Tariq Ahmad
Associate Professor of Biology
Courses Currently Teaching:
Courses Taught: Cellular Basis of Life (BI163), Neurobiology (BI274), Advanced Neurobiology (BI374)
Research Interests: Characterization of neurodegenerative disorders and pharmacological agents in the Drosophila disease 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
On sabbatical from June 30, 2020 – July 1, 2021
Dave Angelini
Associate Chair, Associate Professor of Biology
Courses Currently Teaching: Genetics (BI279), Development, Genes, and Evolution (BI376), Biology Seminar (BI401)
Courses Taught: The Cellular Basis of Life (BI163), Genetics (BI279), Developmental Biology (BI332)
Research Interests: Evolutionary developmental genetics; appendage patterning; and allometry in insects and other arthropods.
Office: Arey 112
Phone: 859-5734
Email: drangeli@colby.edu
The Angelini Lab website: http://web.colby.edu/aphanotus/
Bugs in our Backyard: http://www.bugsinourbackyard.org/
Allison Barner
Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of Biology
Courses Currently Teaching: Introduction to Ecology (BI271)
Research interests: community ecology; ecological complex systems; global change biology; rocky intertidal ecosystems
Office: Arey 103
Phone: 859-5728
Email: allison.barner@colby.edu
Fall 2019 office hours:
Cathy Bevier
Professor of Biology
Courses Currently Teaching: Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (BI276)
Courses Taught: Evolution and Diversity (BI164), Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (BI276), Vertebrate Natural History (BI277), Animal Behavior (BI373)
Research Interests: Behavioral and physiological ecology of vertebrates, especially frogs; ecosystem resilience to residential development in the Belgrade Lakes Watershed
Office: Arey 321
Phone: 859-5742
Email: crbevier@colby.edu
Fall 2019 office hours: M 1:30-3:00; T 9:00-10:30
Susan Childers
Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology
Courses Currently Teaching: Biology Seminar: Geomedicine (402S); Lab: Microorganisms and Society (BI133L); Lab: Evolution and Diversity (BI164L)
Courses Taught: Microorganisms and Society (BI133), Lab: Cellular Basis of Life (BI163L), Infectious Diseases, Climate Change and Health (BI221), Introduction to Microbiology (BI248), Biology Seminar: Geomedicine (401)
Research Interests: Microbial respiration and/or reduction of selenium and the characterization of selenium-reducing enzymes; the isolation and characterization of novel selenium reducing microorganisms from marine environments and insects; studies on the interactions of human gut bacteria and selenium.
Office: Olin 304
Phone: 859-5715
Email: susan.childers@colby.edu
Christina Cota
Assistant Professor of Biology
Courses Currently Teaching: Cellular Basis of Life (BI163), Biology Seminar (BI401)
Research Interests:
Office: Arey 009A
Phone: 859-5727
Email: christina.cota@colby.edu
Frank Fekete
Professor of Biology
Courses Currently Teaching: Microbiology and Lab (BI248)
Courses Taught: Microorganisms and Society (BI133), Microbiology (BI248), Pathogenic Bacteriology (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 401
Phone: 859-5729
Email: fafekete@colby.edu
Lynn Hannum
Department Chair, Associate Professor of Biology
Courses Currently Teaching: Cellular Basis of Life (BI163)
Courses Taught: 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 function; modification of innate immune function with aging.
Office: Arey 110
Phone: 859-5741
Email: lghannum@colby.edu
Russell Johnson
Professor of Biology
Courses Taught: Molecular Biology (BC378)
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 Currently Teaching: Anatomy and Physiology of Yoga and Mindful Practice (BI147)
Courses Taught: Biochemistry of Food (BI135), Anatomy and Physiology of Yoga and Mindful Practice(BI147), Biochemistry of Food (BI198), Human Anatomy and Physiology (BI265j)
Research Interests: In the past I have explored the structural biology of carbohydrates particularly the time dependant conformational reorientations they undergo using a combination of ab initio theoretical calculations and experimentally measured 13C based NMR spin-spin coupling constants. More recently my work with students has been related to various aspects of Anatomy, Physiology, and Medicine, particularly 3D anatomical imaging and modeling.
Office:
Phone:
Email: tklepach@colby.edu
Joshua Martin
Assistant Professor of Biology
Courses Currently Teaching: Cellular Basis of Life (BI163), Biology Seminar (BI401)
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: Olin 334
Phone: 859-5710
Email:jpmartin@colby.edu
Chris Moore
Assistant Professor of Biology
Courses Taught: Introduction to Ecology (BI271), Ecology & Evolution of Infectious Disease (BI298), 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 Currently Teaching: Genomics (BI278)
Courses Taught: Evolution and Diversity (BI164), Genomics (BI278), Evolutionary Analysis (BI320), Advanced Genomics (BI345)
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
Associate Professor of Biology
Courses Currently Teaching: Virology (BI247), Applied and Environmental Microbiology (BI351)
Courses Taught: Cellular Basis of Life (BI163), Parasitology (BI246), Medical Biochemistry (BI362), Applied and Environmental Microbiology (BI351)
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
Website: http://web.colby.edu/peck-laboratory/
Judy Stone
Professor of Biology
Oak Professor of Biological Sciences
Courses Currently Teaching: Biology Accelerator (BI201), Woody Plants (BI237)
Courses Taught: Evolution and Diversity(BI164), Taxonomy of Flowering Plants (BI211), Woody Plants (BI237), Evolutionary Analysis (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: http://web.colby.edu/jstone/
Andrea Tilden
Associate Chair of Biology, Warren Merrill Associate Professor of Biology
Courses Currently Teaching: Neurobiology (BI274)
Courses Taught: The Cellular Basis of Life (BI163), Neurobiology (BI274), Human Physiology (BI275), Applied Biomedical Genomics(BI371), Animal Physiology: Environmental and Adaptation (BI375)
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 113
Phone: 859-5743
Email: artilden@colby.edu
Johanna Van Oers
Visiting Professor in Biology
Courses Taught: Genetics (BI279)
Courses Currently Teaching: Genetics (BI279), Molecular Biology (BC378)
Research Interests: mutagenesis and cancer genetics, genetic targets of genomic instability in early cancer development
Research: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=van+oers+jm
Office: Arey 403A
Phone: 207-859-5709
Email: johanna.van.oers@colby.edu
Herb Wilson
(Retired, 2019)
Courses Taught: 
Ornithology (BI334), Marine Ecology (BI354)
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
Email: whwilson@colby.edu
Webpages: Personal page , Mainebirds