BioNews 1999

BioNews 1999

James River Basin Partnership Meetings

Water quality issues are becoming increasingly prominent in the Ozarks. In the last two months several administrators, faculty and staff from Biology and GGP have attended meetings sponsored by the James River Basin Partnership. The Partnership is a grassroots, not for profit organization interested in protecting water quality in the James River watershed and Tablerock Lake.

The “White River Basin Water Quality Forum” was held October 27 in Branson and brought together government officials from the states of Missouri and Arkansas to discuss water quality issues of the Upper White River Basin. Missouri and Arkansas state officials signed a Memorandum of Agreement to work together to protect water quality in the White River basin. Steve Jensen, John Havel, Russell Rhodes, and Diana Sheridan, as well as students Curtis Klotz, Tommy Majors, and Holly Morrison of the Biology Department attended.

A second conference was held on October 28 and was titled “Managing our Growth, Sustaining our Future”. This meeting considered broader regional issues in the Ozarks and emphasized possibilities for growth and development that would not destroy natural values and water quality. Jensen, Havel, Rhodes and Sheridan of the Biology Department attended.

Dean Larry Banks, Rhodes, and Sheridan also attended the James River Basin Partnership’s monthly meeting on November 19 in Shell Knob. Rhodes presented a resolution from the City of Springfield supporting the Memorandum of Agreement signed by Missouri and Arkansas during the “White River Basin Water Quality Forum”. Rhodes also presented a letter of support written by President Keiser, Missouri State University. He encouraged other communities to also adopt resolutions of support. These documents are being sent to the Governor of Missouri individually and again bound as one document. These resolutions show support from the local communities in the James River Basin to clean up the water quality of the James River and Table Rock Lake.

CNAS and the Biology Department hope to continue supporting James River Basin Partnership and their work as part of our mission “Science and the Environment”. (11/24/99)

Showcase on Faculty Research
The Office of Academic Affairs has recently instituted a lecture series titled "Showcase on Faculty Research", featuring recent winners of University and Foundation Awards. Dr. Chris Barnhart of the Biology Department was the inaugural speaker, and reported on the biology of Ozark streams and his work with endangered species. The talk featured photographs and video footage by Barnhart and by Dr. William Roston of Forsythe. The Spring semester meeting will feature a presentation by Dr. Linda Park-Fuller of the Department of Theatre and Dance. (11/4/99)

Biology Faculty win University and College Awards
Each year Missouri State recognizes outstanding performance of faculty in the three areas of teaching, research, and service. Four Biology faculty received awards this year. The awardees are Chris Barnhart (University Award in Research), Alicia Mathis (University Award in Teaching), Dan Beckman (College Award in Service), and Tom Tomasi (College Award in Service). (8/11/99)

Angela Spence wins IDS 110 Teaching Award
Angela Spence, Biology Laboratory Supervisor, was presented with one of three 1999 IDS 110 Outstanding Teaching Awards in recognition of her performance in the classroom. Spence has taught the course for three semesters and was instrumental in recruiting peer leaders and teachers for the program. Congratulations, Angela! (6/17/99)

Myers visits Scott Handley at CDC
While attending a workshop in Atlanta recently, Dr. Dick Myers had the opportunity to visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The schedule did not promise to a very exciting adventure for Dick, who, as a microbiologist, wanted to see some of the "off-limit" sites not readily available to visitors. During a lunch break at the CDC cafeteria, Dr. Dick Myers and Scott Handley, an Missouri State graduate and a CDC Predoctoral Fellow, happened by. Scott generously offered to host a "grand tour" and took Dick and two other workshop participants through a significant part of the entire facility, including Scott's laboratory. Scott is working with some of the more exotic rickettsial and viral pathogens and has had a very productive stay at the CDC. Dick visited (actually, viewed through thick glass windows) areas where some of the highly invasive viruses such as Ebola are housed and was able to visit an area where newer strains of the influenza virus are studied. Thanks to Scott, it was a much more exciting view of the CDC! (6/17/99)

Missouri mussels get international publicity
A crew of filmmakers from a British studio visited Temple Hall for two weeks in May and one week in July to work with Dr. Chris Barnhart and graduate students Michael Baird and Bryan Simmons. Green Umbrella Ltd, of Bristol, England, is producing a 6-part series called "The Triumph of Life" for broadcast on PBS next year. One of these productions will feature the life cycle of Lampsilis reeviana, a freshwater mussel found only in the Ozarks, which has been the subject of research by Barnhart and his students. The mussel uses a lure to attract a host fish (smallmouth bass) to carry its parasitic larvae. The lure is a remarkable mimic of a small fish in color and movement. When the bass strikes at the lure, the female mussel releases hundreds of tiny larvae that attach to the gills of the bass. The film-makers plan to return to Missouri State in July for further work. More information about mussel research at Missouri State is available on Barnhart's home page. (7/21/99)

Grad student research at Springfield Conservation Nature Center
Note: This article is reprinted from the Nature Center newsletter, "Harbinger":

"We value the relationship we have with all community groups. Whether we’re introducing kids to an early look at nature to encourage a lifetime interest in conservation or teaching adults outdoor skills to share with their family members, we view these relationship as win-win ones. We share this same kind of relationship with local colleges and specifically with the department of Missouri State.

College students are frequently in need of places to conduct research projects and the nature center functions as an outdoor classroom for some. The center’s goal from the beginning has been to provide hands-on learning opportunities for folks of all ages, and we view college students as a special group.

These biology research students are special in that unique privileges are granted to them. It’s not unusual to see them meandering off the trails or wading knee-deep in the muck of Lake Springfield as they go quietly about their studies. Graduate student Eric Koch has been a familiar site to nature center visitors as he tracks the distribution and movement of deer at the nature center. Donned with a Wildlife Collector’s permit issued from the Conservation Department and an antenna to aid him in tracking deer that he has already caught and equipped with radio collars, Koch records the locations of each deer by tracking them through the wilds of the nature center. Barry Rabe conducts much of the field work now while Koch, under the direction of Biology Professor Dr. Lynn Robbins, compiles the data which will be used in determining the best plan to manage our deer population problem in the future.

While Graduate students Tim Roth and Dawn Ford deal with smaller animals, they’re sufficiently challenged by both the degree of difficulty they have in catching their quarry and the complexity of their projects. Under the combined leadership of Dr. Don Moll and Dr. Brian Greene, both of these students research reptiles. Roth’s study involves the catching and surgically implanting radio receivers in northern water snakes and tracking them with radiotelemetry to determine the ecology and habitat choice of the snake. Ford catches stinkpot turtles and studies the contents of their stomachs before returning them unharmed to the wild. She also surveys the surrounding vegetation to find out what foods are available to determine if the turtle’s diet changes seasonally or with increasing age.

We benefit in many ways from our relationship with these students and their faculty advisors. We’d like to thank both the students and the faculty of the biology department of Missouri State for chipping in and for their role in this winning relationship." 5/1/99

Biology students win Callaway Awards
The Guy Callaway, Sr. Outstanding Premedical Student Awards for 1999 were presented on April 20 at the Premedical Society Banquet. These are the most prestigious awards given to premedical students at Missouri State. Both recipients were Biology majors. The sophomore winner was Jennifer Marcellus. Jennifer is also a Bryant Scholar. The junior winner was Travis Brawner. Both students were awarded a $500 check and a plaque. Congratulations! (5/1/99)

Peregrine falcon update
Peregrine falcons are among the rarest birds in North America. Several of these magnificent birds were reared and released by Missouri State biologists over the past two years, as part of a nationwide effort to save the species from extinction. If you spot a peregrine on campus or elsewhere in Springfield, please contact Dr. Don Moll (836-5126) or Dr. Chris Barnhart (836-5166).

Tuesday, 11/30/99 Ace birder Clint Copeland (Career Services Coordinator) reports another sighting on campus: "As I was power slamming my lunch on the 3rd floor of Carrington hall at 11:50 today, I saw a larger than normal grey silhouette swoop into the large oak tree on the SW corner of Siceluff hall. With curious interest, I studied the bird to see if it could be one of our falcons. Although partially obscured by the limbs, it sure looked like one. Hoping to see it up a little closer, I rushed out the East side of Carrington. Fortunately, it hadn't flown, and sure enough it was a peregrine falcon. It turned on the limb a couple of times and looked as if it was lame in the left leg. Twigs were in the way, but it appeared as if it had the left leg tucked next to it's body, and was supporting the full body weight on the right leg. Other than that, it looked very healthy. I was surprised to see it here so late in the year. I thought they would have already flown South. Thought you would like to know."

Friday 3/26/99 Clint Copeland (Cooperative Education) sighted a peregrine on campus yesterday at 5:15 pm. The bird was on the ground at the SE side of McDonald Arena. It picked up a starling from the ground shortly after being sighted and carried it into the cedars on the SW side of the arena.

Wednesday 3/10/99 The second 1999 sighting of a peregrine in Springfield was reported today by Diana Sheridan of the Biology Department. The falcon was seen feeding on a starling near Andy's on south Campbell Avenue. According to Dr. Don Moll, this falcon is probably "Serendipity", one of the first two released in Springfield in 1997. Serendipity has the unusual habit (for a peregrine) of feeding on the ground.

Wednesday 2/24/99 A peregrine falcon was spotted at Missouri State on Wednesday morning by graduate student Dawn Ford. The falcon chased a pigeon, which flew against a window of Temple Hall. The pigeon was killed by the impact and fell to the ground by the main doors. The falcon was apparently reluctant to feed so close to the building, and soon flew off.

If you would like to see the "pigeon print" on the window, visit the graduate alcove in Temple Hall, room 240B. The print is visible above the main doors of the building on the campus side.