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The Biology Department NewsletterSpring 1999 |
Volume 14: No. 1, Editor: J. Maxwell, Publisher J.W. Dole California State University, Northridge |
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Opportunity for Students to do Research at VA Medical Centers
Prior to the 1994 earthquake the Biology Department had a very successful cooperative
student research program with the Sepulveda VA Medical Center. Unfortunately, the
program fell apart with the collapse of buildings at both the medical center and
at Cal State Northridge on January 17, 1994.
Effective this semester, an enlarged version of the program has been officially reinstated.
Under the new program qualified students can work in laboratories at the Sepulveda
or the Wadsworth (Westwood) VA facilities. More than 200 investigators are available
to take our students into their labs. Interested students must apply for the program;
only top students will be selected. The Honors Committee will oversee the program
for the department. Dr. Cheryl Hogue, chair of the Honors Committee, is program coordinator.
She will be assisted by Dr. Joyce Maxwell, campus program coordinator.
Students interested in the program are encouraged to talk with Dr. Hogue (677-3349) or Dr. Maxwell (677-2620).
Faculty Welcome Students in Labs
Students interested in doing independent study with Dr. Steven Oppenheimer in fall l999, should seek him out in his basement lab, Science 2005. Over 200 student co-authors' names have appeared on Dr. Oppenheimer's publications. Many of those students have gone on to doctoral programs at Cornell, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, Berkeley, and other equally prestigious universities.
Students in Oppenheimer's lab study the role of the cell surface in cancer spread and embryonic development. Dr. Oppenheimer has been elected a Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, one of the nation's most prestigious research honors.
Microbiology Students Assoc.
The Microbiology Students Association is off to a flying start for the spring '99 semester, having sponsored a well-attended pizza luncheon in mid-February. Last fall, the MSA sponsored several speakers and conducted a tour of two Santa Barbara County wineries.
Scheduled events include a March 5 talk by former Cal State Northridge microbiologist Dr. Charles Spotts on "The microbiology of fermentation" and an April 30 talk by Richard Ruby of the Los Angeles FDA office. Ruby will talk on "Salmonella in raw milk and employment opportunities within the FDA." Watch for flyers indicating locations and times of other speakers and events.
Students wishing to join MSA or attend events should contact an MSA officer: Karen Kesterson, President; Jennifer Reynolds, Vice-President; Patricia Medina, Secretary; Andra Dumitrescu, Treasurer and Michael Bauman, Web-Master.
What's New in the Garden?
One of the Biology Department's best kept secrets is its lush Botanic Garden, just across Lindley Street from the Science Buildings. But this verdant garden and its adjacent greenhouses full of exotic plants is a secret no longer!
As part of Cal State Northridge's 40th Anniversary celebration, the Botanic Garden
recently held its first open house and invited the public to view this campus treasure.
The more than 60 garden enthusiasts who attended were treated to a guided tour of
the garden, the greenhouses, and the new ecology pond.
The open house also marked the inauguration of "Friends of the Garden,"
a group of benefactors developed under the guidance of Barbara Caretto, Development
Director for the College of Science and Mathematics. A one-year "Friends"
membership is available for a tax-deductible gift of $30 per individual, $40 per
family. Contributions will be used to add labels to the plants, acquire garden benches,
obtain new and unusual plants, develop new theme areas, and insure disabled access.
For brochures and membership information call 818-677-3496.
The garden also welcomes volunteers from the University and community. Volunteers
participate in a wide variety of activities, from potting plants to tending the garden.
They also receive horticultural instruction and benefit from the theraupeutic effect
of working with plants. Volunteers meet at the greenhouse on Wednesdays, 9-12 a.m.
The New Ecology Pond
You may have noticed a lot of heavy machinery and construction activity just south of the Botanic Garden. This soon-to-be Ecology Pond will be inherited by the Biology Department from the University's Physical Plant Management (PPM) unit upon completion. Over time, Botanic Garden plantings will be extended to include the area around the pond.
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