I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday.  One of the highlights for me was our feast that included Vaccinium macrocarpon, Solanum tuberosum, Cucurbita pepo, and Ipomoea batatas.  In other words, we filled up on cranberries, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and yams, respectively.  

 When I attended the National Association of Biology Teachers meeting last month I met a teacher who had done a project at his school with quotes.  He gave me a huge shopping bag full of quotes on business cards.  As one who has always loved a good quote, I was indeed excited to receive this little gift.  I’ve put the quotes in jars in my office and the Herbarium.   Next time you visit either place, make sure you pick up a quote.  Everyone should read at least one quote  a day.  To get you started, the quote for today is:  “Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe.”  HG Wells.

 The next few weeks are sure to busy for everyone.  Nevertheless, I hope that you manage to save a little time for the good seminars that are coming up.  Also, the Biology Club is planning on a few fun events.  I’ll see you at a seminar or one of the Biology Club events.

Student News:

Thanks to Steve McGreevy, Beth Pribyl, Sarah Young, Tony Nicoli, Alison Kern, Jason Bartos, Ben Steil, Shawn Hermans, John Van Hoven, Katrina Viegas, Mary Neu, Clairie Hill and any other students who helped at Pre-Medicine/Science Day.  Prospective students and their families were given an overview of the science programs on our campuses.  It is always great fun to show off what a great science program that we have at CSB/SJU.   Thanks to everyone who participated.

 Anne Panian (CSB ’00) reports that she is working at Nova Consulting in the Environmental in the Hazardous Materials Group.  She conducts Phase I Environmental Assessments identifying any potential environmental hazards on the subject property or surrounding properties. 

 Beth Clysdale (CSB ’95) is working for the MN Pollution Control Agency and writes that she “…has been working on industrial waste policy…One of my main projects has been developing a policy/program to handle reusing industrial waste outside of landfills.   Some examples are reusing spent foundry sands as an aggregate in asphalt, waste tires and municipal solid waste ash as road sub-base, spent sugar beet processing lime and coal fly ash as a soil stabilizer and aggregate in concrete.  My biology background has come in handy when we look at using some of these wastes as soil amendments, which is starting to become more common.  I am also working on revising portions of the solid waste rule.”

 Faculty News:

Dr. S. Saupe gave a presentation on identifying winter weeds to the St. Cloud chapter of the Wild Ones, a Natural Landscaping organization. 

Thanks to Dr. Marcus Webster, Dr. Mani Campos and Dr. S. Saupe for participating in Science Day.

Curriculum News:

Calendar of Events:

Nov 30               “Cheetahs and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!” – Biology Department Seminar; 7:00 pm
Dec 3                Biology Club Movie Night – 2:00 p.m., AV2
Dec 6                “Economic Botany in South America” – Biology Department Seminar; 4:00 pm
Dec 13              “Aeromycological Study at a Cold Spring Composting Facility” – Honors Thesis Defense; 4:00 p.m.
Dec 15              Biology Club Christmas Party; 4:30 pm
Mar 23              GRE Registration deadline (contact CSB/SJU Career Resource center
April 22             MCAT Exam (registration materials should be available in January 2001)
Aug 18              MCAT Exam (registration materials should be available in January 2001)

 Biology Club News:

The Annual Biology Christmas Party – by Kristi Kubista & Greg Dukinfield

            There will be food, music, and of course Secret Santa’s!!!!  Mark your Calendar for December 15^th at 4:30.  It’s the last day of classes for the semester!!! (NO LABS!!) For those of you interested in participating in Secret Santa, the gift can cost around $5.00.  Please email the biology club as soon as possible.  Students will be paired with faculty, unless we run out of faculty!!!

 Bio Club’s Movie Night – by Greg Dukinfield & Kristi Kubista

            The Biology Club will be showing “Contact” this Sunday, Dec 3, at 2:00 in AV2 at Alcuin Library at SJU.  Pizza will be provided, thus, PLEASE RSVP to this e-mail letting us know if you will be attending, for we need to know how many to order.

 Internships/Scholarships/Jobs:

Winter internships still available at YMCA Camp Widjiwagan

YMCA Camp Widjiwagan's environmental education program still has winter internships available.   Our unique wilderness focused program offers residential environmental education from our base which is located 1/4 mile from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.   For information contact E.E. Program Director, YMCA Camp Widjiwagan, 3788 N. Arm Rd., Ely, MN  5573, Phone: 218/365-2117, FAX: 218/365-2018, Web site: www.widji.org.

 Funding for Research/Collaborative Scholarship and Travel

            Mini-grants, up to $300, are available to support student research, creative works and to pay for student travel to present scholarly work at professional meetings.   Contact Mary Tamm or Dr. Marcus Webster (call 363-3549).  Applications are due 12/4/00.

 External Scholarships Program Office

Want money?  Visit Ms. Johanna Davis in the External Scholarship Office (HAB 103, CSB) or visit the web site http://www.csbsju.edu/scholarships/.  The office is designed to help students locate potential scholarships.

 Summer Research Program for Undergraduates in Cell and Molecular Biology

This program will be held June 3-August 3, 2001at the Center for Biology Education, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.  Application deadline:  March 1, 2001.  For an application packet and additional information, check out the website: <http://www.wisc.edu/cbe/bioprog/>

 Planner - MCC Watercraft Inspection Program

Applications are being accepted through Monday, December 4, 2000 for a 6-month temporary position with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul.   The individual assist in the implementation and operation of the Minnesota Conservation Corp (MCC) Watercraft Inspection Program.   For more information contact Dept. of Natural Resources, Tiffanie Knapp, 500 Lafayette Rd. Box 25, St. Paul, MN 55155-4025 or fax to 651-296-1811. 

 Health Partners Research Foundation Internships
           Interested in a career in health sciences.  Check out the program available from HealthPartners.  Signs are posted in the hallway or contact Dr. Kris Fortman at kris.k.fortman@healthpartners.com for more information.

 Merck Science Initiatives/Scholarship
    This joint initiative by the United Negro College Fund and the Merck Company Foundation provides scholarships for African American students.  For more information, check out their website at www.uncf.org. 

Spaceflight and Life Science Training Program (SLSTP)
   The SLSTP program at Kennedy Space Center is offer a six-week summer program for undergraduates.  For more information visit the web site at http://slstp.nasa.gov.

Dodge Nature Center Internship
    The Dodge Nature Center in St. Paul is offering an assortment of internships.  For more information contact Eloise Dietz at (651) 445 – 4531.

 Seminars/Lectures/Symposia:

Cheetahs and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
   Jeff Muntifering, SJU ’99, will be on campus Thursday, November 30 at 7:00 p.m., PENGL 373 to speak about his experiences in Namibia working with cheetah.  He will also discuss other biological research in which he has been involved.  Come learn what you can do with a biology major.  Refreshments will be available.  Note – this seminar is in the evening.

Economic Botany in South America
   Dr. Jorge Arriagada, from St. Cloud State University, will present a seminaron December 6 at 4:00 p.m. concerning some of the research he has done in South America.  Mark this date on your calendar.

Aeromycological Study of a Cold Spring (MN) Compost Facility
   Steven McGreevy, SJU ’00, will give his Honors Senior Thesis defense on Wednesday, December 13, 2000 at 4:00 p.m.; PENGL 369.  Mark this date on your calendar.

 Miscellaneous:

 Economic Botany Website
   If you’re looking for some information about economically useful plants, Jennifer Maza found a site that may be of some value.   Check it out at <http://www.ars-grin.gov/npgs/tax/taxecon.html>

 Timothy C. Plowman Latin American Research Award
   The Botany Department at The Field Museum invites applications for the 2001 Timothy C. Plowman Latin American Research Award. The award of $1,500.00 is designed to assist  students and young professionals to visit the Field Museum and use our extensive economic botany and systematic collections.   Contact the Timothy C. Plowman Award Committee, Department of Botany, The Field Museum, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605-2496 USA very soon because the deadline is rapidly approaching.

 Wind Power in Minnesota
   Check out the great article, “Curse of the Wind Turns to Farmers' Blessing” at http://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/26/national/26WIND.html

 Conservation Biology Course at SCSU
       Dr. John Peck, SCSU Biology Department, reports that he will be teaching a course in Conservation Biology during the spring semester, 4 – 5:15 p.m. on Wednesdays.  For more information, contact St. Cloud State at 255 – 2039.

Wildlife Society Meeting
   The MN chapter of the Wildlife Society is holding its annual meeting in conjunction with Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference in Mpls on 3-6 December.  They also have scholarship funds available to students planning to attend the meeting.  Contact Janet Boe for more details at:  janet.boe@dnr.state.mn.us.

  Web Sites Worth A Visit: (have you visited any cool sites lately?  Send us your suggestions)

�          CSB/SJU Pre-professional Health Programs: http://www.csbsju.edu/premed/

�          Biology Department Newsletter – On Line:  http://www.employees.csbsju.edu/ssaupe/Newsletters/newsletter.htm.

�          DNR Volunteer Opportunities – www.dnr.state.mn.us

�          MN Nature Conservancy (for field trips, volunteer opportunities, etc.) – www.tnc.org/minnesota.

�          CSB/SJU Career Services Home Page – www.csbsju.edu/career

�          National Academy of Science – www.national-academies.org

�          National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships - http://orau.org/nsf/nsffel.htm

�          Connections Bulletin Board –  http://www.csbsju.edu/bulletinboard/campus.asp

�          Scholarship Office - http://www.csbsju.edu/scholarships/. 

Puzzler of the Week:
   Christmas is coming soon and soon you may find some mistletoe hanging above your head.  Why do we kiss under the mistletoe?  How did this tradition originate?   

From the last issue:  Bananas and naval oranges reproduce vegetatively, without seeds.   Bananas send up sucker shoots that replace the parent plant.  Naval oranges are propagated by cuttings..

Joke of the Week.

The boss of a major manufacturing facility was complaining in a staff meeting the other day that he wasn't getting any respect.

Later that morning, he went to a local sign shop and bought a small sign that read, "I'm the Boss!" He then taped it to his office door.

Later that day, when he returned from lunch, he found that someone had taped a note to the sign that read, "Your wife called.  She wants her sign back!"

Frequently Asked Questions

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