Biological Sciences home pageThis page contains items removed from the main index page, and is for archival purposes only. Links may not operate properly. There will be no attempt to update broken links.
Removed August 20,2008
Commencement 2008
The 2008 Commencement was held Sunday, June 15 on the University quad. Pictures of Commencement may be viewed:
Removed March 3, 2008
Outstanding Faculty Member - Dr. Kristin Bozak
Biological Sciences Professor Kristin Bozak was honored as an Outstanding Faculty Member at Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night on Friday, January 25. The award was presented by President Ortiz to Dr. Bozak and 12 other faculty member during halftime of the Men's Basketball game, against number 12 ranked Humboldt State. In case you missed it, the Broncos won 76-61. Congratulations Dr. Bozak!
Removed November 8, 2007
Dr. Jill Adler-Moore: Distinguished Teacher, College of Science
Our own Professor Jill Adler-Moore has won the 8th Annual College of Science Distinguished Teaching Award. The award, and her seminar, A Recipe for Blending Teaching and Research, will be presented on Thursday, November 8, 2007, 11:45 A.M. - 1:00 P.M., Bldg 4, Rm1-314. Congratulations Dr. Adler!
Removed November 8, 2007
Our own Tiffany Leung was one of the 24 President’s Council Scholars, from across Cal Poly Pomona, honored on the evening of September 26, 2007. Ms Leung is a Senior in Biology with plans to attend medical school with the ultimate goal of becoming a pediatric surgeon. Tiffany has a superb academic record and she has done considerable volunteer work at medical centers and elementary schools and she is a team leader for the BioTrek learning facility. At the awards reception she mentioned the wonderful support she has received especially from Dr. Chris George (Biological Sciences) and Dr. Ed Walton (Chemistry). The award, the highest honor for a Cal Poly student, included a medallion and a scholarship prize of $2,500. Her benefactor was Dr. Andrew Chong, Optometrist. Congratulations Tiffany!
Removed November 8, 2007
The Department is very pleased to welcome three new faculty members. From left to right are Dr. Junjun Liu, Dr. Yuanxiang (Ansel) Zhao, and Dr. Ángel Valdés. Dr. Zhao and Dr. Valdés join us this Fall, while Dr. Liu will join us in Winter Quarter.
Welcome!
Removed September 27, 2007
Registration Instructions
PeopleSoft (BroncoDirect) is now checking all prerequisites listed in the college catalog for courses in the College of Science. If you attempt to register for a course but have not taken the prerequisites that are listed in the catalog, you will receive a message that says “Requisites not met” and you will not be able to register for that course. If you receive this message, please follow the instructions BEFORE you contact the Biological Sciences Department.
NOTE: You may view / download these instructions as a pdf file (1page; 13 KB)
Removed September 20, 2007
Service Awards - Fall 2007
Eloise Pro - 30 years
Ms. Eloise Dora Pro received her Bachelor’s degree in Biology at Cal Poly Pomona, with a concentration in Microbiology. For the past thirty years she has overseen the Cellular Molecular Biology Resource Center and the Waste and Disposal Center for the Biological Sciences Department. As the field of molecular biology has grown in complexity and sophistication so has her job, and Eloise has continuously worked to upgrade her skills. Ms. Pro currently prepares materials for 16 different courses and she also plays a prominent role in the training of teaching assistants in cellular, molecular and microbiological techniques and safety. Ms. Pro has received many awards in recognition of her excellence, including the Cal Poly Outstanding Staff Award in 1996, three College of Science Quarterly Recognition Awards (Fall 2001, Fall 2002, Summer 2004), and the President’s Team Award in 2002. Eloise serves on many committees and recently she was unanimously elected by her peers to the Biology Department Advisory Committee. She is widely respected and admired by faculty, students, and her fellow staff members for her knowledge, skill and leadership.
Congratulations and thanks, Ms. Eloise Pro, for 30 years of outstanding service to Cal Poly Pomona!!
Dr. Pam Sperry - 30 years
At Cal Poly Pomona Dr. Pamela Sperry has taught courses ranging from majors and non-majors introductory biology to upper division and graduate level courses in cell, molecular and developmental biology. She has supervised 110 students in undergraduate research and she has been the major professor for 13 Master’s students. In support of her efforts Dr. Sperry has received for Cal Poly several million dollars of grant support from NSF, NIH, CSUPERB, MBRS-RISE, Sigma Xi and other organizations to enhance undergraduate research, teacher education, curriculum improvement, and mentoring.
Dr. Sperry has also distinguished herself with her administrative service to Cal Poly Pomona. She served for five years as the Graduate Coordinator in the Biological Sciences Department, followed by three years as Associate Chair, and then five years as Department Chair. Among her many accomplishments while serving as Department Chair she led the transition to mandatory advising, she opened a new departmental Advising Center, and she developed an advising handbook. She continues on as Associate Chair, Director of Advising, and TA Coordinator. Her signature characteristic is that she absolutely always finds time for the individual student.
Congratulations and thanks, Dr. Pamela Sperry, for 30 years of outstanding service to Cal Poly Pomona!!
Dr. Martin Stoner - 40 years
Professor Martin Stoner began as an undergraduate student at Cal Poly Pomona over 45 years ago. He went on to get a Ph.D. at Washington State University in the area of mycology (study of fungi) and plant pathology.
Dr. Stoner’s studies of plant diseases and the interrelationships of fungi, soil, and plants have taken him to Hawaii, New Zealand, Thailand, and China. Dr. Stoner also works as a forensic botanist, and he is an expert in identification of poisonous as well as edible mushrooms. He has remained professionally active and has assumed several leadership roles in professional organizations.
Dr. Stoner has taught courses ranging from introductory level biology to specialized graduate courses. He has mentored many students who have gone on to become leaders in the areas of botany and plant pathology, and he keeps in close contact with his students, even decades after they graduate. As an Academic Senator for almost half of his career at Cal Poly, Dr. Stoner worked tirelessly to develop effective educational policies and to ensure that the biology curriculum in the College of Science also serves other colleges.
Congratulations and thanks, Dr. Martin Stoner, for 40 years of outstanding service to Cal Poly Pomona!!
Removed September 13, 2007
"Exploring our Land" exhibit opens at LA County Natural History Museum
You are invited to the opening night of Cal Poly Pomona’s “Exploring Our Land” exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. This exhibit will present the activities of Cal Poly Pomona students relating to the natural history of our southern California. The exhibit will run until October 21st. “Exploring Our Land” is a product of Cal Poly Pomona students enrolled in a Community Service Learning course offered by the Biological Sciences Department. Read more at Polycentric...
Opening night September 7th will be from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm, and includes free admission, light refreshments, beverages, and free parking in the museum parking lot. The museum is located at 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Removed August 30, 2007
On June 8, 2007, the Biological Sciences Department held its Annual Awards Ceremony to honor various students and a faculty member.
The following Undergraduate Students won awards:
Howard Hughes Medical Institute awards in support of undergraduate research:
Andrea Astudillo, Jonathan Bray, Carolyn Brown, Dan Dao, Elysee Gatdula, Maria Gudiel, Jocelyn Holt, Anne Gilman, Valerie Kendall, William Luijt, Clarissa Menard, Jessicas Moss, Crystal Neligh, Izzana Salleh, Gina Terpolilli, Hoa Tran, Estralania Williams, Willem Luijt.
Undergraduate Student Cassandra Stepp-Bolling won the Harold Lint Memorial Award
Undergraduate Student Valerie Kendall won the Microbiology Scholastic Achievement Award
The following Graduate Students won awards:
Kevin W. Ellis won the Chuck Bayless Memorial Scholarship.
Francisa Herrera won the Tim Brown Memorial Award
Jill Parsell won the Vernon Gregory Memorial Award
Carla Stout and Phillip Thompson both won the Larry McKane Outstanding Teaching Associate Award
Ka Wang Yeung won the Edward Roche Research Assistant Award
The following faculty member won the First Annual Biological Science Department Award for Teaching Excellence:
Professor Kristine Hartney
Dr. Chris George has won the 2007 Award of Merit from the County of Los Angeles for her work with the YWCA of San Gabriel Valley. Congratulations to Dr. George!
Congratulations to all the award winners! Photos from the awards reception can be seen at the following links:
http://www.csupomona.edu/~cosl/BioAwards.html
http://www.csupomona.edu/~cosl/reception/bioRec07.html
Removed July 16, 2007
The Biological Sciences Department commencement was part of the College of Science ceremony held on June 10, 2007.
Removed June 18, 2007
Meilen Chang Muñoz received the second place award in the CSU-wide Student Research 
Competition at CSU Dominguez Hills in early May. Ms. Muñoz is a Master’s student working in the laboratory of Dr. Jill Adler-Moore. Her research presentation was on the Development of a Universal Liposomal M2 Influenza Vaccine. She was also one of the students who accompanied President Ortiz to Sacramento when they recently visited with the Legislature. Congratulations Meilen!
Removed June 18, 2007
Dr. John Chan has won the 2007 Outstanding Advisor Award, representing the College of Science. Dr. Chan is a Professor in Biological Sciences and the Pre-Professional Advisor for the University. He will be honored along with eight other advisors from all across Cal Poly Pomona at a reception on Thursday, May 17, from 3-5 PM on the 8th floor of the CLA Building. Congratulations to Dr. Chan for this well-deserved honor!
Removed May 23, 2007
Congratulations to Dr. Bijay Pal, who has received a US Patent for Cal Poly Pomona entitled “Potent Inhibition of Influenza virus by specifically designed Short Interfering RNA” The patent is for a new approach to both prevent and cure influenza, the common flu, which results in 20,000 deaths annually in the US. RNA interference (RNAi) is a recently discovered and developed antiviral strategy in which gene silencing is effected by homologous short (21-23bp) dsRNA fragments known as siRNA. The Pal lab targeted the constant region of the influenza virus nucleocapsid protein (NP) gene, so the treatment has the potential to be effective against all known forms of the influenza virus as well as new strains that may evolve in the future. This newly patented approach, which the Pal lab has successfully tested in mice challenged with lethal doses of influenza virus, also has potential in treating bird flu virus.
Removed April 11, 2007
Faculty and staff of the Biological Sciences department recently received mini-grants for two different service learning projects: “Students in Action”, headed by Mr. Michael Brown, Curator of BioTrek, and “Exhibit of Southern California Natural History/Ecology”, headed by Professor Jonathan Baskin, Mr. Michael Brown and Professor Chris George. The mini-grants were awarded from Cal Poly Pomona’s Center for Community Service-Learning.
In the new “Exhibit of Southern California Natural History/Ecology” project, graduate and undergraduate students will work with faculty and staff from Cal Poly Pomona and, more importantly, with professional curators from the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History (LACM) to develop a group of individual exhibits and a video/slide show at the museum. The theme will be the natural history/ecology of the Southwest, with emphasis on our local area. These short term interactive exhibits in the LACM will show to the general public the results of research projects and class field activities. Hopefully this service learning activity will be repeated annually during the Spring and Summer Quarters, starting this spring.
The ongoing “Students in Action” project grew out of Biology’s community service-learning class, Interpretation of Science. The students learn to be docent/guides and give interpretive walks at BioTrek’s Rainforest, Ethnobotany, and Aquatic Learning Centers to about 2,000 visitors per quarter. This project gives students ownership in both the university and the community. The Students-in-Action also host monthly BioTrek open house events (in Building 4A) for teachers and the general community. Upcoming open house dates are April 21 and May 19, from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. We hope to see you there!
Removed March 2, 2007
The Don Eden award consists of a cash prize of $500 to be used to further the education of the
student and a travel award of up to $1000 to cover travel to a national meeting for the presentation of the award-winning research. The purpose of this highly prestigious award is to foster excellence in graduate student research throughout the California State University system in biotechnology-related research. This covers a broad range of topics in cellular, molecular, chemical and physical studies of the life sciences and the competition for this award is considerable. This year, congratulations are in order for our own Peter Smith!
Mr. Peter Smith is a graduate student working on his Master’s of Science degree in the Biological Sciences Department at Cal Poly Pomona. He plans on becoming a biology high school teacher, a long time aspiration. He is committed to bringing the excitement of scientific discovery into the high school classroom, such as he has experienced at Cal Poly Pomona. He began work as an undergraduate student five years ago with Dr. Adler-Moore, doing research on the antifungal compound, AmBisome. His focus has been on understanding the pharmacokinetics of this drug and how the pharmacokinetics relate to the drug’s efficacy in treating life-threatening fungal infections. Recently, he has begun to investigate the effects of AmBisome on the immune system, and how the immunomodulatory effects of AmBisome can complement its antifungal activity. He has presented his research at four different professional infectious disease meetings over the past three years. With the Don Eden award, he will present his most recent work on the immunomodulatory properties of AmBisome at the International Conference for Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. He is a coauthor on the following paper: Olson, J.A., Adler-Moore, J.P., Smith, P.J., and Proffitt, R. T. Treatment of Candida glabrata Infection in Immunosuppressed Mice by Using a Combination of Liposomal Amphotericin B with Caspofungin or Micafungin. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Vol. 49 (12): 4895:4902. Dec. 2005.
Removed February 26, 2007
Congratulations to Dr. Glenn Stewart, who received the Golden Tortoise award from the Desert Tortoise Preserve Committee on January 27, 2007. This was in recognition of 40 years of work conserving and protecting endangered reptiles through work with the California Fish and Game Commission, his founding of the Four States Desert Tortoise Recovery Team, and his spending of 32 years on the Board of Directors of the Desert Tortoise Council. As a Professor at Cal Poly Pomona, Dr. Stewart has introduced many students to the wonders of herpetology, the branch of zoology dealing with reptiles and amphibians. Many of his students have likewise become prominent in ecology, conservation and education.
Removed February 26, 2007
Pam Saves the Day!
An appreciation dinner was held in honor of Dr. Pam Sperry on January 25, 2007. The dinner was in recognition of Dr. Sperry's years of service as Chair of the Biological Sciences Department. Held at the Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch, the evening included great food, great company, a great skit ("Pam Saves the Day!") and an occasion to honor a valued colleague. Thanks to Dean Straney for supporting this event. Photographs from the dinner may be viewed as a pdf file (3.8 MB). Congratulations, Pam, and it's wonderful to have you return to the faculty.
Removed February 2, 2007
Dr. Ron Quinn was recently featured in the Claremont Courier. The article highlights the recent publication of his book, “Introduction to California Chaparral”, which he co-authored with fellow chaparral expert Dr. Sterling Keeley. The book represents the culmination of more than 30 years of research on the tough, gnarly, fire-prone, native evergreen shrub community which is so quintessential (pun intended) of the California landscape. Students may wish to take his course on the chaparral when it is next offered. The article can be found in the Claremont Courier Online Edition. Congratulations Dr. Quinn!
