The good news is that I’m finally back on schedule with the newsletter. Hope that you enjoy it. I’ll see ya next week, for the final newsletter of the Millenium!

Chris Condon, Kelly Deutsch, Meghan Hensel, Katie Hopkins, Rebecca Johnson, Georgia Kraft, Katie Sherman, Adrienne Stohr, Nikki Hemmisch, Kim Burrows, Michael Sand, and Keri Recker attended a seminar "Creating Science Displays" sponsored by the Science Museum in St. Paul. This seminar provided a "behind the scene" tour of the work-in-progress as the new museum puts on the final touches prior to the Grand Opening later this month. Curatorial staff presented their views on displays in 4 areas of the museum - collections, paleontology, the Mississippi River, and the human body. Dr. Larry Davis organized this expedition and was accompanied by Dr. Stephen Saupe. Dr. Davis is also planning to arrange for students in the Spring semester Paleobiology of Dinosaur class to spend an evening at the museum.

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Students Visit Cargill Company Molecular Biology Operations - by Dr. Michael Reagan

On Thursday, Nov. 11, twenty CSB students visited the Cargill Company in Minneapolis, among them four Biology majors. Dr. Reagan accompanied the students. Cargill is one of the largest companies in the U.S. and has recently established a molecular biology lab for the purpose of engineering novel metabolic pathways into organisms. The students were able to meet several CSB alumnae working at Cargill (including '98 Biology graduate Sarah Meyering) and discuss job and internship opportunities at the company. The alumnae were very interested in increasing opportunities for CSB students at the company. It seemed from our conversations with Sarah and the others that the best opportunities for Biology, Chemistry, or Natural Science majors are in the Quality Assurance area. People in this area do a variety of things from checking purity of compounds to attempting to increase yields of products from fermentation vats. Sarah had very good things to say about working for Cargill and the opportunities available within the company once one got one's foot in the door. Unfortunately, it does not appear that there are good opportunities in the Molecular Biology labs for students straight out of college, as these positions generally require an advanced degree or at least five years of experience.

Cargill will likely be at the MN Private College Job Fair which is held Feb. 22-23 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The Career Services office has all of the information for this, so talk to them SOON. The Cargill web site is at: www.cargill.com

Talk to Dr. Reagan if you want to find out more about Cargill and opportunities available there.

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Congratulations to Robert Koch who was accepted into a Ph.D. program in Entomology with a research assistantship position at the University of Minnesota. He will be working in risk assessment and integrated pest management. After graduation from St. John’s in December Bob will begin his studies in Jan. 2000.

Summer Research Opportunity at UT- Houston: We just received information about the University of Texas at Houston Summer Research program. This is very timely considering last issues excellent article by Dr. Reagan about summer research. For information about this program, contact Ms. Debra Samuels, Program Coordinator (713 500 3194; dsamuels@admin4.hsc.uth.thm.edu) or visit their web site at: http://www.uth.tmc.edu/ut_general/ research_acad_aff/eae/general/sumresprog.htm)

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Finding your Ideal Internship Workshops

For more information, contact Jill Farry, CSB/SJU Internship office. PS - You will only need to attend one of these sessions:

• January 11, 3:30pm HAB 102B, CSB
• January 13, 4:30pm Quad 247, SJU
• February 10, 4:30pm Quad 247, SJU
• March 7, 7:30pm HAB 009, CSB

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The American Chemical Society Scholarships for Minority Students

The American Chemical Society, the largest membership organization devoted to the study and advancement of a single science, sponsors a scholarship program for qualified applicants who want to enter the fields for chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering or other chemically-related fields such as environmental science, materials science or toxicology. Awards are made for up to $2500 per academic year and approximately 100 scholarships will be awarded.

To qualify, candidates must be:

• African American, Hispanic/Latino, or American Indian;
• a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.;
• a full-time student at an accredited college, university, or community college;
• a high academic achiever in chemistry or science;
• able to demonstrate evidence of financial need;
• a high school senior, college freshman, sophomore, or junior intending to or already majoring in chemistry , biochemistry, chemical engineering, or a chemically-related field, and planning a career in the chemical sciences or chemical technology.

Applications are due by 15 February 2000 and are available from the External Scholarship Programs office, HAB 103 - CSB, or on-line at www.acs.org/minorityaffairs/

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Jobs at the Thad Cochran National Center for Natural Products Research

The Center has three job openings Field Agronomist, Senior R & D Staff\Horticulturist, and Field Botanist, for individuals with a Bachelor’s Degree. For more information, contact: Administrative Manager; Thad Cochran Research Center, Room 1025; The University of Mississippi; University, MS 38677; (662) 915 - 7250

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Herbarium Curatorial/Museum Specialist Position

The Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona –Tucson seeks candidates for a Curatorial/Museum Specialist position in the University's herbarium. For more information: http://hr2.hr.arizona.edu/16137xadx.htm

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Orphan Medical, Inc. Positions

Orphan Medical is a small pharmaceutical development company

located near Ridgedale on 394 in Minnetonka. Right now there are five unadvertised positions open.

• Data tracker/logger (HS or higher education; medical terminology and database experience helpful).
• Clinical Research Associate (BS or higher; clinical experience helpful).
• Database Manager (BS or higher; database and statistics experience helpful).
• Medical Writer/Publications Manager (MS/MD/PhD with publication experience)
• Biostatistician (MS/PhD with statistical experience)

Plant Puzzler: Seedless Watermelons.

The CSB/SJU Herbarium has initiated a "Plant Puzzler" Competition. Puzzlers will posted every month on the Herbarium bulletin board and also here. To enter the competition, simply send your answer (anyone can participate!) to Dr. S. Saupe via email (ssaupe@csbsju.edu, or snail mail, c/o Biology Department, St. John’s University, Collegeville, MN 56321, campus mail, or simply slide the entry under my office door, SC335). The winner will be selected randomly from among the correct entries. The winner will receive an official CSB/SJU Herbarium Magnet.

Today’s Puzzler:

Have you ever eaten a seedless watermelon? They are mighty tasty and best of all, lack the annoying seeds of the traditional varieties. But – here’s the question - if seedless watermelons don’t have viable seeds (which they don’t), then where does the seed come from that a gardener plants to grow a seedless watermelon?

Submit your answer (via email, letter, or other) to Dr. S. Saupe by December 14, 1999

Herbarium Receives Visitor:

Research Funds for CSB/SJU undergraduate students and faculty.

Funds $$$$ are available to support your independent scholarly research and creative endeavors! Mini-grants (up to $250 per student) will be awarded to students and their faculty mentors for support of artistic projects, musical or theatrical performances, scientific or social science research, and writing and creative work in the humanities.

Support may include, but is not limited to, supplies and small pieces of scientific equipment, paints and paper, clay, scripts or music, xeroxing, mailing costs, interlibrary loan fees, facility rental associated with performances, poster materials, photography, and audio or video recording.

Projects may be on or off campus, for credit or not. No stipends will be paid to students or faculty. Expenses associated with internships are typically not covered by this grants program.

Travel to professional meetings can also be supported. Travel grants (up to a maximum of $500 per student) will pay travel, room and board, and registration fees.

Both mini-grants and travel grants must have the written support of a current CSB/SJU faculty sponsor.

Extending the Classroom Walls: A Unique Biology Course/Research/Field Experience. During the Spring Term 2001, the Biology Department will be offering students a unique opportunity to mix course work with a field research opportunity. This program will be offered as part of the Learning Communities project sponsored by CSB/SJU and the Bush Foundation. Students who enroll in the program will spend the first half of the term on campus studying evolutionary ecology, field research methods, writing, and a related Upper Division Humanities or Senior Seminar. During the second half of the term we will travel to the southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina where we will spend five weeks at the Highlands Biological Station doing field research in this ecologically fascinating area. We will also spend a week on the coastal islands of the Carolina’s or Georgia, examining a very different ecological setting. If you are interested, contact Dr. Poff (Phone 3179; email jpoff).

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Bean Counter Contest – The CSB/SJU Herbarium is sponsoring a contest to guess the number of seeds in the gumball container. The container is in the display case in entryway of the Science Center. If you guess the correct number you will win a brand new introductory biology textbook. All entries must be submitted by December 14th. Submit your entry to Dr. Saupe via snail mail, email (ssaupe@csbsju.edu) or slide a scrap of paper under my office door (SC 329). The winner will be contacted by December 15.

Identify the Seed Contest – If you correctly identify the species of seeds in the gumball container in the display case (common name, scientific name, family) you will also win a brand-new introductory biology text. Entries must be submitted to Dr. Saupe by December 14th. The winner will be contacted by December 15th.

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Looking for a good place to study?

Check out the Herbarium or Natural Science Museum. You are welcome to sit and relax or study in a wonderful biological atmosphere.

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Free tropical agroforestry e-mail journal

If you are interested in tropical agriculature, you can subscribe to a neat e-mail journal, The Overstory. For a sampling of past issues, visit <http://www.agroforester.com/overstory/osprev.html> and <http://www.agroforester.com/overstory/osprev.html>. To subscribe please send an e-mail to

<overstory@agroforester.com <mailto:overstory@agroforester.com>

Summer Research at various institutions:

UM - http://biosci.cbs.umn.edu/summerresearch/.