Undergraduate Research

I received my Ph.D. in Neuroscience. My research had been in the area of cellular and molecular neuroscience. Specifically, my work focused on trying to understand the cellular changes that are occurring that could explain larger scale phenomena such as learning and memory. Techniques that I used were cell culture, fluorescence microscopy, and molecular biology.

Student research with me for the last couple of years has been centered on the cell biology of HeLa cells, a human cell line derived from human cervical epithelia, and fluorescence microscopy. Past projects have been:

1) establishing the HeLa cells at Dalton State (the first time mammalian cell culture has been done here), and using fluorescence to image cellular structures like actin, DNA, and mitochondria

2) Using fluorescence to image calcium ion waves and oscillations in HeLa cells (a key element of intracellular signaling)

3) exploring the mechanism of anti-cancer drugs in HeLa cells, using fluorescence to look at mitochondrial function and the generation of free radicals.

Mammalian cell lines are a model system for exploring a wide variety of topics that have clinical relevance. HeLa cells were initially chosen because of their historical significance, massive literature of use, and relative ease to work with. But there is no reason why any cell line (from a wide variety of organisms, cell types, and/or specific disorders) couldn’t be used.

Fluorescence microscopy is a powerful tool that I first learned how to use as a graduate student, and students have likely seen numerous fluorescent images in textbooks and lectures. Fluorescence allows for specific and distinct labeling of cellular structures in living cells. Fluorescence can be used to measure many physiological events as well: such as ion changes, electrical potential, organelle function, cell cycle, viability assays, just to name a few. While future projects could continue from the earlier ones done with me, I am certainly open to new projects that use cell culture and microscopy.

Psychophysiology

Using standardized image database for psychological profiles.

Animal Behavior, Avian Biology, Evolutionary Biology and Marine Biology

Finishing doctoral work on the evolution of egg color; interested in research with students on feather and egg colors.

My area of interest is aquatic ecology.  Past research includes an invertebrate survey of the Conasauga River, surveys of turtles, fish, invertebrates, and amphibians at Lakeshore Park. My research students have assessed culverts for fish passage suitability in the Holly Creek watershed and have monitored water quality on the Conasauga River and tributaries. 

During 2022, I will be working with students in assessing macroinvertebrate communities and water quality in a section of Mill Creek bordering the property of Park Creek Elementary School and students sampling turtles in a wetland on the same property.  Students who have an interest in streams and rivers, water quality, and aquatic plant and animal communities are welcome to talk with me about research possibilities.

Pavlovian and operant learning strategies used across species (specifically rats, betta fish, and humans); spatial navigation strategies used by betta fish; the effects of emotion and attention on pain tolerance in humans; eyewitness memory.

Include conservation biology, ornithology (the study of birds!), ecology, environmental science, and general biology.  One of my primary goals in teaching is to connect students to the natural world because in this technologically advanced age, we are growing more disconnected from the natural world.  As a result, I am very interested in getting students to think critically about the environment and how our actions can influence the world around us – for better or worse.

My background is in bird ecology and conservation.  I particularly am interested in factors that influence species’ distributions and limit population sizes.  In my research, I have explored how different biotic factors (e.g., competitors and habitat configuration) and abiotic factors (e.g., hydrology and soil quality) influence numbers of three endangered and endemic water birds in Hawaii. I also have explored island-mainland evolutionary patterns in the 12 subspecies of one particular bird species – the Common Moorhen. Other Hawaiian research has involved different aspects of the ecology of the endangered Hawaiian Moorhen, including molt, limitation of numbers by food energy, and breeding. Additional research includes exploring the reliance of endangered species on conservation initiatives and the threat that climate change poses to shorebirds in North America.

My current academic research interests lie both in the field of science education and acid-base equilibria. As a science educator, my focus is on the development of new curricula for the teaching of chemistry and physics. For students intending to become science teachers, we could work together on the development of new resources and analysis of student data.

In the field of acid-base equilibrium, I am interested in using spectrophotometry to determine the acid dissociation constants of acid-base indictors. I am also interested in solvent effects on the equilibrium constants.

My research with students involves the new Appalachian Studies minor; past students have worked on dialect, quilting, bluegrass, shape notes in traditional singing schools, and heirloom vegetables and seeds. I’m particularly interested in the collection of stories and oral history as part of building a corpus of speech samples from the various peoples of our area. We are studying stories and language patterns from people across the region with a particular focus on minority communities whose speech is less represented in historical research on Appalachian dialect.

I work with research in education, predominantly focused on mathematics curriculum and instruction.  I also work with education more broadly some such as care and community in the classroom.