Biology

Seminars

All Biology Department Seminars are free and open to the public. Seminars take place Fridays at 4:10 PM in B-19 in the basement of the Biology Building on the Reed College Campus (unless otherwise noted on the schedule). Seminars are immediately preceded by a service of coffee, tea, and other refreshments.

The Reed College campus is located in southeast Portland at 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. (Online maps are available for getting to Reed and for the Campus).

2011-12 Schedule

Fall

4:10-5:00 in Biology B-19 (unless otherwise noted). Directions to Reed.

Sept 2
Location: Chemistry Patio
Student Summer Research Presentations: A poster session
Sept 9CUS/Library Information Session for Biology Majors
CUS/Library staff, Reed College
Sept 16"Evolution in New Environments: Two case studies in the genetic basis of phenotypic polymorphism: 'Gasterosteus aculeatus' and 'Caulobacter crescentus'"
Melissa E. Marks PhD, Department of Biology, Willamette University
Sponsor: Lamfrom Fund
Sept 23"Evolution of a faster X chromosome mutation rate in 'Caenorhabditis elegans'"
Dee Denver PhD, Dept of Zoology, Center for Genome Research & Biocomuting, Oregon State University
Sponsor: Lamfrom Fund
Sept 30"Swapping sex-roles on different timescales. What is happening in the brain?"
Suzy Renn PhD, Biology Department, Reed College
Sponsor: Ellis Fund
Oct 7"After 400 million years, who needs flowers? The volatile nature of moss-microarthropod mutualisms"
Todd N. Rosenstiel PhD, Portland State University
Sponsor: Ellis Fund
Oct 13"How the Turtle Got Its Shell: An Evo-Devo Perspective"
Scott F. Gilbert PhD, Dept of Biology, Swarthmore
Sponsor: Liu Fund
Oct 14No seminar--Friday before Fall break
Oct 21No seminar--Fall break
Oct 28"What Does She Really Want? New Directions in the Study of Female Mate Choice"
John Byers PhD, Dept of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho
Nov 4"Getting caught in peculiar positions: variation in the mechanisms of monogamy"
Steven Phelps PhD, Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas
Sponsor: "TBA"
Nov 11No seminar
Nov 18S.T.A.R. Lectures: Students Talking About Research (brief lectures presented by thesis students about their respective thesis projects)

Matt Milton, Biology
"Estrogen Mediated Transcriptional Pausing"

Daniel Fennelly, Psychology
"Learning and Doing: The Dorsal Striatum and Operant Conditioning"

Claudia Realegeno, Psychology
"Medicating Meth-heads: Modafinil as a Pharmacotherapy for Methamphetamine Dependence"

Spring

4:10-5:00 in Biology B-19 (unless otherwise noted). Directions to Reed.

Jan 27"Falcons Overhead: Restoring Peregrine Falcons in the Urban Ecosystem"
Robert W. Sallinger '91, Audubon Society of Portland
Sponsor: Ellis Fund
Feb 3Biology Dept Information Seminar: "Summer Research Opportunities, both here and there, A Panel Discussion"
Feb 10"Projected Climate Impacts for the Fauna of the Western Hemisphere"
Joshua J. Lawler, School of Forest Resources, University of Washington
Sponsor: Ellis Fund
Feb 17"Mollusks, Microbes and Molecules: Biodiversity based drug discovery in the Philippines"
Margo G. Haygood, Div of Environmental & Biomolecular Systems, Institute of Environmental Health, OHSU
Sponsor: Lamfrom Fund
Feb 24"Chromosome dynamics during meiosis: It takes two to tango."
Abby F. Dernburg, HHMI/Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, UC Berkeley
Sponsor: Lamfrom Fund
Mar 2"Rust Never Sleeps: A global approach to fighting deadly diseases of wheat"
Sarah Davidson Evanega '98, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Cornell University
Sponsor: Ellis Fund
Mar 9No Seminar-Friday before Spring Break
Mar 16No Seminar-Spring Break
Mar 21
Time: 12:00 PM Location: Psych 105
Special Seminar!! "Bacteria and Phagocytes: Mortal Enemies"
Victor Nizet '84, Dept of Pediatrics, Div of Infectious Diseases, UCSD
Mar 23"The Epigenetic Regulation of Transposable Elements: Reports from the front lines of the intra-genome arms race"
R. Keith Slotkin, Dept of Molecular Genetics, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University
Sponsor: Lamfrom Fund
Mar 30"The tallest trees: Understanding factors controlling their growth and vulnerability to climate change"
Stephen C. Sillett '89, Dept of Forestry & Wildland Resources, Humboldt State University
Sponsor: Liu Fund
Apr 6"Auditory processing of communication sounds in the midbrain of mice"
Christine V. Portfors, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University Vancouver
Sponsor: Liu Fund
Apr 13"Seasonal timekeeping: Neuroendocrine mechanisms and geographic variation"
Deborah I. Lutterschmidt, Department of Biology, Portland State University
Sponsor: Ellis Fund
Apr 20
Time: 4:15 PM
S.T.A.R. Lectures I: Students Talking About Research (brief lectures presented by thesis students about their respective thesis projects)

Ella Gray
"Species distribution modeling: a tool for the conservation of 'Delphinium leucophaeum'"

Morgan Movius
"The role of neuropeptides in sex role reversal: AVT and isotocin distribution in 'Julidochromis'"

Apr 24
Time: 2:00 PM
S.T.A.R. Lectures II: Students Talking About Research (brief lectures presented by thesis students about their respective thesis projects)

Emily ("E.T.") Thornquist
"Picky moths and sexy trees: Polinator specificity in an obligate pollinator mutualism"

Nathaniel Raley
"From Mom's metabolism to child cannibalism: Feeding regulation in the maternal mouthbrooder 'Astatotilapia burtoni'"

Sarah Semon
"Effects of nitrate exposure on 'Daphnia pulex': a genomic study"

Lauren Carley
"Enhancing stress tolerance: ascorbate peroxidase overexpression in poplar"

Apr 24
Time: 5:15 PM Location: Vollum lecture hall
“How and Why Species Multiply: Evolution of Darwin’s Finches”
Peter and Rosemary Grant
Sponsor: Greenberg Distinguished Scholar Program

Social before the talk 4:00-5:00 PM in Vollum Lounge.