phil will becontinuing in the new position of Associate ChairDepartmental sentiments, “In Appreciation ofYour Dedication and Inspired Leadership”, wererecorded on the plaque presented to Phil uponhis retirement as Chair.

With warmest regards,

Gar Rothwell, Professor, Chair, andOhio University Presidential Research Scholar

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NewHire in theDepartment

CONNIE POLLARD joins the department in therole of Departmental Administrator,replacing Dr. MARY LOUISE ‘COOKIE’ TRIVETT.

She has worked at theuniversity for 13years in various offices, both academic andadministrative. She is enjoying being ofserviceto the new chair, faculty, staff, andstudents and is delighted to have joined thedepartment. She says she looks forward toturning her black thumb green.

AWARDS, HONORS & GRANTS

Undergraduate Scholarships &Awards

C. Paul and Beth Stocker Scholarships:DUSTIN HILDENBRAND, STEVE KARAFIT,

and JOHN WITHERS of the College of Artsand Sciences

Thomas M. Wolfe Scholarship: SCOTT

WEAVER, Honors Tutorial College,senior Wolfe awardee and BARRETT

GRUBER, College of Arts and Sciences,junior awardee

Lela A. Ewers Science Scholarship: CHRIS-

TOPHER WOODS

Charles E. Miller Scholarship: BRYAN

EPPERT, College of Arts and Sciences

ProfessorArthur H. Blickle ScholarshipforWomen: AMY HOVART

Undergraduate Research Posters

JESSICA STERLING

Botanical Society ofAmerica YoungBotanists Awards

SCOTT WEAVER

Ohio Academy of Science - Ohio EPA Environmental Education Fund

BARRETT GRUBER

JOHN WITHERS

ZACH GIBBONS-BELLEW

Although Environmental & Plant Biology is a relatively small department, its facultyand students display a markedly disproportionate success in obtaining awards, grantsand fellowships and other honors, especially at the state/national/international level.For example, DUSTIN HILDENBRAND received one of only eight Summer UndergraduateResearch Fund (SURF) awards given nationally, while three of our undergrads BARRETT

GRUBER, JOHN WITHERS and ZACH GIBBONS-BALLEW were awarded OAS-OEPA Scholar-ships, of which eighteen were given state wide. One of our graduate students, JENNIFER

DEMURIA was the recipient of a Fulibright Fellowship while another graduate student,MIHAI TOMESCU, was awarded an NSF Doctoral Dissertation Grant Yet another graduatestudent, DAWN BLACK, is the first student in the department (and the only student atOhio University this year) to ever have received an NSF Doctoral Fellowship. Quiteimpressive!

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AWARDS, HONORS & GRANTS conL

Graduate Awards Dean’s Outstanding TeachingAward

College ofArts & Sciences Outstanding TAMORGAN Vis

ZACH RINKE5 ‘ . ‘ ..

Fullbright Fellowship Undergraduate Grants

JENNIFER DEMURIA Provost’s Undergraduate Research Fund

NSF Doctoral Dissertation Enhancement BARRETT GRUBER ‘

•:• DUSTIN HILDENBRAND ‘

MIHAI TOMESCU ‘ ‘ ‘ . ‘ ‘ + JOHN WITHERS

•:• MARK THORNTON

NSF DoctoralFellowship.‘..

‘: Graduate GrantsDAWN BLACK ‘

Ohio University Houk Research AwardsforBotanical Society ofAmerica, Isabel Cookson Graduate Students

Award‘

+ MIHAI TOMESCU

MIKE DUNN ‘ + VIJAYANAND NADELLA

•:• ZACH RINKES

Ohio University OutstandingResearch + ZEENATUNISA SHIEKH

Assistant AUDREY LARRIMER ‘

‘ ‘ ‘

•:• RYAN MCEWAN

CYNTHIA RICCARDI ‘ .•. JYHMIN CHIANG ‘

•:• DEAH LIEURANCE ‘

Faculty Awards ‘ ‘ Herb Society ofAmerica

. . . ‘ . •:• ASWINI PAlOhio University Outstanding Graduate

Faculty‘

Kentucky Nature Preserves Commission

MORGAN Vis ‘ .• RYAN MCEWAN

RECENT GRADUATES “

PHD CHRISTY CARTER (Ungar) B S DENNIS RHYNER

MICHAEL DUNN (Rothwell)‘ ‘ BA JASON TINGLE

Ross MCCAULEY (Ballard). ‘ GREGORY ZIMMERMAN

MS NANDA FILKIN (Vis)SARAH HAMSHER (Vis)JESS PEIRSON (Cantino) PBIO ALEXANDER CALDER

JIESHENG ZHANG (Mitchell) Minor KATHLEEN CLINE

DEANNA COOKMSES THOMAS JACKSON (Ballard)

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AWARDS, HONORS & GRANTS cont.

Faculty & Staff Grants

HARVEY BALLARD

+ National Science Foundation, “Undergraduate Research Assistantships inthe Experimental Systematics andDigital Floristics of the Violet Family”,REU Supplement, $13,485.

+ Ohio University Baker Fund, “Web-Accessible Databases and Images for a‘Digital Monograph’ of MesoamericanViolets”, $9,992.

+ PACE funding of undergraduateresearch, with SARAH WYATT, $1,800.

JAMES CAVENDER:

+ National Science Foundation, “Globaldiversity of Mycetozoans”, $2,000,000.

PHIL CANTINO:

+ PACE funding of undergraduateresearch, $1,800.

BRIAN C. MCCARTHY:

•:• USDA, Forest Service, “Restorationecology of hardwood forests follow-ing the removal of Ailanthus altissima “,

$18,000.

•:• Ohio Biological Survey, “Reintroduction of American Chestnut to themixed oak forests of southeasternOhio”, $500, with CORRIE MCCAMMENT.

•:• Ohio Biological Survey, “Flora ofDeep Woods Community Farm,Hocking County, Ohio”, $500, withCYNTHIA RICCARDI.

•:• Ohio Biological Survey, “Past andpresent forest composition and natural history of Deep Woods, HockingCounty, Ohio.”, $500, with CYNTHIA

RICCAARDI.

GAR ROTHWELL:

•:• National Science Foundation,“Megafosssil evidence for OrdovicianSilurian terrestrial biotas”, $48,830.

GAR ROTHWELL, cont.:

•:• Ohio Biological Survey, “Early terrestrialbiota of Ohio.”, $500, with MIHAI TOMESCU

+ PACE funding of undergraduate research, $1,800.

ALLAN SHOWALTER:

•:• Ohio Plant Biotechnology Consortium,“Cloning and characterization of the gumarabic glycoprotein (GAGP) gene fromAcacia senegal”, $10,000.

+ PACE funding of undergraduate research, $1,800.

•:• Ohio University 1804 Grant, “Enhance-ment of campus-wide facility for laserscanning confocal microscopy”, $30,000.

MORGAN Vis:

•:• NSF, “A robust phylogeny of theBatrachospermales (Rhodophyta”$151,164.

+ PACE funding of undergraduate research, $1,800.

SARAH WYATT:

•:• Ohio Plant Biotechnology Consortium,“Microsatellite molecular markers forcultivar development”, $10,000, withHARVEY BALLARD and Theresa Culley.

•:• United States Department of Agriculture,“Characterization of the gps mutants ofArabidopsis”, $80,000.

•:• American Society for Gravitational andSpace Biology, “Characterization ofAuxin Transport in the gps mutants ofArabidopsis”, $10,110.

+ PACE funding of undergraduate research, $1,800.

+ PACE funding of undergraduate research, with HARVEY BALLARD, $1,800.

DEPARTMENTAL NEWS

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The reader is referred to the Departmental web pagefor numerous links to a variety ofweb sitesreflecting the research interests and recent publications ofmernbers of the Department as well as a

variety ofextra-University responsibilities.

. : KIM BROWN’S research fits under the aegis offorest ecosystem function, and this year

: : : featured research on light, leaves, canopies,soil, and virtual canopies Rita Giuliani, from

: : the l3ologna region of Italy, is finishing herS post-doctoral fellowship utilizing novel

techniques (such as hand-built helium balloons bearing light meters) to measure theeffects of thinning and burnin on canopylight dynamics. JAMES CHIANG5 PhD researchuses simulation models (and field validation

,data) to assess current carbon sequestering byforests, to predict how changes in tree speciesassemblages might result in climate shiftsDAWN BLACK (PhD) is exploring the contribution of symbiotic fungi (mycorrhizae) to thebelow-ground carbon budget of thinned/burned forest soils. Dawn won a prestigiousthree year NSF Doctoral Fellowship (see side-bar on page 2). HEATHER JOESTING’s MS research on the ecophysiology of chestnut isdesigned

to help restoration ecologists under-stand the range of light environments inwhich blight-resistant chestnut seedlings willsucceed. She is co-advised by Kim and BRIANMCCARTHY. MARK GATHANY (MSES) is study-ing carbon pools in the soils at Dysart Woods,of particular interest to those pursuingbaselines for maximum potential forest carbon sequestration DEAH LIEURANCE (MSES) isresearching the ecophysiological and morphological plasticity of the woody invasiveshrub Amur honeysuckle in ClermontCounty, Ohio Undergraduate JODY HELMworked on a stomatal density project thatexamines the effects of elevated CO andcanopy

complexity on the resultantIeafmorphology.Undergraduate MARK THORNTON

successfully built a number of ecophysiological research instruments for use at DysartWoods: one measures within-tree sap flow,and the other is used with light sensors toutilize ultraportable dataloggers.

PHIL CANTINO has completed three years asChair and turned the reins over to GARROTHWELL in September. He looks forward tohaving more research time to devote to mint

systematics and the PhyloCode (a system ofnomenclature governing the naming ofclades; see 2000 Newsletter). His taxonomictreatments of Phrymaceae and various sub-families and genera of Lamiaceae for Familiesand Genera of Vascular Plants (http://www.fgvp.de/), which he has prepared overthe past six years, are scheduled for publication in 2004. JESS PEIRSON completed his MSin March and left for University of Michiganthis summer to begin a PhD program in plantsystematics. In the meanwhile, he taughtPlant Biology 102 at OU-Lancaster duringspring quarter and is preparing three manuscripts on the systematics of Collinsonia basedon his MS thesis. SARAH HARRELSON hascompleted the first year of her MS programand spent many wet days this exceptionallyrainy summer, slogging through the water-logged vegetation at Strouds Run State Park,where she is documenting the flora for herthesis.

BRIANMCCARTHY assumed the role of Editor-In-Chief for the Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society this past year. He continues toinvestigate factors affecting the regenerationof eastern hardwoods, the role of invasivespecies, and restoration ecology He continues his work on the ecology of chestnut(Castanea dentata) in Wisconsin and has begunstudies with two graduate students to under-stand chestnut ecology in southern Ohio andfactors that may impact its reintroduction.CORRIE MCCAMMENT is studying the relation-ship of silvicultural practices (thinning andburning) to chestnut survival and growth, andHEATHER JOESTING (co-advised with K. BRowis)is beginning studies on the ecophysiology ofthis species to understand better its competitive characteristics relative to other hardwoods. Corrie’s work has provided someinteresting data to suggest that chestnut has abroad ecological amplitude and is quiteplastic in its response to the environment.Brian’s work with the USFS continues toexamine the role of fire and thinning as itrelates to fuel bed characteristics and forest

regeneration. CYNTHIA RICCARDI is expected tocomplete her PhD soon, having producedwhat is believed to be the largest data set onhardwood forest fuel loads in the easternUnited States. She has accepted a position asResearcher with the USDA Forest Service.MATTHEW ALBRECHT, who also worked on theUSFS Fire and Fire Surrogates project willcomplete his work on hardwood regenerationthis year and then plans to shift to a study ofseed germination and reproductive ecologyof Appalachian medicinal herbs for his doctoral research. KURT HARTMAN and AswiNI PAlare planning to finish their doctoral studiesthis autumn. Kurt is studying the ecology ofthe invasive Amur honeysuckle hoping tounderstand forests infection by this speciesand the best methods to restore ecosystemsdamaged by this species. Aswini is wrappingup her studies of non-timber forest productsand the ecology of Sweetflag. AUDREYLARRIMER approaches her second field seasonwith great enthusiasm as she examines theeffects of Bigtooth aspen (believed to be anon-native species introduced to Ohio forwildlife value) patches on understory diver-sity and microclimate. ZACH RINKES continueson to his second field season with his studiesof turkey scratching disturbances in thehardwood litter and their potential affect onhardwood regeneration1working within thesame experimental system of burns and thinsto understand how silvicultural may influence wildlife activity and ultimately plantcommunity composition. The two neweststudents to the lab are RYAN McKEWAN andKEVIN LEws Ryan has expressed a clearinterest in studying the role of fire in structuring forests and the ecology of old-growthforests and began some preliminarydendroecolOgicaistudies this summer. Kevjnis examining the ecological effects of Tree-of-heaven in mixed oak forests, beginning withthe best methods for eradication to help withsystem restoration. Tree-of-heaven is show-ing up with greater frequency in regionalmixed oak forests following disturbance.

GAR ROTHWELL reports that 2002-2003 was anactive and successful academic year forpaleobotany at Ohio University. Severalfaculty, graduate student and undergraduatestudent studies were completed, and fruitfulcollaborations were conducted with colleagues at Ohio University (ROYAL MAPES,Geological Sciences; HARVEY BALLARD) otherinstitutions in the US, Canada, China, Ger

many, India, and the United Kingdom. Garcontinues his duties as Secretary of the Inter-national Organisation of Palaeobotany<http //bs uel gc ik/palaeof>, as consult-rng organizer of the Midcontrnent Paleobo

MPC-2000/and as an editorial board mem-

:

ber for the American Journal of Botany, thePaleobotanist, and the Review ofPalaeobotany and Palynology. Significantprogress was made on several major researchthemes, including the origins of terrestrial lifewith MIHAI TOMESCU; the evolution of coniferdiversity with GENE MAPES; investigations offern and seed-plant phylogeny with COOKIETRIVETT, BARRETT GRUBER, MIKE DUNN, andGENE MAPES, systematics of floating aquaticaroids With Harvey and terrestrial paleoecology with Mike and Mihai. The last initiativewill be supported by a new award from theNational Science Foundation to study“Megafossil Evidence for Ordovician-SilurianTerrestrial Biotas” . Mike Dunn completedhis dissertation, “Vegetational Survey andGlobal Correlation of the Flora of theFayetteville Formation (Upper Mississippian)of Arkansas”, and received his PhD in Au-gust. Mihai Tomescu received aii NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant tofurther his studies, and is exploring variousaspects of the origins of terrestrial life inlaboratories in Switzerland, Wisconsin andOhio. Gar is continuing his fruitful collaboration with DR. RUTH STOCKEY (MS botany 74)..and her students at the University of Alberta .

on Mesozoic and Cenozoic fossil plants ofwestern North America, and has spent severalweeks this past summer collecting materialon Vancouver Island and in other parts ofsouthern British Columbia, Canada. Gar hasbeen actively involved in helping implementthe new undergraduate curriculum in Environmental and Plant Biology. Winter quarterSARA WYATT and Gar will offer an advanced

. undergraduate major/graduate courseperimental Anatomy of Plant Development”that explores relationships between develop-ment and phylogeny at the interface of mo

. lecular biology and paleontology. They arereally excited about this new concept inbotanical education, and anticipate thatcourse will become a model for offerings atuniversities elsewhere around the world.

ALLAN SHOWALTER and his lab focus on thestructure, molecular interactions, and func

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tions of arabinoga1actaPr0ts (AGPS) thatare ubiquitous ir plants1 that are important inplant developme1t, and that have potentialcommercial uses as industrial gums andadhesives as well as applications in humanhealth given their ability to stimulate ourimmune system. Allan, in collaboration withMARCIA KIELI5zEW5KI in the Department of .

Chemistry ad ochemistry, has purifidLeAGP-1, a novel, modular arabinogalactaprotein in tomato using a novel GFP (greenfluorescent protein) tagging approach andanalyzed the carbohydrate components of thiscell surface glycoprotein. More recently,WENXIAN SUN in Allan’s lab has providedbiochemical evidence that LeAGP1 is at-tached to the plasma membrane via agycosylphO5phatyn05it0l (GPI) anchor.Sun’ 5 GPI anchor work will be published inPhysiologia Plantarum. Sun also is examiningthe effect of plant hormone treatment onLeAGP-1 gene expression in tomato plants.MING CHEN is following up on the lab’s previous work monstratlng that binogalactanproteins are involved with programmed celldeath. He has elucidated a signal transduction pathway by which programmed celldeath is induced by altering AGPs with Yarivreagent this pathway involves three compOnents light, alcium, and hydrogen peroxide.Both Chen and Sun should finish their PhDwork in Fall 2003. BRIJE5FI KARAKKAT (a.k.a.Babu) and JIE YANG are using RNAi and TDNA insertion lines in ArcibidOpSiS in order tofind certain AGP mutants and use them toelucidate the specific functions of these cellsurface proteins HARJINDER SARDAR is a firstyear MCB/plant biology PhD student and isbeginning to examine whether extracellularand plasma membrane bound AGPs interactwith the microtubules and actins in plant cellcytoskeleton of plants.

IRWIN UNGAR has retired after 42 years inacademia. He especially would like to thankJoAnn Rollins, Brenda Ingrahami JudyDowler, and Betty Moore, who made his jobeasier and kept the office rolling efficientlyduring his years as Chair (1983-1988) andthanks to everyone else for support andfriendship during his 37 years on the facultyin the Department of EnvirOnment & PlantBiology (Botany for you early graduates). Hehas had a great time carrying out his academic pursuits and finds it hard to believeybu get paid for an endeavor you really enjoy

doing. After 35 years, he had a chance toreturn to his old prairie research grounds andcollected some data at the Lincoln, Nebraskasalt marshes this past summer. He continuesto examine soil sample5 investigating thenature of seed banks in prairie salt marshes.Undergraduate ALLISON WEEKS assisted in thisresearch, and without her help, it would havebeen a long, hot summer obtaining all thedata. Although many of the salt marshes hadbeen lost to the newer ecological successionof corn productioni housing and strip malls,Irwin found an interesting area behind somerestaurants. H continues to collaborate withAJMAL KHAN (PhD 1985) and his graduatestudents at the University of Karachi into thephysiolOgic ecology of subtropical saltdesert and coastal halophytes. CHRISTYCARTER, Irwin’s last student is now conducting postdoctoral research at the USDA Salinity Laboratory in Riverside, California. Inresponse to queries re: postretirement activities, Irwin responds that he has given thissome deep and serious thought and hasnarrowed it down to several opions spendinga lot of time at the beach; creating a world-class garden; continuing some scholarlyactivity or beginning a new career as an after-dinner speaker. Only time and the future willtell what he will be doing when he grows up.

MORGAN VIS currently is finding her Sabbatical to be both enjoyable and productive andreports that all the hard work of years goneby is starting to pay off for the Vis lab in theform of research paperS graduationsi grantsand awards. Numerous papers from DALECA5AMATTA’S (PhD 2002) dissertation workwill be published this year. In addition, twoprevious undergraduate researchers, AMYMCCUNTIC (BS 2002) and NICK MACHESKY LBSicrobiOlogy 2002), will see their name inprint. Just to prove that Global Studies ismore than a vacation in paradises both thestudy of Bolivian and Hawaiian acroalgaehit the presses. NANDA FILKIN completed herMS thesis research entitled “Phenology ofParalemaflea anñuiata (Rhodophyta) in a loworder woodland stream.” SARAH FIAMSHERraduated after finishing her MS thesis study‘Utility of the Periphyton Index of BioticIntegrity (PIBI) as an indicator of acid minedrainage.” Morgan and her future studentsare all set with exotic trips to New Zealand,northern Brazil, Malaysia and South Africa tocollect southern hemisphere BatraChO5permm

8::

species as part of Morgan’s new NSF grantstudying the biogeography and systematics ofthis genus. Last, but certainly not least, Morgan was honored to receive the 2003 Out-standing Graduate Faculty at Ohio Universityfrom the graduate student senate as well asbeing chosen for the Dean’s OutstandingTeacher Award.

SARAH WYATT reports that the main focus ofher lab is still the cloning and characterizationof gps mutants, which are garnering a greatdeal of excitement in the scientific community.While most members in the lab are workingon these exciting gravitropic mutants ofArabidopsis, they also maintain an active groupworking on development of secondary growthin Arabidopsis. In addition, they have starteda new project in collaboration with HARVEYBALLARD On the molecular evolution andecology of Viola species. Sarah was invited totalk at the Gordon Conference meeting onMechanotransduction and Gravity Signalingthis summer and has been invited to speak atCOSPAR (Committee on Space Research) next

summer in France. ZEENATUNISA SHIEKHjoined the lab last year as a MSES studentand is working on red/far red light and itseffect on initiation of secondary growth inArabidopsis. JESSICA STERLING, an undergrad inthe lab, graduated in the Spring of 2003 andtook a job with the Department of Genetics,University of Georgia, Athens, GA. MATTSHIPP, an undergraduate in the lab, graduated in the Winter of 2002 and joined the labas a research technician. He is continuing hiswork on cloning of the gps genes inArabidopsis. DUSTIN HILDENBRAND joined thelab as an undergraduate researcher and wasawarded a Summer Undergraduate ResearchFellowship from the American Society ofPlant Biologists to work on “Microarrayanalysis of the gps mutants of Arabidopsis”.JOHN WITHERS and SCOTT BElL were eachawarded PACE positions. John will beworking on molecular mapping of the gpsmutants and Scott is working on developingmicrosatellite loci in Viola in conjunction withHarvey.

BIKE-A-THON

During the summer, outgoing Department Chair Phil Cantino engaged in a 15-day,1,200-mile Athens-to-Maine bike-a-thon to try to bring the Environmental and PlantBiology Faculty and Staff Memorial Fund to the endowment level of $15,000. Alumni

.4 and faculty were asked in advance to pledge donations on a per-mile basis. The bike-a-thon ended up raising about $1,500 of the $3,500 needed to endow this fund, whichwill provide annual awards to undergraduate majors for purposes such as studentresearch and course-related travel. Phil reports that the high points of his trip wereOhio’s Amish country and the scenic, rolling countryside of southwestern and south-central New York. The low point was the stretch through central Massachusetts, withnarrow roads, poor pavement, and rude, impatient drivers. His longest day was 104miles (in southern Maine), half of which he rode in a steady rain. His 15-year olddaughter, Shaina, accompanied him for the first 800 miles of the trip, from Athens tothe Hudson River near Albany, NY.

If you pledged funds for the bike-a-thon and haven’t yet sent your check, or if youplan to make a contribution to the Department this year, please make your check outto: Department of Environmental & Plant Biology, Ohio University, indicating in theMemo line or on a separate, enclosed note, that the donation is for the Environmental& Plant Biology Faculty and Staff Memorial Fund, and send checks to The OhioUniversity Foundation, HDL Center, Suite 164 or to The Department of Env. & PlantBiology, 317 Porter Hall, Ohio University, Athens OH 45701.

ANDERSON, CHERYL

BADRA, PETER JACOB

BARTELLIS, LOISJEANNE . .BEvIS, JON & DoRom .BODENSCHATZ, SHARON .BROWN, DAVID MARC

BURLESON, PAULA S.CALABRO, NICHOLAS C.CANTINO, PHILIP & HEATHER

CARPEI ALAN & KATHLEEN

CHENEVEY, ROBERT

CHIASSON, WAYNE & MORGAN VIS

COKER, JENNIFER & JEFFREY

DOKTOR, THOMAS & KATHLEEN

DRAKE, KENNETH

DUVAL, RYAN

DYBIAC, LESLIE

ELPHINGSTONE, MEGAN

ENTERLINE, DAVID & MARILU

FODERARO, MARGARET ANGELA

Fox, TERRENCE & MARY

FRASCH, ROBERT G. & BONNIE

FURBEE, ROGER & RUTH

GARN, ROBERT

GENTILE, JAQUE & PASQUALE

GILDOW, FREDERICK & VIQuI

GRAY, ROBERT H.GREGG, THEODORA LEE

HAMMER, JANET

HART, ERIC SEAN

HERMANN, GARY B.JONES, JAMES

JONES, JOHN

KESSEL, THOMAS

KREUTZER, BARBAR B.KURTZMAN, CLETUS

MARTIN, ROBERT

MEAD WESTVACO FOUNDATION

MECKLENBORG, TODD

MIETTY, WAYNE A.MIKESELL, PATRICK

MILLER- THOMPSON, ELLA

MILLER, EMILY

MITCHELL, JOHN P. & LILLIAN

NELSON, LARRY

OLINGER, JAMES

POST, BOYD W.PREISNER, THADDEUS

PRICE, WILLIAM B.RICE, JOHN & ANITA

RICHARDS, MILLI, THE PROCTOR &GAMBLE FUND

RoSS, MICHAEL

ROTHWELL, GAR

SAUS, GARY

SELTZER, RICHARD

SHOWALTER, ALLAN & CAROL

SKLENAR, CHERYL

SMITH, IVAN K. & LYNN

STEINBACK, JOHN T.STOUT, NORMAN B.STROBEL, JAMES & DONNA

SZABO, BERTALAN, L.TELCORDIA TECHNOLOGIES

TRIBE, CORINNE C.UNGAR, IRWIN & ANA

VERMILLION, ARTHUR & PAULINE

VIERHELLER, TIoiviS & CHENZHAO

WARNE, THOMAS

WEST, FLOYD & MARLENE

WOLF, ROBERT A.WYLIE, STEVEN & SUSAN

*. :: 9GIFTS TO THE DEPARTMENT

The Department has a goal to endow the Environmental & Plant Biology Faculty andStaff Memorial Fund. Created to provide awards to undergraduate students in the

Department, the fund combines several previously unnamed funds. We are, at this time,about $2,000 short of the $15,000 minimun required to create this fund. With just 2 yearsto raise the needed funds, donors are urged to designate their departmental gifts to the

Environmental and Plant Biology Faculty and Staff Memorial Fund in the memosection of their check, or on a separate note. See related story on facing page. As always,

we thank all of our dnors for their generosity!

IN LIEU OF SENDING A CHECK, YOU ALSO MAY MAKE A PLEDGE BY CREDIT CARD. PLEASE CALL 1-800-592-3863OR

PLEDGE ON-LINE AT: WWW.OHIOU.EDU/CAMPAIGN/PLEDGE.HTML

We respect the wishes of donors who wish anonymity and who have requested we not list their names.However, when you make a gift to PBIO, you will receive an acknowledgment from the Chair, Dr. Gar W.Rothwell. If you do not receive a personal acknowledgment, or if your name should, but does not, appear on

this list, please call it to our attention so we can correct the omission. We have found that occasionallydonations intended for Plant Biology are incorrectly deposited in accounts of other departments.

E10 •

ALUMNI NEWS

MIKE DUNN (PhD ‘03) is having a whirlwindfirst semester as a new Assistant Professor atCameron University, Lawton, OK. He isexcited to be teaching and to have found aposition so close to most of his collectinglocalities.

ANN GARIBALDI (BS ‘93) After several yearsworking for the Alaska Natural HeritageProgram and writing a book about thetraditional medicinal plants of Alaskannatives, Ann is now in a MS program atUniversity of Victoria, BC. She writes thatshe’s not exaggerating when she says that herdegree at OU has served her extremely well.Her current committee members commented

•: ‘

on her excellent training and experience from:. : her undergraduate days, and she flow

‘

appreciates how outstanding the faculty andsetting were for her learning, providing asolid foundation for her subsequent work atthe Heritage Program and beyond. Ann’swork in Alaska is highlighted on the PBIOAlumni web page. Check it out.

SPOTLIGHT ON ALUMS

MEGAN GRoss (BS ‘96) was spotted this ...

summer finishing up an 18 month stint • ‘ • .

volunteering in Eastern Europe. Aftercompleting her BS, she earned an MS in PlantPathology from Purdue and then spentseveral years working with the Colorado StateExtension Service. While in Europe, Meganworked on a series of farms, providing laborand advice concerning agricultural practices.

VIRGINIA ‘GINNY’ MORAN (BS ‘83; MS 86) is soleproprietor of Ecological Outreach Services(EOS), an ecological consulting company, andteaches biology part-time at a local community college. She visited the department lastspring and enjoyed seeing old friends although it reminded her of the passage oftime. She feels her botany education from OUhas served her well and she exhorts studentsto investigate ‘Field Biology, an exhilaratingsubdiscipline of biology’ and to get out intothe field as much as possible.Chamise@juno.com.

CARRIE (RAILING) MADDEN (MS ‘99) is teachingadvanced biology in a small high school witha strong reputation in Beaver, PA. She reports that she has successfully introducedbotany into the curriculum, where previouslythere was none to be found. Crailz@aol.com

BERTALAN ‘BERT’ SZABO (BSAGR ‘47; MS Botany ‘48) enjoyed a 34 year career with the MetroParks of Summit County, Ohio, retiring in 1991 as the Chief Naturalist. He served on theNatural Areas Council with BILL PRICE (MS ‘55) when it was formed in early 1970. He helpedfound The Association of Interpretive Naturalists which later became the National Association for Interpretation (NAT). He served on the NAT board for 10 years and was honored in2002 as the “Outstanding Senoir/Retired Interpreter” at their national confernce. He also wasinducted into the 2002 Volunteer Hall of Fame for the Summit County Metro Parks. In‘retirement’, he continues to serve on the Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Council; hascompiled the Christmas Bird Count statistics for the Greater Akron Audubon Society for 30years; serves on the Board of Trustees for Friends of Metro Parks; and currently is identifyingand cataloging historical photos and documents for the Park District. He has birded over •

nearly half the world and is pleased to note that PBIO is a member of Organization for Tropi-cal Studies. He recalls that when he was at the Station, it was so beautiful he didn’t want toleave.

VISITORS TO THE DEPARTMENTDean Della Pena - Michigan State University Andrew Knoll - Harvard UniversityIoAnn Banks - Purdue University Kathleen Treseder - Univ. of PennsylvaniaJonathan Cummings - West Virginia Univ. Marcia Kieliszewsky - Ohio UniversityNicole Cavender - The Wilds Henry Stevens - Miami University of OhioBob Golberg - UCLA Richard Sayre - Ohio State UniversityLinda Graham - University of Wisconsin Mark Edlund - St. Croix Watershed Res. Sta. SAndrew Baldwin - Universityof Maryland Jennifer McElwain - Field Museum Nat. Hist.Ben Holt - Univ. of N. Carolina, Chapel Hill Roger Ottmar - Northwest Resource Station

Michelle Zjhra - Kerme State College-NH