Biology Faculty

Department of Biology Faculty Research 2010-2011
Key: date and institution of terminal degree, year of appointment at Georgia Southern (in parentheses), current research interests, and recent representative research publications; IAP: Institute of Arthropodology and Parasitology

Apanaskevich, Dmitry A.

Assistant Professor of Biology and Assistant Curator of the US National Tick Collection, Ph.D., Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian Federation 2004 (2007).

Research interests:
Major Research Interests include: taxonomy of ixodid ticks (family Ixodidae), phylogeny of ixodid ticks (family Ixodidae), & host-parasite relationships of ixodid ticks (family Ixodidae). See Home Page.

Representative publications:

Apanaskevich D.A., Filippova N.A. and Horak I.G. 2010. The genus Hyalomma Koch, 1844. X. Redescription of all parasitic stages of H. (Euhyalomma) scupense Schulze, 1919 (= H. detritum Schulze) (Acari: Ixodidae) and notes on its biology. Folia Parasitologica 57: 69-78.
Guglielmone A.A., Robbins R.G, Apanaskevich D.A., Petney T.N., Estrada-Pena A. and Horak I.G. 2009. Comments on controversial tick (Acari: Ixodida) species names and species described or resurrected from 2003 to 2008. Experimental and Applied Acarology 48: 311-327.

Beati, Lorenza

Associate Professor of Biology and Curator of the US National Tick Collection, M.D., Ph.D., Université de Lausanne, Switzerland 1987 (2007).

Research interests:
I am particularly interested in studying systematic relationships among arthropod groups that are responsible for the transmission of diseases to animals and man (ticks and sand flies). Most of my work is based on molecular analyses. Ongoing projects in my laboratory include: (a) the study of the evolutionary history and phylogeography of Neotropical Amblyomma species, (b) the analysis of the genetic structure of Amblyomma cajennense, (c) the development of molecular tools for linking immature and adult tick specimens, (d) the study of population genetic of Ixodes scapularis, the vector of Lyme disease in the U.S., and (e) a revision of the phylogeny of Lutzomyia sand flies, vectors of Leishmania in South America. Ultimately, by providing tools for a finer identification and classification of arthropod vectors, my research contributes to a better understanding of the association between vectors/vertebrate hosts/pathogens – an essential step towards the development of adequate disease prevention strategies. See Home Page.

Representative publications:

L. Beati, J. E. Keirans, L. A. Durden, and M. D. Opiang. Bothriocroton oudemansi (Neumann, 1910) comb. nov. (Acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae), an ectoparasite of the long-beaked echidna in Papua New Guinea: redescription of the male and first description of the female and nymph. (Systematic Parasitology, in press).
L. Beati, A. G. Caceres, E. A. B. Galati, J. A. Lee, L. E. Munstermann. Systematic relationships of Lutzomyia sand flies (Diptera; Psychodidae) based on the analysis of 12S and 28S ribosomal DNA sequences. International Journal for Parasitology, 2004, 34: 225-234.

Cawthorn, J. Michelle

Associate Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Bowling Green State University, 1989 (2006).

Research interests:
My research interests are the ecology and behavior of small mammals (such as shrews and harvest mice), as well as the physiological ecology of vertebrates. I am particularly interested in the natural history of little known mammals that are often difficult to capture and work with.

Representative publications:

Cawthorn, J.M., D. Morris, E.D. Ketterson, and V. Nolan Jr. 1998. Influence of experimentally elevated testosterone on nest defence in dark-eyed juncos. Animal Behaviour 56(3):617-621.
Klukowski, L. A., J. M. Cawthorn, E. D. Ketterson, and V. Nolan, Jr. 1997. Effects of experimentally elevated testosterone on plasma corticosteroid binding globulin in dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis). General and Comparative Endocrinology 108(1):141-151.

Chandler, C. Ray

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Bowling Green State University, 1989 (1995).

Research interests:
Research in my lab focuses on the behavior, ecology, and conservation of birds and other terrestrial vertebrates. Major themes in my projects and those of my students include habitat selection and management (e.g., use of managed pine savannas by grassland birds in the southeast), morphological and behavioral strategies associated with migration (e.g., evolution of wing shape in migrant birds, stopover ecology of migrants), hormones and behavior (e.g., effects of testosterone on alternative reproductive strategies in male birds), and conservation biology (e.g., management of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers). See Home Page.

Representative publications:

Clotfelter, ED, CR Chandler, V Nolan Jr., and ED Ketterson. 2007. The influence of exogenous testosterone on the dynamics of nestling provisioning in dark-eyed juncos. Ethology 113:18-25.

Noel, BL, and CR Chandler. 2008. Spatial distribution and site fidelity of non-breeding Piping Plovers on a Georgia barrier island. Waterbirds 31:249-259.

Claiborne, James B.

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Univ. of Miami, 1981 (1983).

Research interests:
We study the physiological systems involved with the regulation of salts, water and pH in aquatic organisms. We do our research on a variety of bony fish and sharks, both at GSU and during the summer at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, a marine laboratory near Bar Harbor, Maine. In a fashion analogous to the mammalian kidney, fish use their gills to transfer ions between their blood and the surrounding water. Our experiments examine these systems both in vivo and at the molecular level.
Our current NSF project focuses on the molecular and immunological detection of the RNA and protein(s) which allow these fish to excrete hydrogen in exchange for external sodium across the gills. Our laboratory was the first to demonstrate the presence of this Na+/H+ antiporter in the fish gill and we are now in the process of determining the distribution and regulation of this protein during physiological challenges to the animal. See Home Page.

Representative publications:

Edwards, S.L., Weakley, J.C , Diamanduros, A.W., & Claiborne, J.B. (2010). Molecular identification of Na⁺/H⁺ exchanger isoforms (NHE2) in the gills of the euryhaline teleost Fundulus heteroclitus. J Fish Biology 76: 415–426. (abstract)

Claiborne, J. B., Choe, K. P., Edwards, S. L., Evans, D. H., Freiji, A., Havird, J., Morrison-Shetlar, A. I., and Weakley, J. C. (2008). Molecular detection and immunological localization of gill Na⁺/H⁺ exchange (NHE2) in the dogfish (Squalus acanthias). Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 294:1092-1102. (abstract; full text)

Cohen, Risa A.

Assistant Professor of Biology, Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles, 2003 (2006).

Research interests:
My research interests include nutrient dynamics and water quality, wetland restoration ecology, disturbance ecology, and wetland community structure. In particular, the aim of my work is to examine how changes in aquatic environments (freshwater, estuarine, marine and wetland) affect organisms, communities, and ecosystems, and how I could use information about these ecosystems to address applied issues, including monitoring, conservation and restoration. See Home Page.

Representative publications:

Cohen, R.A. and A.M. Bradham. 2010. Uptake of N isotopes by Myriophyllum spicatum is not selective. Aquatic Botany 92(4): 227-232.

Cohen, R.A., Walker, K. and E.J. Carpenter. 2009. Polysaccharide addition effects on rhizosphere nitrogen fixation rates of the California cordgrass, Spartina foliosa. Wetlands 29(3): 1063-1069.

Colón-Gaud, Checo

Assistant Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Southern Illinois University, 2008 (2010).

Research interests:
Stream and river ecology; Freshwater invertebrate ecology; Consumer-resource linkages in aquatic food webs. See Home Page.

Representative publications:

Colón-Gaud, C., M.R. Whiles, R. Brenes, S.S. Kilham, K.R. Lips, C.M. Pringle, S. Connelly, R. Brenes, and S.D. Peterson. 2010. Potential functional redundancy and resource facilitation between tadpoles and insect grazers in tropical headwater streams. Freshwater Biology 55: 2077-2088
Colón-Gaud, C., M.R. Whiles, K.R. Lips, C.M. Pringle, S.S. Kilham, S. Connelly, R. Brenes, and S.D. Peterson. 2010. Stream invertebrate responses to a catastrophic decline in consumer diversity. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 29: 1185-1198

Copeland, Jonathan

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., State University of New York at Stony Brook, 1975 (1991).

Research interests:

Neurobiology and Toxicology
My research involves field and laboratory studies of the way the nervous system controls behavior and how behavior can be modulated by environmental influences. Field studies take place in Great Smoky Mountain National Park, on the coast of Georgia and its barrier islands, in Jamaica, and in Southeast Asia. Laboratory research takes place on Georgia Southern's Statesboro and Skidaway Island campuses.
Recent bioluminescence work focuses on the physiological and behavioral control of synchronic flashing in North American fireflies. Recent toxicological work focuses on behavioral toxicology of grass shrimp and mud snails in response to focal environment pollutants.

Representative publications:

Copeland, J., K. Fitzpatrick, and A. Moiseff (2001). Control of synchrony in a Georgia (U.S.A.) firefly. Bioluminescence in Progress, Academic Press, NY
Moiseff, A. and J. Copeland (2000). A new type of synchrony in a North American firefly. Jounral of Insect Behavior 391-397.

Cutler, Chris

Associate Professor of Biology, Ph.D., University of St Andrews, UK, 1990 (2003).

Research interests:
Ion and water transport and osmoregulation in fish. My research encompasses mostly molecular biological/physiological aspects of the above and I have mainly specialized in research on the euryhaline European Eel. I have also worked on other teleost fish (Atlantic Salmon, Brown/Rainbow Trout, European Flounder, Sea Bass and Turbot, as well as some elasmobranch fishes including the European Spotted Dogfish, Spiny Dogfish and the BullShark. See Home Page.

Representative publications:

Martinez A.-S., Cutler C. P., Wilson G., Phillips C., Hazon N. and Cramb G. (2005) Regulation of expression of two aquaporin homologues in the intestine of the European eel: Effects of seawater acclimation and cortisol treatment. Am. J. Physiol. 288: R1733-43.

Mahmmoud Y.A., Cramb G., Maunsbach A.B., Cutler C.P., Meischke L. and Cornelius F. (2003) Regulation of Na,K-ATPase by PLMS, the phospholemman-like-protein from shark. Molecular cloning, expression, cellular distribution and functional effects of PLMS. . J. Biol. Chem. 278: 37427-37438.

Danilowicz, Bret S.

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Duke University, 1994 (2004).

Research interests:
My students and I work together in exploring the ecology of fishes. We generally use nested spatial scales in field sampling programs, supplemented by laboratory-based analyses, to explore the dispersal of ichthyoplankton (eggs and larvae of fish), and the consequences of this dispersal on the ecology of fish populations and assemblages. Field-based programs include collections and surveys using a combination of diving, and sampling from small and large vessels. Our laboratory-based analyses include otoliths increment analyses (for growth and age estimates), otolith composition, and enumeration of ichthyoplankton samples. Generally, my students and I use multivariate analytical and statistical techniques to infer the movement of fish, and to place their findings into the context of metapopulation biology. See Home Page.

Representative publications:

Nolan, Cormac, Bret S. Danilowicz. 2008. Advantages of using crest nets to sample presettlement larvae of reef fishes in the Caribbean Sea. Fishery Bulletin. 106(2): 213-211.
Brophy, Deirdre, Bret S. Danilowicz, Pauline King. 2006. Evidence of spawning season fidelity and natal homing in sympatric populations of Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus L.). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 63(3): 607-616.

Durden, Lance A.

Associate Professor, Member IAP, Ph.D., University of London, 1981 (1992).

Research interests:
Systematics, ecology, and vector competence of ectoparasites of vertebrates; general entomology; emerging diseases. See Home Page.

Representative publications:

Durden, L. A., Merker, S. M., and Beati, L. 2008. The tick fauna of Sulawesi, Indonesia (Acari: Ixodoidea: Argasidae and Ixodidae). Experimental and Applied Acarology 45: 85-110.
Mullen, G. R., and Durden, L. A. (editors). 2009. Medical and veterinary entomology. 2nd edition. Academic Press/Elsevier Science, San Diego. xvii + 637 pp.

Fang, Q. Quentin

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Kansas State University, 1993 (1996).

Research interests:
Molecualr evolution, tick molecular vector biology, tick/host/pathogen relation, arthropod molecular systematics and population genetics. See Home Page.

Representative publications:

Zhu, Yuchen and Q. Q. Fang, 2009. The phylogenetic relationships of introduced Aphelinus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), biological control agents of the Russian wheat aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae). Insect Science 16(3): 277-285.
Weese, David A., Denson K. McLain, Ann E. Pratt, and Quentin Q. Fang. 2009. Population structure of the Atlantic sand fiddler crab Uca pugilator along the eastern coast of US revealed by molecular data. Current Zoology, 55(2): 150-157.
Quentin Q. Fang and Oscar J. Pung. 2009. Chapter 21, Anti-tick Vaccine Development: Status and Perspectives. In: Recent Advances in Entomological Research: From Molecular Biology to Pest Management. Tong-Xian Liu and Le Kang (Eds.), Higher Education Press, Beijing, 2009.

French, Frank E.

Professor Emeritus of Biology, Member IAP, Ph.D., Iowa State Univ., 1962 (1969).

Research interests:
Med-Vet Entomology: especially horse fly (Tabanidae) populations and their symbiotic bacteria, Spiroplasma. Holistic laboratory and field studies including ecology, morphology, and relationships to disease.

Representative publications:

Gasparich, G. E., K. J. Hackett, F. E. French and R. F. Whitcomb. 1998. Serologic and genomic relatedness of group XIV spiroplasma isolates from a lampyrid beetle and tabanid flies: an ecologic paradox. Int. J. Sys. Bacteriol. 48: 321-324.
French, Frank E., Robert F. Whitcomb, Joseph G. Tully, Patricia Carle, Joseph M. BovÈ, Roberta B. Henegar, Jean Adams, Gail E. Gasparich, and David L. Williamson. 1997. Spiroplasma lineolae, sp. nov., from the horse fly Tabanus lineola (Diptera: Tabanidae). Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 47: 1078-1081.

George, Sophie B.

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Univ. of Paris, 1990 (1995).

Research interests:

My main focus has been, studing population differences in egg size, egg numbers, egg content and larval development of various echinoderms. I am interested in studying not only how food availability affects the reproductive output but also how salinity affects the distribution and abundance of echinoderms
I Colloborate with scientists at Georgia Southern University, University of South Florida, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography and Friday Harbor Labs, University of Washington on various research projects ranging from growth of echinoderm larvae to metamorphic competence on mixed algal diets, phenotypic plasticity of sea star larvae, studies on artificial diets for edible sea urchins, to development of a mathematical model for marine invertebrates with planktotrophic and lecithotropic larval development.
Students in my laboratory are involved in projects such as a) behavioural and morphological changes of echinoderm larvae exposed to different salinity gradients in static and flow systems
b) field and laboratory studies on population dynamics and reproductive output of sand dollars on different barrier islands along the Georgia coast. See Home Page.

Representative publications:

George, S.B., Fox, Colleen, Wakeham, S.G. (2008) Fatty acid composition of larvae of the sand dollar Dendraster excentricus (Echinodermata) might reflect FA composition of the diets. Aquaculture 285: 167-173.

George, S.B. & Walker, Devoc. (2007) Short-term fluctuation in salinity promotes rapid development and metamorphosis of Dendraster excentricus larvae. Journal of experimental marine Biology and Ecology. 348:113-130.

Gleason, Daniel F.

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., University of Houston, 1992 (1996).

Research interests:
My students and I combine manipulative experiments with laboratory techniques, such as HPLC, DNA fingerprinting, and allozyme electrophoresis, to address questions related to the ecology of marine invertebrates. Combining these approaches allows us to address problems at multiple scales of organization ranging from physiological to population level processes.
My research is directed into three major areas currently:
1) the role of environmental stresses, especially ultraviolet radiation, in the ecology of marine invertebrates.
2) the evolutionary and ecological importance of various reproductive modes in enhancing fertilization success and maintaining local populations in Caribbean corals and other benthic invertebrates.
3) recruitment processes of benthic marine invertebrates.
While much of my field work takes place in tropical marine systems, I am also involved in research projects along the the Georgia coast. One current local project involves studies of the benthic invertebrate fauna and recruitment processes at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. See Home Page.

Representative publications:

Freeman, Christopher J. and Daniel F. Gleason. 2010. Chemical defenses, nutritional quality, and structural components in three sponge species: Ircinia felix, I. campana, and Aplysina fulva. Marine Biology 157:1083-1093. (Note: downloadable PDF available at my web site)
Gleason, Daniel F., Bret R. Danilowicz, and Cormac J. Nolan. 2009. Reef waters stimulate substratum exploration in planulae from brooding Caribbean corals. Coral Reefs 28:549-554. (Note: downloadable PDF available at my web site)

Harrison, J. Scott

Assistant Professor of Biology (2006).

Research interests:
Ecological and evolutionary genetics of marine invertebrates. Topics of interest include: speciation and the genetic mechanisms involved in hybrid breakdown, patterns of genetic variation within and among natural populations, and the genetic basis of ecological tolerances or limits.

Representative publications:

Harrison, J.S. and R.S. Burton. 2006. Tracing hybrid incompatibilities to single amino acid substitutions. Molecular Biology and Evolution 23(3): 559-564.
Harrison, J. S. and S. Edmands. 2006. Chromosomal basis of viability differences in Tigriopus californicus interpopulation hybrids. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 19(6): 2040-2051.

Harvey, Alan W.

Associate Professor of Biology, Ph.D., University of Arizona, 1988 (1998).

Research interests:
Evolutionary, ecological, and behavioral investigations of plant-arthropod protective mutualisms
Evolutionary ecology of invasive species
Population ecology of yellow jackets and hornets
Systematics and biogeography of arthropods See Home Page.

Representative publications:

Harvey, A. W. 2009. Extrafloral nectaries in kudzu, Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr., and groundnut, Apios americana Medicus (Fabaceae). Castanea 74 (4).

Boyko, C. B. & A. W. Harvey. 2009. Phylogenetic systematics and biogeography of the sand crab families Albuneidae and Blepharipodidae (Crustacea: Anomura: Hippoidea). Invertebrate Systematics 23: 1-18.

Hattaway, Bobby

Lecturer, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University (2003). See Home Page.

Irby, William S.

Associate Professor, Member IAP, Ph.D., North Carolina State University, 1987 (1988).

Research interests:
Arthropod vector-host-pathogen interactions. Dynamics of blood digestion in mosquitoes.

Representative publications:

James A. Comer, William S. Irby and Darrell M. Kavanaugh (1994). Hosts of Lutzomyia shannoni (Diptera: Psychodidae) in relation to vesicular stomatitis virus on Ossabaw Island, Georgia, U.S.A. Medical and Veterinary Entomology 8:325-330.
Irby, W.S. and C.S. Apperson. (1992). Spatial and temporal distribution of resting female mosquitoes in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina. J. Med. Entomol. 29: 150-159.

Leege, Lissa M.

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1997 (1998).

Research interests:
Plant population and community ecology, ecology and management of rare plants and non-native plant invasions, fire ecology, sand dune ecology, plant defense against herbivores. See Home Page.

Representative publications:

Leege, Lissa M. and Michelle J. Cawthorn. (2008) Environmental service learning reinforces classroom concepts and engenders environmental responsibility. Journal of College Science Teaching 37: 54-58.

Heckel, Christopher and L.M. Leege. (2007) Life history and reproductive biology of the endangered Trillium reliquum. Plant Ecology. 189 (1):49-57.

Lewis, Johanne M.

Assistant Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada 2008 (2010).

Research interests:
My research focuses on the physiological and biochemical adaptations of animals to environmental challenges (temperature, oxygen, salinity etc). As a comparative physiologist I'm particularly interested in those animal specialists that have evolved unique mechanisms that allow them to live and thrive in extreme and fluctuating environments.

Representative publications:

J.M. Lewis, T.S. Hori, M.L. Rise, P.J. Walsh and S. Currie. 2010. Transcriptome responses to heat stress in the nucleated red blood cells of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Physiological Genomics 42: 361 - 373.

J.M. Lewis and W.R. Driedzic. 2007. Tissue specific changes in protein synthesis associated with seasonal metabolic depression and recovery in the north temperature labrid, Tautogolabrus adspersus. American Journal of Physiology, Regulatory and Integrative Physiology. 293: R474-R481.

McBrayer, Lance D.

Associate Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Ohio University. 2002 (2005).

Research interests:
My research interests lie in organismal ecology which encompasses behavior, functional morphology, and evolution. I primarily use small reptiles as a model system and have done studies on feeding behavior, foraging ecology, and space use in various lizard species.
I am also the curator of the Savannah Science Museum’s herpetology collection. This collection contains ~36,000 specimens of amphibians and reptiles and provides a rich source of natural history data to this region. If you are interested in visiting the herpetology collection, visit my home page for more information. See Home Page.

Representative publications:

Anderson, RA, LD McBrayer and A. Herrel. 2008. Bite force in vertebrates: opportunities and caveats for use of a nonpareil whole-animal performance measure. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 93: 709-720.
Reilly, SM, LD McBrayer, and DB Miles. 2007. Lizard Ecology: The Evolutionary Consequences of Foraging Mode. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK. 531 pp.

McLain, Denson Kelly

Professor of Biology, Member IAP, Ph.D., Emory Univ., 1982 (1987).

Research interests:
The influence of sexual selection on the behavioral ecology and genetic structure on populations, especially with regard to the economics of mate choice and speciation.

Representative publications:

McLain, D.K. 2001. Evolution of transcript structure and base composition of rDNA expansion segment D3 in ticks. Heredity 87: 544-557.
Pratt, A.E. and Mclain, D.K. 2002. Antisymmetry in male fiddler crabs and the decision to feed or breed. Functional Ecology 16:89-98.

Mondor, Edward B.

Assistant Professor of Biology (2006).

Research interests:
In the most general sense, my research attempts to understand how inter- and intra-specific variation (i.e., genotypic and phenotypic diversity) allows organisms to persist in novel environments, and the resulting effects on community and ecosystem functioning. I currently conduct research on the following topics: chemical ecology, global climate change, insect behaviour, insect ecology, invasive species, mutualistic interactions, phenotypic plasticity
** Currently accepting applications for MSc students, to begin Fall 2010!** See Home Page.

Representative publications:

Mondor, E. B., Rosenheim, J. A. and J. F. Addicott (2008). Mutualist-induced transgenerational polyphenisms in cotton aphid populations. Functional Ecology 22: 157-162.
Mondor, E.B., and J. F. Addicott (2007). Do exaptations facilitate mutualistic associations between invasive and native species? Biological Invasions 9: 623-628.

Nayduch, Dana

Associate Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Clemson University, 2001 (2004).

Research interests:
In a broad sense, I am interested in symbiotic associations between arthropods and microbes (bacteria, protozoa). My research examines the symbiosis between houseflies and bacteria for which they serve as mechanical vectors. The ultimate goal will be to elucidate factors (genetic, physiological, physical) that either promote, or deter, fly/bacteria symbioses and thereby affect overall vector potential. Current projects in my laboratory include surveys of wild-caught houseflies for pathogenic bacteria, and evaluating the role of the housefly immune system in microbial symbioses.
Please go to my home page to read more about my research interests, current lab members, and lab openings. See Home Page.

Representative publications:

Nayduch, D. and Aksoy, S. 2006. Primed and ready: refractoriness in tsetse may be a matter of timing. Submitted.
Nayduch, D., Noblet, G.P., Stutzenberger, F.J. 2006. Fate of Aeromonas caviae in the midgut of the housefly, Musca domestica. Invert. Biol. 124(1):74-78.

Oliver, James H. Jr.

Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Biology, and Director Institute of Arthropodology & Parasitology. Ph.D., Univ. of Kansas 1962 (1969).

Research interests:
Reproductive physiology, ecology, host-parasite relationships and Lyme disease, and genetic studies on ticks and mites. See Home Page.

Representative publications:

Oliver, J.H., Jr., K.L Clark, F.W.Chandler, L.Tao, A.M.James, C.W.Banks, L.O.Huey, A.R.Banks, D.C.Williams, L.A.Durden. (2000). Isolation, Cultivation, and Characterization of Borrelia burgdorferi from Rodents and Ticks in the Charleston Area of South Carolina. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 38: 120-124.
Oliver, J.H., Jr.(1996). Lyme Borreliosis in the Southern United States: A Review. Journal of Parasitology. 82(6): 926-935.

Parrish, John W.

Professor Emeritus of Biology, Ph.D., Bowling Green State Univ., 1974 (1988).

Research interests:
Avian ecology and physiology. Raptor biology, avian and mammalian visual mechanisms, avian bioenergetics, nutrition, and UV mechanisms in birds and insects. For the past 15 years we have looked at the demographics and genetics of the threatened, Southeastern American Kestrel (Falco sparverius paulus) along the Coastal Plain of the southeastern U.S. We recently discovered the largest Southereastern Kestrel population in the state of Georgia (more than 275 breeding pairs), which is breeding in tubular 230kV transmission towers in central and, south-central Georgia. I also have been looking at the wintering ecology of American Kestrels, Baltimore & Bullock's Orioles, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Hermit Trushes, and Painted Buntings, as well as breeding ecology of Horned Larks in the SE Georgia Coastal Plain.
last modified: 8/02/09
See Home Page.

Representative publications:

Refereed Journal Articles:.
Beasley, H.A. and J.W. Parrish, Jr.. 2009. Breeding population of Southeastern American Kestrels in tubular cross-armed transmission towers in south-central Georgia. Journal of Raptor Research (in Press).
Maney, P.L. and J.W. Parrish, Jr. 2007. American Kestrel nesting in tubular, cross-armed electrical transmission towers in south-central Georgia. Journal of Raptor Research 41:243-246.

Books:
Parrish, John W., Jr., Giff Beaton, and Gregory Kennedy. 2006. Birds of Georgia. Lone Pine Publishing International, Auburn,WA.
Beaton, Giff, Paul W. Sikes, and John W. Parrish, Jr.. 2003. Annotated Checklist of Georgia Birds, 5th Edition, GOS Occas. Publ. No. 14.

Pung, Oscar J.

Professor of Biology, Member IAP, Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1984. (1991).

Research interests:
Parasites!
Effect of infection on host fitness and behavior
In vitro cultivation of digenetic trematodes
How environment and parasite behavior influence disease transmission
Blood parasites of wild mammals and birds
See Home Page.

Representative publications:

Pung, O.J., Ashley R. Burger, Michael F. Walker, Whitney L. Barfield, Micah H. Lancaster, and Christina E. Jarrous. 2009. In vitro cultivation of Microphallus turgidus (Trematoda: Microphallidae) from metacercaria to ovigerous adult with continuation of the life cycle in the laboratory. Journal of Parasitology. 95: 913-919.
Pung, O.J., C.B. Grinstead, K. Kersten, and C.L. Edenfield. 2008. Spatial Distribution of hydrobiid snails in salt marsh along the Skidaway River in Southeastern Georgia with notes on their larval trematode parasites. Southeastern Naturalist. 7: 717-728.

Regassa, Laura

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Ph.D., University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1993. (1999).

Research interests:
Bacteriology and Molecular Biology
Molecular mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis
Molecular systematics
Biology education research

Bacterial pathogenesis: We are working to elucidate regulatory pathways in the swine pathogen Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. A. pleuropneumoniae causes a severe form of swine pleuropneumonia that has a major impact on the pork production industry.
Molecular systematics: We are examining the biodiversity and biogeography of spiroplasma bacteria. Spiroplasmas are ubiquitous organisms that are often found in association with insects or plants, where they can cause diseases such as citrus stubborn or corn stunt.
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: The Biology education research component of my program focuses on student learning in molecular biology.

Representative publications:

Regassa, L.B. and G.E. Gasparich. 2006. Spiroplasmas: Evolutionary relationships and biodiversity. Frontiers in Bioscience. 11:2983-3002.
Jarma, E., G. Corradino and L.B. Regassa. 2004. Anaerobiosis, growth phase and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae RTX toxin production. Microb. Patho. 37:29-33.

Rostal, David C.

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Texas A&M University, 1991 (1993).

Research interests:
Reproductive biology, ecology and conservation biology of reptiles and amphibians. See Home Page.

Representative publications:

David C. Rostal. (2007) Reproductive Physiology of the Ridley Sea Turtle. In: (Pamela Plotkin, ed.) Biology and Conservation of Ridley Sea Turtles, pp. 151-165. Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore, MD.

David C. Rostal. (2005) Seasonal Reproductive Biology of the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii): Comparison of Captive and Wild populations. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 4: 788-800.

Vives, Stephen P.

Department Chair, Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Univ. of Wisconsin, 1988 (1990).

Research interests:
My research is primarily targeted at the behavior, ecology and conservation of fishes. However, I have broad interests in interspecific interactions not targeted at a specific taxonomic group. Currently, I am studying the reproductive behavior of certain species of U.S. minnows. I am particularly interested in how species-specific behavior contributes to community patterns and to our understanding of problems in conservation biology. See Home Page.

Representative publications:

Vives, Stephen P. 2003. Ichthyofaunal Survey of Banks Lake, Grand Bay, Grand Bay Creek, and Shiner Pond: December 2003. Submitted to The Nature Conservancy.
Johnston, Carol E., and Stephen P. Vives. 2003. Sound production in Codoma ornata (Girard) (Cyprinidae). Environmental Biology of Fishes 68: 81-85.

Wolfe, Lorne M.

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1990. (1994).

Research interests:
Plant evolutionary ecology. The relative importance of genetic and ecological factors in biological invasions. The role of mutualistic and antagonistic forces in shaping reproductive strategies in plants.
Faculty advisor to SAGE (Student Alliance for a Green Earth).
See Home Page.

Representative publications:

Blair, A.C. and L. M. Wolfe. 2004. The Evolution of an Invasive Plant: An Experimental Study with Silene latifolia. Ecology 85:3035-3042.
Wolfe, L.M., A.C. Blair and B.M. Penna. 2006. Does intra-specific hybridization contribute to the evolution of invasiveness? Biological Invasions (in press).

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