Biology Alumni Bulletin Board

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2000

Name: Liza Conrad
Graduated: 2000
Entry Date: 7/18/07
Email: lconrad28@yahoo.com
Occupation: Postdoctoral scholar
Biography: After graduation I worked for 2 years as a Research Assistant/Lab Manager in Tom Brutnell's lab at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research. In 2002 I began my PhD in the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics at Cornell University. I majored in Plant Genetics with minors in International Agriculture and Plant Molecular Biology. My research focused on transposable elements in maize. I graduated from Cornell in May 2007 and am now working as a postdoc at the University of California Davis. My current research is looking at female gametophyte development in rice.

Name: Jim LaVancha
Graduated: 2000
Entry Date: 6/15/06
Email: jlavancha@twcny.rr.com
Address: Massena, NY
Occupation: Project Supervisor for Op-Tech Environmental Services

Name: Carrie Scribner  (now Carrie Griffith)
Graduated: 2000
Entry Date: 3/4/04
Email: cgriffith2@rccsd.org
Address: 8614 Lakeport Rd. Lot 46,  Chittenango, NY 13037
Occupation: Biology Teacher at Red Creek Central School
Biography: I got married in June of 2001. I was sub for Chittenango Central School for two years before I got a job teaching at Red Creek. I have had the opportunity to be a Science Olympiad coach for cell bio, forestry and designer genes (genetics). So far it is a nice place and I like it.

Name: Tim Van Loan
Graduated: 2000
Entry Date: 7/31/02
Email: vanloan79@yahoo.com
Address: 10100 Co HWY 23, Sidney Center, NY 13839
Occupation: Seems to change every few months
Biography: Since I graduated with my bachelors I've been bouncing around from one temp position to another. I started out with a great job in the USGS doing fisheries work. I got paid to catch fish and go scuba diving. Unfortunatly all good things must end just like my term so I had to find another job. That put me in a hospital as a medical technologist. I didn't like that very much so I've moved onto a quality control position in a microbiology lab for a food additives company. During all of this I've also worked on a masters in education that is nearly finished. 

2001
Name: John Baran
Graduated: 2001
Entry Date: 8/18/06
Email: baranjohn@hotmail.com
Address: Santa Barbara, CA
Occupation: Landscape Architect
Biography:  2003 Entry: Starting Master of Landscape Architecture at Cornell University Fall 2003.
    2005 Entry: Completing year 2 of a 3 year Masters of Landscape Architecture at Cornell. I will be doing thesis research (post occupancy evaluation of selected theraputic gardens) in California next fall, and will return for a final spring semester in 2006. I am working for a Landscape Architecture firm in Santa Barbara this summer.
    2006 Entry:  Graduated from the Master of Landscape Architecture program at Cornell in 2006. Currently working as a landscape architect in Santa Barbara, CA.

Name: Shaun Cumm
Graduated: 2001
Entry Date: 3/14/04
Email: cummst@lemoyne.edu
Address: 14 Lafond Dr.,  Gansevoort, NY 12831
Occupation:  PA Student
Biography: I began PA school in the Summer of 2002, and will graduate in the Fall of 2004. I am currently on rotations working in the ER. Joanne and I got engaged on a 2002 trip Cross-Country and are planning on getting married in 2005.

Name: Rebecca Hazen
Graduated: 2001
Entry Date: 11/8/05; 12/18/06
Email: rfhazen@yahoo.com
Address: 7801 Hampson st, Apt A,  New Orleans, LA 70118
Occupation:  Grad student
Biography: I am working at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX in a lab that studies the effects of biodiversity on the invasibility of non-indigenous plants.  I am planning on attending grad school next fall (I’m not sure where yet- wish me luck!!!).  2^nd Entry:  I'm starting a grad/PhD program at Tulane University in January 2007. I'll be joining a lab whose work focuses primarily on tri-trophic interactions among plants, herbivores and parasitoids. I'm very excited about starting grad school and taking up residence in the Big Easy! :)  

Name: Will Kuhs
Graduated: 2001
Entry Date: 7/5/07
Email: wkuhs@auduboninstitute.org
Address: 7904 St. Charles Ave. Apt B-1,  New Orleans, LA 70118
Occupation: Hospital Zookeeper/Veterinary Assistant; Audubon Zoo, New Orleans
Biography: First, I worked for a veterinary radiologist in the Ithaca area doing mostly grunt work for mobile ultrasound exams. I came down to New Orleans in 2002. I started at a research facility associated with the Audubon Zoo doing an unpaid internship for what turned into a year. Worked a security shift at the facility to pay for food. I worked first predominantly with sandhill cranes chicks for release and then, wild cats! Caracals, servals, fishing cats, clouded leopards, African wild cats, rusty spotted cats. I also worked with several stork and antelope species. Next, starting in 2003 I got a series of jobs at Audubon Zoo. First, I was in the Bird Department for a couple of years and had a great time breeding flamingos and hanging with the red kangaroos amongst many other interesting species under my care. Since the summer of 2005, I have been working in the veterinary hospital at the zoo. Yes, I was here during and after Katrina. What a time! Many stories. My present job is great. My primary responsibilities are taking care of animals going through the quarantine procedure as they enter the zoo and the daily husbandry of animals that are staying in the hospital for medical reasons. I take part in many other aspects of the hospital and zoo as well. I still aspire to return to further academics, but this job is too great and too coveted of an experience to leave just yet. I am very fortunate. Thank you to all the excellent professors at Cortland State! I extend an open invitation for anyone associated with the Cortland Biology/Chemistry community to drop a line. I'm happy to speak about my experiences with any interested people. And of course, if anybody is in the area, contact me for behind the scenes views of the zoo. Greetings Earthlings!

Name: Ellen M. Lawrence
Graduated: 2001
Entry Date: 1/28/04
Email: EllenMLawrence@yahoo.com
Address: PO Box 470,  DeRuyter, NY 13052
Occupation: Assistant Scientist I, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Syracuse, NY
Biography: After graduation, I accepted a Laboratory Technician position at Harvard Medical School in the Van Etten Laboratory. The lab was working with genes associated with chronic myeloid leukemia (more specifically, with genes that result or are deleted due to the formation of the "Philadelphia Chromosome"). I worked there for only 3 months before returning to CNY and accepting a position at Syracuse University as a Laboratory Assistant III in the Breitwieser Laboratory. We worked on the calcium sensing receptor, a G-protein coupled receptor located on the surface of many different types of cells throughout the human body. We were trying to define the metabolic pathway activated when the receptor binds extracellular calcium. In addition, we were trying to better understand the physical mechanism by which the receptor is activated. In June of 2003, I accepted a 6-month contract position as a temporary associate in the Genetic Engineering department of Bristol-Myers Squibb in Syracuse. In that position, I helped to subclone cell lines that were being used for biologic pharmaceutical production. In addition, I helped to genetically charactize certain subcloned cell lines. At the end of my contract I accepted a permanent position with BMS in the Analytical Biochemistry department as an Assistant Scientist I. In this position, I am running different assays to perform in-process testing on lots of biologics that are currently being produced by BMS. I am also doing some molecular biology on the cell lines used for production and helping to implement an assay in Syracuse that has historically been run at the BMS site in Hopewell, NJ.
 

Name: Matt Martinkovic Graduated: 2001 Entry Date: 10/9/07 Email: mmartinkovic@hotmail.com Address:   4 Crary Avenue, Binghamton, NY  13905 Biography:  I have been working with the National Audubon's Seabird Restoration Program for the past 7 years and also finishing my Master's in Teaching at Cortland.

Name: William Mauck
Graduated: 2001
Entry Date: 9/5/04
Email: wmauck@rohan.sdsu.edu
Address: 5484 Reservoir Drive,  Apt. B-56,  San Diego, CA 92120
Occupation: Graduate Student
Biography: 1st year graduate student at San Diego State University and working as a research assistant on the genetic reconstruction of the Tanager phylogeny. My thesis will involve research on the systematics of an undecided avian species.

Name: Jessica Rostawanik (now Jessica Rice)
Graduated: 2001
Entry Dates: 5/9/02; 1/11/06
Email: rastalala@hotmail.com
Address: 22 Leone Court, Highland Mills, New York 10930
Occupation:  High school biology teacher
Biography: 2002 Entry:  I have been teaching physical science to 7th graders, and hope to move onto regents Biology next year.I am currently teaching biology at Nyack high school.
    2006 Entry:   I started teaching 7th grade physical science but I didn't like it anywhere near as much as I like teaching bio so I moved on. I recently got married (June 2005) to Russell and we bought a house soon after in August.

Name: Jesse Smith
Graduated: 2001
Entry Date: 8/13/04
Email: jdsmith37@yahoo.com
Occupation:  Software Developer
Biography: I've returned to my original career of software developer and I currently am developing database applications for epidemiological research at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. I'd like to further combine my interests and education in software and biology, perhaps even by founding a company of my own (in the distant future) to create software for biologists or a similar field.

2002
Name: Nicole Ammann
Graduated: 2002
Entry Date: 4/17/05
Email: nikilyn31@excite.com
Address:  311 W. Seneca Tpk.,  Apt 30B,  Manlius, NY 13104
Occupation:  Chemistry Teacher- Cazenovia High School, Varsity Softball Coach
Biography: Hanging out with a cool dude I met at Raquette Lake Field Bio.

Name: Jennifer Berardi
Graduated: 2002
Entry Date: 3/20/05
Email: JennBacardi223@hotmail.com
Address: 184 Hallock Rd., Apt. 2H1 ,  Lake Grove, NY 11755
Occupation: Biology Teacher
Biography: After graduating in 2002, I stayed at Cortland for another year in the M.S.Ed. program for Biology and just finished that in 2004. In September 2003 I got a teaching job at Walt Whitman H.S. on Long Island as a Biology Teacher. I am still there this year and having a great time! I am not married yet but my boyfriend and I plan to get engaged this summer and married in August 2006.

Name: JoAnne DeLisle
Graduated: 2002
Entry Date: 3/14/04
Email: delislejoa@sgfallssd.org
Address: 345 Mott Road,  Gansevoort, NY 12831
Occupation:  Middle School Science Teacher
Biography:  I began teaching at South Glens Falls Middle School in September 2002. I am in my second year of teaching. Currently, I am working on my masters and will graduate in December. Shaun and I are going to get married in 2005.

Name: Ryan Hutchings
Graduated: 2002
Entry Dates: 11/20/03;  10/9/07
Email: rhutchin@houstonisd.org
Biography:  2003 Entry: After graduating I ended up staying in CNY to substitute teach for half a year. Then I applied for a job in Houston and low and behold I got it. Now that I am here I am teaching 6th and 8th graders and am planning on starting my masters in the summer.  2007 Entry: I now work with Project GRAD Houston(Graduation Really Acheives Dreams) a non-profit organization that works collaboratively with the Houston Independent School District to provide college access to at-risk students.  I serve as a Academic Coach for teachers at five different Elementary campuses (PreK-5).  Working as a Staff Developer has opened my eyes to a new side of Education.  I hope to continue in Educational Leadership.  While at SUNY Cortland I never thought I would consider becoming a building leader such as a Principal, but am now beginning to think maybe this could be my next venture?!?! 

Name: Angie Lauffer
Graduated: 2002
Entry Date: 2/28/03
Email: alauffer7@hotmail.com
Address: Buffalo NY
Occupation: PA student
Biography: I'm currently in my last year of PA school. I'll be starting my rotations this summer. I'm looking forward to graduating and possibly practicing in either OB/GYN or cardiology.

Name: Laura Prestopnik (now, Laura Morse)
Graduated: 2002
Entry Date: 3/17/05
Email: lprestopnik@yahoo.com
Address: 221 Cranston Drive,  Chesnee, SC 29323
Occupation:  Chiropractic student
Biography:  After graduation from Cortland, I moved to South Carolina to attend chiropractic school. I'm now seeing patients in the clinic at school and plan on graduating in 2006. I also got married June 2003, to Joe Morse, another Cortland grad.

Name: Vicki Tibbals
Graduated: 2002
Entry Date: 4/13/07
Email: vtibbals@greenecsd.org
Address: 25 Besemer Road, Ithaca, N.Y. 14850
Occupation:  Science Teacher
Biography: After finishing undergrad in '02, I started my master's program right away. I secured a teaching position in physical science at Greene Middle School in 2003. My son Matthew was born in '04 (a budding herpetologist - ask Dr. Janke to see the pictures). I finished my master's in summer '06, hiking along in the Adirondacks with Dr. Darling while 8 months pregnant with my daughter Natalie. I was granted tenure in Greene in '06, and am currently working on grant-writing skills with the goal of securing more technology for use in science classrooms in my district. I also am compiling materials to apply for the NASA Explorer Program for grades 4-9. I miss taking classes, and will probably take one of the few bio classes not yet taken at Cortland for "fun" next year.....I am interested in pursuing a PhD in the future, after both children are in school.

2003
Name: Liz Csikar
Graduated: 2003
Entry Date: 1/17/04
Email: Trill1an@msn.com
Address: 200 E. Southern Ave.,  Apt 143,  Tempe, AZ 85282
Occupation: Financially impaired grad student

Name: Todd Dancesia
Graduated: 2003
Entry Date: 2/26/04
Email: greengopher7@aol.com
Address: 101 Prospect St.  Binghamton NY, 13905
Occupation: High SchoolScience Teacher,  Afton Central School
Biography: Since graduating from Cortland I have been teaching Earth Science and Chemistry at ACS. It has been a great experience and a lot of fun.

Name: Cara Fiore
Graduated: 2003
Entry Date: 3/16/05
Email: cfiore1@edisto.cofc.edu
Address: 1402 Camp Rd Apt 12E,  Charleston, SC 29412
Occupation:  graduate student.
Biography:  I am currently working on my masters degree in marine biology at the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC. For my thesis I am characterizing the sponge community and associated fauna found on the continental shelf and slope off the southeastern U.S.

Name: Brian Leonard
Graduated: 2003
Entry Dates: 7/16/04, 6/19/07
Email: leonardbrian@hotmail.com
Address: 433 Ruth Lane,  Orlando, FL 32801
Occupation: Pharmaceutical Business Manager - Bristol-Myers Squibb
Biography:   After graduating from SUNY Cortland I immediately relocated to sunny Orlando, FL. I worked as a marketing specialist for a large multinational insurance/finance corporation, while obtaining my Master's of Business Administration in Marketing and International Business at the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College. I have recently accepted a new position with Bristol-Myers Squibb in their pharmaceutical division.

Name: Michael Reid
Graduated: 2003
Entry Date: 4/17/05
Email: Reido92@yahoo.com
Address:  2 Moonwatcher Place,  New Paltz, NY 12561
Occupation: Scientist/ Water Ecologist, NYC Dept. of Environmental Protection, Wetlands and Wildlife Studies
Biography:  Having fun with a hot chick I met at Raquette Lake.

Name: Gina Shaw
Graduated: 2003
Entry Date: 3/26/06
Email: gshaw@pipeline.une.edu
Occupation: US NAVY SUPPLY CORPS OFFICER
Biography:   I graduated from PA school (2005) at the University of New England in Portland, ME. Unfortunately, I didn't care too much for this profession so I applied for a commission in the United States Navy. I am currently in Athens, GA finishing up the courses required to become a supply officer.

Name: Bob Swarthout
Graduated: 2003
Entry Date: 4/11/05
Email: sloc20@hotmail.com
Address: 1402 Camp Rd.,  Apt 12 E,  Charleston, SC 29412
Occupation:  Working for the National Institute of Standards and Technology as an environmental chemist.
Biography:  I'm currently working on my MS in Environmental Studies at the College of Charleston. I'm planning on defending in August of 2005. My thesis work involves developing new methods for analyzing organic contaminants (PCBs, pesticides, and brominated flame retardants) in blood samples taken from Kemp's ridley sea turtles. Following graduation Cara Fiore and I plan on blowing all the money we've managed to save up on travelling abroad before applying to Ph.D. programs.

Name: Sheila A Wesonga, now Sheila Akinyi
Graduated: 2003
Entry Date: 8/17/06
Email: sakinyi@emory.edu
Occupation:  Grad student
Biography:  I am in my third year at Emory University, studying Immunology. Learning a lot both in lab and outside.

2004
Name: Jennifer Conrad
Graduated: 2004
Entry Date: 3/5/06
Email: jenniferlconrad@yahoo.com
Occupation: zoo keeper
Biography:   After leaving Cortland, I went to ESF in Syracuse and graduated with a BS in Environmental & Forest Biology. I am currently living 45 miles north of New York City working as a Zoo Keeper at the Bear Mountain Zoo.