• B.A. (1995) Clark University, Biology (Minor: Piano Performance)
• Ph.D. (2003) Vanderbilt University, Biochemistry

• BIOL544/544L - Stem Cell Biology
• BIOL340 - Genetics
• BIOL440 - Genetics Laboratory
• SCI100 - Becoming a STEM Professional in the 21st Century
• BIOL450 - Cell Biology
• CHEM 436/536 Biochemistry III

Mentorship

Current Graduate Students:

Sheng Yang 
Imya Tripp

Former Graduate Students:

Madison Gutierrez (2025) An Investigation of How Loss of LGL1 Affects cJUN and DCX Expression in GFAP Expressing Neural Stem Cells
Alyssa Paynton (2024) Human Cell Modeling of CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder with Patient-Derived Organoids and HD-MEA
Ariah Mackie (2022) Determining haplotype specific X chromosome inactivation state and related epigenetic features in female X-linked genes
Amin Cressman (2022) Modulation of polyamines to elucidate function within osteogenesis of mesenchymal stromal cells
Natalie Pedicino (2022) Characterizing the relationship of Lgl1 and AKT in migration of murine neural stem and progenitor cells
Monique LaCourse (2018) The effect of the loss of Lgl1 in murine neural progenitor cells on MAPK signaling and proliferation
Kristine Teague (2018) Characterizing the effect of cJun on the expression of Oct4 variants and how they correlate with the expression of genes associated with potency and cell fate of murine embryonic stem cells
Elizabeth Zepeda (2018) The effects of increased cAMP levels on neuronal differentiation in murine embryonic stem cells and the creation of a CRISPR-induced c.1252c>t point mutation in the ADCY5 gene
Rachel Brewer (2017) The developmental implications of the regulatory relationship between cJun and OCT4 in murine embryonic stem cells
Manal Hosawi (2016) Regulation of Oct4 expression by Jun-N terminal kinase/cJun signaling in murine embryonic stem cells
Sharon Otis and Jacob Nowatzke

• BA, Natural Science (1986) St. Mary's College of MD
• MS, Anaerobic Microbiology (1988) Virginia Tech
• PhD, Microbiology, Genetics, Toxicology (1998) Cornell University

• Principles of Biology
• Genetics
• Bacteriology

Graduate Students

Current:
Margaux Karp, Terilyn Stoflet

Former:
Miratul Maghfiroh

• Postdoctoral, 2006, University of California, Irvine, Ph.D., 2001, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, MS, 1991, Shanghai Medical College Fudan University, BS, 1988, Shanghai Medical College Fudan University

• General Microbiology
• Genetics
• Principles of Biology
• Medical Microbiology
• Supervised Internship for Pre-Professional health

Graduate Students

Current:

Erin Trent, Nicholas Woronchuk

Former:

Maryam Alowaysi, Ghazaleh Bagheri, Junyan Chen, James Bodnar, Jeremy Corrigan, Brandon Hill, Taylor Howe, Andre Kurlovs, Christina Porras, Jessica Torkelson, Katie Vigil

• BS (Zoology & Marine Biology) 2014 Humboldt State University/Cal Poly Humboldt
• PhD (Comparative Biology), 2018, Richard Gilder Graduate School at the American Museum of Natural History

• Evolution, Introductory Zoology, Methods of Laboratory Instruction, Ichthyology, Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates

Graduate Students

Current:

Maritza Gamez, Lucas Kebow, Nicole Rahman-Garnier, Kaiden Walton

Former:

Melody Tew (2023): Neural crest cell fate in Acipenser transmontanus