| Biofeedback 1996 - online version of the Biology Department's annual newsletter - 1996 edition |
"I would never guess she was that young," re-marked one of her mentors at Good Samaritan Hospital and Health Center last winter. "She's confident, but not overly so. You occasionally see medical school students who are pretty cocky. Tiffani knows her limitations--though at this point, I really don't see many."
Clark's penchant for accomplishing things early in life first became
apparent when she was only 3, when teachers at her Montessori preschool
found that she could solve math problems involving division.
Clark's early intellectual development allowed her to proceed quickly
though primary and secondary school. She graduated from high school at
age 14 and enrolled at Andrews that same year.
Tiffani's mother, Evange-line Clark, a nurse-anesthetist, never pushed her daughter academically. "It was Tiffani," she notes -- Tiffani feels a constant need to expand her horizons.
For her young age, Clark has experienced more than her share of tragedy. During her second year at Andrews her brother, Kenny, also a premedical student died on the campus of North Carolina Central University. Then, during her senior year, her father, a schoolteacher, died. These misfortunes made her all the more determined to achieve her goals.
Currently, Clark is doing a residency in obstetrics and gynecology in Youngs-town, Ohio. She is leaning toward a career in gynecology.
Mark Fisher of the Dayton Daily News captured her essence in an article
featuring Clark last February. She's "a young woman who blends exuberance
with poise," he wrote, and "balances self-confidence with humility."
"We never had to worry about whether things were ready for lab," says David Steen, professor of Bio-logy and faculty coordinator for the Foundations of Biology course. "Karen is a born teacher. She did her work in a pleasant, graceful, unhurried sort-of way. She always had things done on time."
In September, Giver began studies toward a M.S. degree in marine biology at Western Washington University in Bellingham. A SCUBA diver, Giver has a strong interest in biodiversity, particularly of marine invertebrates. She plans to carry out her thesis research at WWU's Shannon Point Marine Labora-tory in Anacortes, Washington, not far from the Rosario Beach Marine Station where she spent the summer of 1995.
Giver's experience with coordinating labs at Andrews has landed her the position of overseeing the work of 29 undergraduate teaching assistants in a non-majors biology course at WWU. Over 400 students are enrolled in the course. She also serves as a teaching assistant for an oceanography course.
"I am just loving it here," reports Giver. "I sort of miss it at Andrews, but I am excited about the possibilities here." After completing her masters degree, she plans to earn a doctorate and eventually teach college-level biology.
Senior Biology test scores at 96th percentile
Last year we reported that Andrews University would be one of 200 U.S.
colleges and universities featured in a new book, Top Colleges for Science-Leading
Programs in the Biological, Chemical, Geological, Mathematical, and Physical
Sciences. That book has been published, and Andrews students, alumni,
and faculty are enjoying the recognition.
Now the Andrews University Biology Department has achieved another national distinction. Senior Biology majors who took the ETS Higher Education Assessment exam last May ranked 96th percentile overall as a group compared with students from other U.S. colleges and universities taking the test.
In individual subtest areas, Andrews students ranked 99th percentile in Cell Biology, 95th percentile in Molecular Biology and Genetics, 87th percentile in Organismal Biology, and 93rd percentile in Population Biology, Evolution, and Ecology.
"These scores represent an outstanding achievement on the part of both
our students and faculty," said Biology chair John Stout when he announced
the results of the test to the Biology faculty. "This recognition is just
one more reminder that Andrews University Biology majors receive an exceptionally
good education."
After four years of tedious and often frustrating trial-and-error work, this summer, with the help of graduate student Jess Gauthier, he made one of the more exciting discoveries of his career - A technique for cloning somatic embryos of velvetleaf.
Why velvetleaf? "This is a weed species that impacts a variety of agricultural crops, including corn and soybeans," says plant pathologist Rob Zdor, a colleague of Steen's in the Biology Department. "It's a very fibrous plant that creates problems with farm machinery, and its hard seeds stick around in the soil for 50 years or more."
Zdor and his students have been screening hundreds of species of bacteria for microbes that might be capable of destroying velvetleaf without damaging crop species. Steen's embryos will provide convenient subjects for Zdor's microbe testing. "Somatic embryos are tiny and can be produced as genetic clones, thus removing genetic diversity as a confounding variable during the screening process," notes Steen.
Steen and two of former graduate students, Kendall Bacchus and Craig Wiley, tried scores of protocols in an attempt to induce growth of somatic embryos. Finally, this past August, Steen and Gauthier applied silver thiosulfate to cultures of very young embryonic tissue and achieved success. The silver thiosulfate appears to inhibit the effects of ethylene, a chemical produced by the embryo that moves the young plant toward early senescence and death.
In August, Steen and Gauthier saw only one or two somatic embryos in their culture dishes. In October there were dozens. By next summer they hope to have refined their protocol to the point of producing thousands. Only then will the embryos be abundant enough to serve as subjects in Zdor's lab.
If Steen, Gauthier, and Zdor have it their way, farmers will someday
be able to treat their crops with a nontoxic microbe cocktail lethal only
to velvetleaf weeds. This success will be due in part to the persistence
of Steen and his students and the supportive environment of the Biology
Department.
Biology's scanning electron micro-scope was purchased in 1978 with funds from the Class of 1978, alumni, Geoscience Research Institute, and the university administration. Since then, hundreds of students have benefited by use of the instrument. Moreover, Biology graduate students and faculty have used the SEM for numerous research projects.
After 18 years of heavy use, Biology's SEM is aging. It is becoming
more and more difficult to achieve high resolution with the unit, particularly
at high magnifications. Moreover, SEM technology has changed dramatically
over the past ten years. Today's "environmental" SEMs allow for microscopy
with fresh and even living specimens.
In view of the importance of scanning electron microscopy to cutting-edge
bio-logical science, the declining usefulness of the old unit, and newly
available technol-ogy, the Biology faculty has voted to replace the old
instrument.
The cost of a new instrument will be about $130,000. The department
has already set aside $30,000 of equipment funds toward this amount and
the university has made a verbal commitment toward substantial additional
funds. One alumnus is committing significant annual donations toward this
goal. The Biology faculty would be pleased to hear from other alumni interested
in supporting this important project.
Hughes' book is for use by students enrolled in environmental science and environmentally hazardous materials certificate, associate, and baccalaureate degree programs.
The book is dedicated "To Asa Thoresen . . . a gentle and great man." Thoresen taught biology at Andrews from 1960 to 1992, and served as chair of the department for most of those years.
"I dedicated my book to Asa because he IS a gentle and great man who positively influenced my philosophy of education during my years at Andrews University," notes Hughes. "Gentleness and greatness are not often aligned, but Asa, a master teacher, brought out the best in every student and faculty colleague-He facilitated educational and personal success."
Currently a professor in the School of Health Profesions at Loma Linda
University, Hughes has been the recipient of the President's Award for
Teaching Excellence (Chaffey Community College) and the Zapara Excellence
in Teaching Award (Loma Linda University). After leaving Andrews University,
Hughes shifted his professional interests from paleobiology to pathology
and environmental toxicology.
The Biology Department has offered this course intermittently through the years depending on student interest.
"Currently, interest in dentistry among Andrews University students is the highest it's been in a decade," notes Jim Hayward, predental advisor and professor of Biology.
"We are delighted to have Dr. Conklin provide this course to our predental students," says Hayward. "Through the course students learn about a potential career option under the guidance of a successful professional."
Conklin, a local Berrien Springs dentist and graduate of the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, says that the "primary purpose of this class is to introduce prospective dental students to the philosophy of dentistry as a way of life for the oral health care provider."
The course also introduces students to various dental specialties, the language of dentistry, business aspects of a dental practice, the anatomy of the oral cavity, and limited hands-on experi-ence with dental instruments and materials.
Offered one night each week during Autumn Quarter, 17 students are enrolled
in the course this fall, twice as many as enrolled last year.