CSB/SJU Biology Department Newsletter
Volume 5    Number 1                                           
September 7, 2001

Letter from the Editor (top)

       Welcome Back!  The new academic year is in full swing and I hope that all is going well for everyone.  Starting with this issue, the Biology Department plans to once again issue a newsletter at least once per cycle.  The newsletter is only available on-line and we will send you an email announcement of when each new issue is posted on the Biology Department Newsletter Website. The email announcements are automatically sent to CSB and SJU students who list Biology or Natural Science as a major or minor.  It is also sent to students enrolled in Concepts of Biology.  If you would like to be added to the distribution list to receive notice of the newsletter, contact Dr. Saupe.  

    Our goal for the newsletter is to provide students with information about activities and opportunities on- and off-campus, and to provide information about some of the exciting developments that are occurring in the department.  If you have any comments or suggestions about the newsletter please send them to me (Dr. S Saupe).  I especially encourage you to submit news, announcements, or other items that would be of interest to our readers.  You can send your submissions to me by email, snail mail (Dr. S.Saupe, Biology Department, PENGL 335, fax 363 3202, phone 363-2782, or in person.  I look forward to hearing from you and hope that you enjoy the newsletter.

Student News (top)

Michael Johnson (SJU �01) was accepted to the University of North Dakota Medical School.  Congratulations! 

Rachel Reuter (CSB �00) was accepted to the University of Minnesota � Duluth Medical School.  Ditto!

Nikki Hemmesch, a CSB senior in Natural Science, and her advisor Dr. Larry Davis,  will be presenting a poster at the Geological Society of America meeting in Boston on the recent slumping along the freeway.  The title of Nikki's poster is "Continued Slumping along I-94 Adjacent to St John's Abbey Lands, Stearns County, Minnesota".

Faculty News (top)

Dr. Gordon Brown and Dr.  Larry Davis will be giving a paper at the Geological Society of America meeting in Boston entitled "The Lighter Side of Evolution".  The presentation will focus on using cartoons, such as Far Side and Calvin and Hobbs, for presenting evolution in the classroom.

Dr. Larry Davis, and colleagues in the U.S. Geological Survey, will be presenting a paper at the Geological Society of America meeting in Boston entitled "U.S. Geological Survey CD-ROM Based Petroleum Assessments for Undergraduate Geology Laboratories".

An article on the "Geologic Time Scale" by Dr. Larry Davis was recently published in the Encyclopedia of World Geography published by Salem Press.

Curriculum News  (top)

CSB/SJU Great Med School Acceptance Rate
    Dr. David Mitchell, CSB/SJU PreMed Advisor writes that �almost 70% of CSB/SJU students that applied to medical schools throughout the United States were successful in their initial attempt at enrollment�.  Congratulations to everyone!  This is outstanding placement. 

Pre-Med News � from Dr. M. Campos, Pre-Med Advisor.
    This summer the UM-Twin Cities School of Medicine made some significant changes in their course requirements for the 2002 and 2003 entering class.  The most significant changes involve the 2003 entering class -- the math prerequisite becomes calculus (rather than statistics or calculus), and courses in genetics and statistics become "strongly recommended".  The immediate implementation of these changes for applicants to EC 2003 (mostly our juniors) may involve substantial restructuring of coursework for some of your advisees.   For detailed information on these changes check the UM-TC school of medicine web page  or the the CSB/SJU pre-prof health page.

    Note that these changes apply only to UM-TC.  I have contacted other schools to which most of our students apply -- UM-Duluth, Creighton, MCW, Loyola, SLU - and their past policy on the math prerequisite still holds -- calculus or statistics.  This is also true of the majority of med schools in the country.  If you have questions, contact Dr. Campos or Dr. Mitchell.  You can also find information on course requirements for every school in the country through links on the csb/sju pre-med web page.

Environmental Studies Program Update � abstracted from a letter from Dr. Derek Larson
    As a result of the formal program review of the ES program in 1999-2000,  CSB/SJU have now appointed a single Program Director, Dr. Derek Larson, to our growing program.  There are a total of 42 ES minors registered, about a dozen over our previous peak, which makes the minor program larger than about 50% of all CSB/SJU majors in raw numbers.  Part of this growth is due to the ES Learning Community, but an equal number appear to stem from our efforts to recruit first/second year students in 2000-2001.  One of the projects our students will be undertaking this year is the publication of an ES newsletter aimed at alumni and friends of the program.  We'll be developing some new ENVR courses over the next year or two; first among these are an ES Research Seminar (ENVR 395) which will replace the growing number of senior ILPs we've all supervised in the past.  A new Introduction to Environmental Studies course (ENVR 150) is also in the works with a planned Fall 2002 launch

Calendar of Events (top)

Biology Club News (top)

none supplied

Scholarships/Jobs/Internships (top)

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - 2002 Research Training Program.    
    This program is a ten-week internship open to undergraduates only, will run from May 25-August 3, 2002, and feature a diverse curriculum plus research projects in systematic biology, paleobiology, human sciences, and earth and planetary systems for students seeking a career in these natural history disciplines.  The program includes natural history research, lectures, discussions, workshops, demonstrations, behind-the-scene tours, field trips and more.  Deadline for application is February 1, 2002 but there are limited positions available - so act now!  All information and application materials can be found on the Smithsonian website at http://www.nmnh.si.edu/rtp/. 

THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION'S Campus Ecology Fellowship Program
    This program is a nationally recognized opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to pursue their  vision of an ecologically sustainable future. Through tangible projects to green their campuses and communities, Fellows gain practical experience in the conservation field and first-hand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities inherent in successful conservation efforts. Fellows also receive a modest grant, project support and recognition of their accomplishments.  Students, faculty, staff and members of the broader community stand to gain as Campus Ecology Fellows assist with the research, design, and implementation of projects that help strike a better balance between people and nature on the campus and beyond. While not all fellows do research per se, research is an integral part of many potential fellowship projects.  If interested, you will have to move fast, because the deadline is September 15.  See www.nwf.org/campusecology/fellowships/index.html.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL GRANTMAKERS' ASSOCIATION 
    This is a consortium of foundations that give grants in the environmental sciences.  Many of them fund research, from biology and earth sciences to social sciences.  To see the list of funders (some with hot links), visit www.igc.org/ega/members.html.

BREAST CANCER UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER TRAINING PROGRAM.  
    The US Army Medical Research and Material Command supports undergraduate student research opportunities in biology, psychology, chemistry, and related fields. Applications are accepted from institutions for three-year grants.  For information, visit http://cdmrp.army.mil/  and look for the Breast Cancer Program Announcement II, Part 1. 

Seminars/Symposia/Field Trips (top)

Geology Field Trip
   Alan Knaeble from the Minnesota Geological Survey has agreed to lead a field trip to examine the glacial features of the local area.  Alan is a St. John's alum (history) who turned to the dark side and went back to the U of MN to get a degree in geology.  He is works in the Quaternary geology section at the survey and has done most of the geological mapping in Stearns Co and the surrounding counties.  It should be a very informative field trip.
            Date:  Saturday, 20 October
            Time:  8:30 - 4:00(?)
            Place:  Meet in the Science Ctr parking lot
            Transportation:  School vans

This will be a great opportunity to expand your horizons by examining the underlying reason for all the regional plants and animals!  Contact Dr. Larry Davis to reserve a spot on this trip.

Biology Department Seminar Program
    The Biology Department Seminar schedule for Fall semester is currently being formalized.  The following two seminars are confirmed with titles of presentation to come.  The seminars typically meet at 4:00 pm in NEWSC 140.  A meeting (with refreshments) precedes the presentation at 3:30 pm in the Science Museum.

Miscellaneous  (top)

Chairs in the Science Center
    The Dean asks that no chairs be removed from any of the classrooms.

New Arboretum Director
   The St. John�s Arboretum welcomed a new Director this summer.  Mr. Tom Kroll, a DNR forester, has taken over the position held by the late Father Paul Schweitz.  Tom will be an outstanding addition to our community.  Please make him feel welcome with our traditional Benedictine hospitality.

GIS Demo
    Tom Kroll and the Arboretum have arranged a demonstration of ArcView, a leading GIS package, for all interested parties the morning of Tuesday, October 02, 9:00 AM-12:00 PM in New Science 150.  Katie Fernholz of Community Forestry Resource Center will demonstrate how they use ArcView Geographic Information System (GIS) software in producing maps and data management for their landowner clients.  This will be an informal presentation.  The purpose is to demonstrate the most common GIS package used in the USA.  Folks may come anytime & stay as long as they have time.  For more information, contact the Arboretum.

Board Walk/Prairie Tour -- sponsored by Health at Work
    Please join us on a tour of the wetlands, tall grass prairie and oak savanna with John Geissler as our guide on Thursday September 13th. A ride will be provided to and from the tour. Meet in front of the Abbey Church at 11:45 - the tour takes approximately an hour. If planning to go, please send an e-mail to vkrueger as we need to plan on the number of vehicles needed.

Evolution on TV!
            There will be a four-part series on Evolution that will be aired on public television channels from 8 to 10 pm on September 24-27, 2001.  The series promises to be a magnificent vehicle for public education, as well as classroom-based instruction at all levels.  To accompany the series, a companion book by Carl Zimmer ("Evolution--The Triumph of an Idea") will be published.  Also, a diversity of multi-media materials have been prepared, including a teacher's guide, an evolution library (web access to multimedia resources), videos for students, teaching evolution case studies, an online course for high school teachers, and online lessons for students.  Please see WBGH's Website  for information about the series and these items.

Writing Contest - �Kilian at Eighty�
    This is a writing contest, with prizes totaling $20,000, to honor Father Kilian McDonnell, OSB, on his 80th birthday, 55th anniversary of monastic profession, and 50th anniversary of ordination.  The Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research, which Kilian founded and of which he is president, and the Saint John�s School of Theology/Seminary, where he taught from 1964 to 1992 and is professor emeritus, invite the �new generation,� those born on or after January 25, 1959 (the date on which Pope John XXIII publicly announced his intention to call the Second Vatican Council), to participate in �Kilian at Eighty.�  An essay in one of three categories-the Holy Spirit, the renewal of theology, ecumenism-or a poem can be submitted by December 14, 2001.  The three categories are central concerns of Father Kilian�s scholarship.   In recent years he has begun writing poetry of high quality.  In each of the three essay categories, and in the poetry category, there will be a first prize of $2,000, two second prizes of $1,000 each, and two third prizes of $500 each-a total of $20,000 in prizes for 20 winners.  Information about �Kilian at Eighty,� including the form for submitting an essay or poem, can be found at the Institute�s Web site and at the Web site of the School of Theology�Seminary.  Queries may be addressed to Patrick Henry, executive director of the Institute.

Volunteer/Organizers Wanted for Prairie Restoration Project
    The City of St. Cloud is interested in establishing native prairie plantings along the walking path that parallels county road 75.  They have contacted Wild Ones, a local natural landscaping group for assistance.  If you are interested in helping with this project, contact Dr. Stephen Saupe (ssaupe@csbsju.edu; x2782).

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

• CSB/SJU Pre-professional Health Programs:

• Biology Department Newsletter – On Line:  

• DNR Volunteer Opportunities

• CSB/SJU Career Services Home Page

• Connections Bulletin Board

• Scholarship Office

• CSB/SJU Geology program 

• Dr. Mom's Guide to College

Puzzler of the Week (top)
(Do you know any good puzzlers?  Please send us your ideas)

none submitted

Joke of the Week  (top)
(Have you heard any good jokes?  Please share them with us)

The three bears - thanks to Chauntae Ruppe for forwarding this one.
    It's a sunny morning in the big forest and the Bear family is just waking up. Baby Bear goes downstairs and sits in his small chair at the table. He looks into his small bowl. It is empty! "Who's been eating my porridge!" he squeaks.

    Daddy Bear arrives at the table and sits in his big chair. He looks into his big bowl. It is also empty! "Who's been eating my porridge?" he roars.

    Mommy Bear puts her head through the serving hatch from the kitchen and screams, "For gosh sakes, how many times do we have to go through this? I haven't made the porridge yet!"

Frequently Asked Questions  (top)

none supplied

For more information, contact:
Dr. Stephen G. Saupe
Professor & Herbarium Curator
Biology Department
College of St. Benedict/St. John's University
Collegeville, MN 56321
(320) 363-2782; (320) 363-3202 (fax); ssaupe@csbsju.edu

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