Tariq Ahmad
Associate Chair of Biology, Associate Professor of Biology
Courses Taught: Cellular Basis of Life (BI163), Neurobiology (BI274), Advanced Neurobiology (BI374)
Research Interests: Characterization of neurodegenerative disorders and pharmacological agents in the Drosophiladisease models. Effect of ethanol and other pharmacological agents on the circadian rhythm using Drosophila model. Genetics of retinal degeneration using Drosophila model.
Office: Olin 342
Phone: 859-5722
Email: stahmad@colby.edu
Dave Angelini
Assistant Professor of Biology
Courses Taught: Cellular Basis of Life (BI163), Genetics (BI279), Developmental Biology (BI332), Development, Genes, and Evolution (BI376)
Research Interests: Evolutionary developmental genetics; appendage patterning; and allometry in insects and other arthropods.
Office: Arey 112
Phone: 859-5734
Email: drangeli@colby.edu
Cathy Bevier
Professor of Biology
Courses Taught: Biodiversity (BI131), Evolution and Diversity (BI164), Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (BI276), Vertebrate Natural History (277), Animal Behavior (BI373), Behavioral and Physiological Ecology (BI452)
Research Interests: Behavioral and physiological ecology of vertebrates, especially frogs; ecosystem resilience to residential development in the Belgrade Lakes Watershed
Office: Arey 103
Phone: 859-5742
Email: crbevier@colby.edu
Susan Childers
Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology
Courses Taught:
Research Interests:
Office: Olin 304
Phone: 859-5727
Email: susan.childers@colby.edu
Frank Fekete
Professor of Biology
Courses Taught: Microorganisms and Society (BI133), Microbiology (BI248), Pathogenic Microbiology (BI348)
Research Interests: My students and I are studying the effects of environmental mercury in various systems (soil, sphagnum bogs, salmonid gastrointestinal tracts, and two species of fish pathogens) and how this toxic metal is providing selective pressure in the evolution of mercury-resistant bacterial strains. In selecting for mercury-resistant microbial strains, the metal is also responsible for the co-selection of antibiotic-resistance determinants because genes responsible for both antibiotic- and mercury-resistance are linked genetically. Mercury is a by-product of various industrial applications, in particular it is found in emissions from coal-fired electrical generation plants in the Midwest. Atmospheric mercury is then deposited in the Maine environment via liquid precipitation. Hence, over time, not only does mercury pose a serious environmental health threat, bacterial strains are evolving that show an increased incidence of resistance to antibiotics. Conceivably, these genes could then be transferred horizontally to pathogens, making treatments of infectious disease with antibiotics non-efficacious.
Office: Arey 321
Phone: 859-5729
Email: fafekete@colby.edu
Lynn Hannum
Chair of Biology, Associate Professor of Biology
Courses Taught: Cellular Basis of Life (BI163), Immunology (BI225), Advanced Immunology (BI325)
Research Interests: Innate immune responses in the zebrafish (Danio rerio), focusing on neutrophil and macrophage activity; effects of acute ethanol exposure on phagocytic leukocyte funtion; modification of innate immune funtion with aging.
Office: Arey 110
Phone: 859-5741
Email: lghannum@colby.edu
Russell Johnson
Professor of Biology
Courses Taught: Cellular Basis of Life (BI163), Plant Physiology (BI214), Plants of the Tropics (BI259), Molecular Biology (BC378), Genetics (BI279)
Research Interests: Physiology and molecular biology of plant seed germination and development; characterization of genes and proteins that are involved in plant responses to the stress hormone abscisic acid.
Office: Eustis 307
Phone: 859-5723
Email: russ.johnson@colby.edu
Thom Klepach
Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology
Courses Taught: Biochemistry of Food (BI197), Human Anatomy and Physiology (BI265j)
Research Interests:
Office: 407
Phone: 859-5738
Email: tklepach@colby.edu
Josh Martin
Assistant Professor of Biology
Courses Taught: Cellular Basis of Life (BI163), Neurobiology (BI274), Advanced Neurobiology (BI374)
Research Interests: Control of movement, Visual tracking of targets, Behavioral neuroethology in insects
Office: Arey 009A
Phone: 859-5710
Email:jpmartin@colby.edu
Allison Moloney
Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology
Courses Taught: Cell Biology (BI227), Medical Biochemistry (BC362)
Research Interests:
Office: Arey 320
Phone: 859-5727
Email: agalanis@colby.edu
Chris Moore
Assistant Professor of Biology
Courses Taught: Introduction to Ecology (BI271), Ecological Modeling (BI382)
Research Interests: I am an ecologist concerned with the distribution and abundance of organisms. My specific area of study is how the distributions and abundances of organisms are affected by positive species interactions known as mutualism. Mutualism, sometimes referred to as cooperation, is where 2 or more species directly benefit from each other (in currencies such as survival or reproduction), in cases such as plants and pollinators, coral and zooxanthellae, and plants and seed-dispersing animals. I use both empirical and theoretical approaches to my work, and I am always eager to work with interested and motivated students.
Office: Olin 216
Phone:859-5746
Email: cmmoore@colby.edu
Website: mutualismecology.com
Suegene Noh
Assistant Professor of Biology
Courses Taught: Genomics (BI278), Evolutionary Analysis (BI320), Advanced Genomics (BI3xx)
Research Interests: I am interested in the evolution of phenotypes and genomes that occurs when organisms adapt to changes in their social environments. I work with Dictyostelium social amoebae that aggregate to become multicellular when they are starved. Some of these amoebae carry endosymbiotic bacteria and my ongoing research focuses on understanding this symbiotic relationship and how it affects social dynamics among amoebae.
Office: Arey 113A
Phone: 859-5717
Email: suegene.noh@colby.edu
Ron Peck
Assistant Professor of Biology
Courses Taught: Cellular Basis of Life (BI163), Parasitology (BI246), Genetics (BI279), Applied and Environmental Microbiology (BI451)
Research Interests: Physiology and molecular biology of microbes in extreme environments; novel mechanisms of regulation in biochemical pathways
Office: Arey 321
Phone: 859-5748
Email: rfpeck@colby.edu
Judy Stone
Professor of Biology
Courses Taught: Evolution and Diversity (BI164), Taxonomy of Flowering Plants (BI211), Woody Plants (BI237), Plants of the Tropics (BI259), Evolution (BI320)
Research Interests: Evolutionary ecology, plant mating systems, seed dispersal, gene flow, colonization, range limits
Office: Arey 104
Phone: 859-5736
Email: jstone@colby.edu
Webpage: personal page
Andrea Tilden
Warren Merrill Associate Professor of Biology
Courses Taught: Biology of Race and Gender (BI245), Neurobiology (BI274), Mammalian Physiology (BI275), Advanced Neurobiology (BI374)
Research Interests: Circadian rhythms; behavioral, physiological, cellular, and molecular aspects of circadian processes using crustaceans as a model system; neuronal development; neural protein expression patterns.
Office: Olin 334
Phone: 859-5743
Email: artilden@colby.edu
Johanna Van Oers
Visiting Professor in Biology
Phone: 207-859-5709
Email: johanna.van.oers@colby.edu
Herb Wilson
Leslie B. Arey Professor of the Biosciences
Courses Taught: The Science of Baseball (BI123), Evolution and Diversity (BI164), Marine Invertebrate Zooloogy (BI254), Winter Ecology (BI257), Ornithology (BI334), Community Ecology (BI354), Tropical Biology (BI358)
Research Interests: Impacts of climate change on the migration of Maine migratory breeding birds; winter foraging of Maine songbirds; ecology of damselflies, damselflies and butterflies
Office: Arey 113
Phone: 859-5739
Email: whwilson@colby.edu
Webpages: Personal page , Mainebirds