News and Updates

We have a lot of new to pass on, from faculty changes and lab upgrades to College of Sciences and Arts Academy Inductees and Bioathlon winners.

New Faculty

Ebenezer Tumban

Ebenezer Tumban joined the Department of Biological Sciences as an assistant professor, coming from the University of New Mexico. He received a PhD in Molecular Biology from New Mexico State University and a Master’s in Biology from New Mexico Highlands University. Tumban has been researching virus-like particles to try to increase the immunogenicity of less immunogenic human papilloma virus (HPV) antigens. He has developed two candidate vaccines for the prevention of HPV.

• Rupali Datta—2013 from Associate Professor with Tenure to Professor with Tenure
• Nancy Auer—2013 from Associate Professor with Tenure to Professor with Tenure
• Guiliang Tang—2014 from Associate Professor to Associate Professor with Tenure
• Casey Huckins—2015 from Associate Professor with Tenure to Professor with Tenure
• Amy Marcarelli—2015 from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor with Tenure

Faculty Retirements

Alice Soldan

Specializing in clinical immunology, among other areas, Alice Soldan keeps coming back to the rewards of her teaching career in medical laboratory science. “I enjoyed watching students develop confidence and gather expertise in their profession as they progressed through the university experience,” she says.

So far, she says, retirement has been just as exciting as beginning her laboratory career. “I garden and cook from scratch, belong to a small tai chi group, and do quite a bit of local volunteer work,” she says. “I also stay in contact with many alumni by Facebook and email (afsold@up.net), and encourage alumni to friend or email me if they want to keep in touch.”

She has also worked to establish the Soldan MLS 4+1 Scholarship. “This new scholarship is designed to help MLS 4+1 students make it through their clinical practicum,” she says. “The practicum is a special burden for 4+1 students because there is generally no financial assistance available for them. While they’ve already earned their degree, they're still in training and not earning a salary.”

Susan Bagley

Susan Bagley, professor emerita of environmental microbiology, retired in 2013. During her career, she specialized in fermentation, metabolomics, and proteomics of bio-based fuels and bio-plastics; microbial bioremediation; mutagenicity and toxicity of environmental pollutants; and control of microbial contaminants in environmental systems.

Since retiring, Bagley has kept active with the American Society for Microbiology and the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology. She also spends as much time as possible at the family cabin in northern Minnesota. “I miss interacting with students,” she says, “but I still serve on graduate student thesis committees and keep in touch with my colleagues at Michigan Tech. All in all, retirement is great and highly recommended!”

Thomas Snyder

Also retiring was Thomas Snyder, whose specialty is genetics and molecular evolution. Since earning his PhD from the University of Kansas in 1976, his research has focused on the molecular basis of sex determination and genetic changes that accompany speciation events in biting diptera, and biochemical systematics of closely related taxa.

During his tenure as faculty, Snyder was perhaps best known for his annual trips to the Bahamas, where he brought students to experience a rich array of habitats that would otherwise not be possible. He went on sabbatical in 2004 to learn the techniques of pollen analysis for use in a paleoecological study of the vegetative history of San Salvador in the Bahamas. "The time spent in the field on San Salvador allowed me to visit many sites and habitats I had not had the opportunity to visit previously with students," he explained in his post-sabbatical report.

Great Lakes Research Center: An Investment in State, National, and Global Freshwater Resources

The new Great Lakes Research Center includes aquatic laboratories, a hydraulics lab, coastal research instrumentation, boathouse facilities, offices, and conference rooms, providing a home at Michigan Tech for interdisciplinary research and education related to the Great Lakes. Four biological sciences faculty members have their labs and offices in the GLRC.

Biological Sciences Teaching Labs in the MEEM Upgraded

The department is pleased to announce several significant upgrades to the 11th floor MEEM instructional laboratories. These labs serve most of our first- and second-year courses, our non-majors course, anatomy and physiology, and the medical laboratory sciences curriculum. They also support numerous Summer Youth Program sessions as well as two of our outreach activities: Bioathlon and our high school visit program. The labs were first renovated in 1999, and after 15 years of use, several have received much-needed painting and casework upgrades—especially the sink areas. The most visible improvement was putting vinyl tile down in the teaching portions of the labs. Faculty and graduate teaching assistants have commented on how much brighter and cheerier the labs look and feel.

On the technology side, three labs had significant computer projection upgrades to classroom level systems, and students can now take full advantage of online resources, lecture support, and in-class student presentations.

Of course, a lab runs on its equipment. In addition to facility upgrades, we’ve replaced outdated equipment in the medical laboratory science lab and added dozens of new microscopes to general biology and anatomy and physiology labs.

Over the next year we plan to continue refreshing paint and replacing old casework. We have one more lab that needs to have its computer projection system upgraded. For the next steps, we’ll be evaluating our needs in support of molecular biology, plant biology, and anatomy and physiology. Watch this space next year for additional updates and upgrades.

Calumet High School Places First in 26th Annual Bioathlon

A team of high school students from Calumet High School took top honors in Michigan Tech’s annual Bioathlon. A team from West Iron County High School placed second and a team from A.D. Johnston High School in Bessemer was third.

Bioathlon’s goal is to stimulate interest in biology and in problem-solving among high school students. Teams from 15 Upper Peninsula high schools participated. Each team consisted of four students who have not taken biology classes beyond the traditional sophomore general biology course.

The teams tackled the same four problems: dissection of a dogfish shark, biochemical effects on enzymes, field identification, and a medical laboratory science challenge.

A workshop on animal migration was offered for the teachers who accompanied the students to the competition. Undergraduate and graduate students and biology faculty participated in designing the problems and supervising the competition.

Recent Biological Sciences Inductees to the College of Sciences and Arts Academy

Carol A. Kolinsky '74 Inducted in 2014

Carol A. Kolinsky ‘74 was employed for six years as a medical technologist before returning to school to earn her medical degree from Michigan State University, graduating in 1984. She completed a one-year rotating internship at the William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak and two years of family practice in Tiptonville, TN. She returned to William Beaumont Hospital and completed an ophthalmology residency. In June of 1990, Kolinsky opened her private practice in Escanaba and soon after the practice started, she formed U.P. Ophthalmology as a professional corporation in practice with Darrell Kohli.

She is an active member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Michigan State Medical Society, Delta County Medical Society, and Michigan Ophthalmologic Society. She has twice been chair of the Department of Surgery at St. Francis Hospital in Escanaba and has also served as chief of staff.

Jeffrey R. Haskins '86 Inducted in 2012

Jeffrey Haskins received dual BS degrees in Biological Sciences and Chemistry from Michigan Tech in 1986. He earned an MS in Toxicology from the University of Michigan in 1988, continuing for a PhD in Environmental Health Sciences in 1998.

Haskins's professional career began in 1988 at the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn as an industrial toxicologist for North American plant operations. In 1989, Haskins joined Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Research in Ann Arbor—he was involved in the discovery and development of pharmaceuticals such as Lipitor, Lyrica, Nipent, Accupril, and Penetrex.

In 2001, Haskins accepted a position as senior director of assay feasibility for Cellomics, Inc., a small start-up company in Pittsburgh specializing in the development of in-vitro cell-based assays, analytical instrumentation and software. In 2003, Haskins became vice president, technology and product development, and is currently site leader and director of research and development for cellular imaging products for Thermo Fisher.

Mary Janet Kachmarsky Knapp '72 Inducted in 2013

MJ Kachmarsky Knapp graduated from Michigan Tech in three years with BS degrees in Biology and Pre-Med. She furthered her medical education at Georgetown University and Wayne State University, earning her Master’s in Physiology and Pharmacology, summa cum laude. Her research in blood coagulation under Walter Seegers included studies of Antithrombin III, Thrombin, and Heparin. MJ graduated from Michigan State University’s medical school in 1977. She also conducted independent research in community medicine with a graduate assistantship and was lead project medical school tutor in physiology, microbiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology. During her medical residency, she served as a volunteer physician at the Common Ground Crisis Center, Birmingham, Michigan, a post she held for 14 years.

MJ continues more than 34 years as a clinical professor of medicine at Michigan State and Detroit Medical Center, and has been a physician in private practice for 36 years.

Gary L. Fahnenstiel '80 Inducted in 2012

Gary Fahnenstiel earned his BS in Biology and Chemistry at Eastern Michigan University in 1978, but his vocation started at Tech, where he had the chance to engage in research on Lake Superior as an MS student in biological sciences. He pursued a doctorate at the University of Michigan and worked as a research scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Gary has had a long and productive career engaged in the study of the Lakes, having published more than 130 scientific papers. He has served as a member of the steering committee for the Great Lakes Initiative of the National Coastal Ocean Program at NOAA and was associate editor of The Journal of Great Lakes Research.

Recently, Gary has been deeply involved in projects related to the impact of nonindigenous species and climate change on the Lakes. He notes that without the valuable experience and education he received at Michigan Tech, his life journey would have been very different and likely less rewarding. He rejoined Tech as a senior scientist in the newly opened Great Lakes Research Center in 2012.

Biological Sciences Announces Scholarship Winners

Karyn Fay, director, medical laboratory sciences program, and Stacy Cotey, academic advisor, are pleased to announce the following departmental scholarships.

Departmental Scholar

• 2014-15 Jade Ortiz
• 2013-14 Lisa Diduch

Jack Holland Endowed Scholarship

Larissa Kramer

Medical Technology "Tech Is" Award Scholarship

Luke Dalton

Soldan 4+1 Annual Scholarship

Brook Bedore

Kathy Jean Jensen Scholarship

• Luke Dalton
• Misty Brouillete
• Carine Netch-Tokam
• Brittany Erickson
• Valerie Taglione
• Alyssa Vinckier

Medical Alumni Scholarship

• Courtney De Cramer
• Rebecca Mills
• Abigail Meisel
• Mindy Harrington
• Ted Ylitalo

More information on these and other departmental scholarships are available on our giving page.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.