Outstanding graduates - Department of Biology

Chloe is majoring in Biology/Physiology with a second major in Spanish. In addition to coursework, Chloe participated in several extracurricular activities.  Chloe’s National Science Foundation funded research utilized advanced molecular biology techniques to gain a better understanding of a gene regulatory network in the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa.  Chloe was a medical assistant at UPHS.  She studied abroad in Spain and Costa Rica.  Chloe lead the Mind Your Health mental health awareness campaign on campus.  She participated in SLFP and Superior Edge.

Chloe graduated in May 2020 with a 4.0 grade point average. Following graduation, she plans on attending medical school. 

Stephanie completed her bachelor’s degree in Biology and Environmental Studies at Oberlin College and then worked in a series of field biology jobs focused on birds before moving to NMU to begin her MS degree. During her time at NMU, she worked on the conservation genomics of blue wildebeest from Zambia.

Her thesis was entitled, “Genetic diversity of blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) in the Liuwa Plain of Zambia”, which was co-advised by Kate Teeter and Alec Lindsay. Steph used next-generation DNA sequencing methods and extensive computational analyses to develop a detailed snapshot of genetic diversity in blue wildebeest.

As a graduate student, Steph collaborated with the Zambian Carnivore Programme (an NGO in Zambia) on sample collection and the study system, researchers at Boston University on genomic analyses, and Dr. Jeff Horn and students in NMU’s Computer Science on use of their department’s high-performance computing resources. While a student in the MS program, Steph also participated in Alec Lindsay’s “Field Studies of Zambia” course in May 2019, and taught laboratory sections of Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology.

Steph defended her thesis and graduated in the Fall 2019 semester, and is headed to a Ph.D. program at Pennsylvania State University next fall, where she will continue her work in conservation genetics.