Graduate Student Profiles
A diverse group of students are involved with the Graduate Program in The Department of Zoology at Miami University.

Master's Students:

Marlena Koper. I decided to attend Miami University on the advice of my undergraduate mentor. She felt that Miami might be a good match for me in that it was a good research institution with a small town feel. Coming from a small, liberal all women's college, this was exactly what I was looking for. During my first week, as I took part in the pedagogy workshop, I realized that the Zoology department was dedicated to providing undergraduates and graduate students with excellent academic preparation and research experience. Because my long-term goal is to teach biology at a small liberal-arts college, from day one I knew that Miami was the right choice.

The town of Oxford was a welcome change of pace after having spent most of my life living just outside of New York City. Oxford is big enough to provide all the necessary amenities but it hasn't lost that small-town charm. There is even a quaint drive-in theater in nearby Hamilton and an excellent Frisbee golf course to help de-stress after a busy day in the lab. I know that if I do miss the faster pace of a big city, Cincinnati is less than 45 minutes away. I have been at Miami University for one year and am currently pursuing my Master's degree.

My rsearch involves evaluating the effects of nutritional limitation and chemical cues on the foraging behavior of a small wolf spider. The availability of ample lab space and the convenience of having the Ecology Research Center less than 3 miles away to run field experients and capture spiders have greatly facilitated my research experience. Since arriving last August, with the support of the department and advice from fellow graduate students, I have presented at two professional meetings and was sucessful in obtaining a Sigma Xi grant in aid of my thesis research. In summary, Miami University not only has excellent research facilities, but the Department of Zoology offers a strong sense of community.

Lance Maynard. I attended Miami University as an undergraduate and received a degree in the Department of Zoology. Though I had previously attended the Miami, I was nervous about beginning the graduate program because all of my close friends had graduated. So, like many incoming students, I was starting all over just as in my freshman year. To my surprise, the transition was exceptionally easy. As I began the program, I realized that the graduate students in the Department of Zoology function as a cohesive unit. The students and faculty members are very open and create a friendly environment.

The overall purpose of my research is to understand the mechanisms involved in neuronal growth and survival due to the regulatory influences of neurotrophins. I specifically work with the neurotrophin Nerve Growth Factor, a target-derived polypeptide that aids in the growth and survival of neurons. My current question involves the role of afferent input in the regulation of neurotrophin uptake and neurotransmitter biosynthesis by sympathetic neurons. My research involves microscopic and molecular techniques such as immunohistochemical staining, Western Blot, and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR). The facilities at Miami are more than equipped for these techniques and many others. In addition, there are many resources for graduate students such as financial support for travel to national meetings.

At first glance it seems that, with attending classes, performing research, and teaching laboratory sections, you will not have much time for any outside activities. It is true that the program is demanding, but everyone is able to make time for playing sports or just hanging out with their friends. In my first year in the Master's program, I have found that the curriculum and atmosphere of the department as well as the community of Oxford are very enjoyable.

Carrie Smith. I am currently in my second year at Miami University, working towards the completion of my master's thesis in the Zoology Department. I am part of the Oris laboratory, an aquatic toxicology lab with five students with very diverse research interests. Our group has a unique dynamic, not only because we travel to California each field season to live, work and play together, but also because we often collaborate on projects related to our individual research as well as curiosity-driven side projects.

My work focuses on the toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) on rainbow trout. PAHs are fossil fuel combustion products that are ubiquitous in aquatic environments and have been shown to elicit a myriad of both chronic and acute toxic effects. For my thesis I am developing a physiologically based toxicokinetic (PBTK) model to predict the time course of fluoranthene, a particularly abundant PAH, throughout the organs and kinetically related tissue groups of an exposed trout. These models can be particularly useful in ecological risk assessments if they are shown to be accurate.

One of the highlights of my time as a master's student has been a semester-long independent study with Dr. Steve Wright and Dr. John Bailer, a mathematician and statistician in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics here at Miami. Going outside of the department to collaborate with non-zoologists has given me insight on the multidisciplinary field of environmental toxicology. Additionally, such an opportunity has also shown how flexible and accommodating Miami University can be for students with research interests that extend beyond the department in which they study.

Jason Spence. I am currently entering into my second year as a graduate student at Miami University. The Zoology department offers many areas of research, ranging from ecology to neuroscience and developmental/cell biology. I am a member of the developmental/cell biology group. Each student at Miami chooses an area of research in which they are interested and an advisor/mentor for their research. My advisor is Dr. Katia Del Rio-Tsonis. Our lab focuses on tissue regeneration, specifically in structures of the eye such as the lens and retina. My work involves using the embryonic chick as a model to study retina regeneration. Only a select few vertebrates have the capability to regenerate the retina, and by studying the chick we hope to gain insights into the molecular mechanisms by which the process of regeneration is able to occur. This work is very interesting not only from the basic research aspect, but the insights gained from our research may eventually aid in treatment of various retinal degenerative diseases.

The short time I have spent at Miami University has been very fun and rewarding. Our department gives graduate students the chance to work in an atmosphere where independent work is encouraged, and close relationships are developed with other graduate students as well as with advisors and professors.

I am a proud Canadian citizen, and I grew up in a small rural community in southwestern Ontario. I attended Canisius College in Buffalo, NY where I majored in biology. Since I have lived in both small towns and in large cities, Oxford seems like a comfortable blend of small town and city, offering a variety of activities including intramural sports, club sports and other activities, as well as a good social atmosphere while maintaining the friendly feeling of a small community. Although graduate school is demanding, students here still have time to have fun, relax and participate in many extracurricular activities. In my spare time I have had a chance to play intramural hockey and I have also joined the university martial arts school, both of which help me to balance my academic and leisure time as well as allow me to meet new people outside of the department. For me, the Miami University Department of Zoology has thus far facilitated a great atmosphere to grow, learn and conduct research by providing a positive work environment and by encouraging graduate students to continually better themselves as researchers, students and as teachers.

Doctoral Students:

Jill Russell. I am completing the final year of my PhD program at the Center for Neuroscience in the Department of Zoology. I came to Miami in the summer of 1995 as a Howard Hughes Intern. At the time, I was an undergraduate at the College of Mount St. Joseph, in Cincinnati, OH. That summer, I fell in love with the Miami campus, and with research. I knew I wanted to come here for graduate school. After completing my Bachelor of Science degree, I enter the Masters program at Miami. I completed my MS in cardiovascular physiology in 1998. My Masters research involved using the human cardiovascular system as a model to study the effects of exercise on blood pressure regulation. For my doctoral work, I switched fields in order to broaden my research base.

My doctoral research focuses on the changes that occur during puberty that lead to reproductive maturity. Prior to puberty, females do not exhibit cyclic release of the ovarian hormones responsible for normal reproductive function. Once the female begins the physiological changes associated with puberty, specific changes in the brain result in hormones being released from the anterior pituitary gland, which stimulate the ovary to produce and release mature eggs. Within the brain, several neurochemicals are involved in mediating the release of these pituitary hormones. One of the neurochemicals, nitric oxide (NO), plays a role in mediating ovulation, and its levels change over the reproductive lifespan of the animal. There is a complex interaction among the neurochemicals from the brain, the anterior pituitary hormones and steroid hormones (estrogen and progesterone) from the ovary. My research examines the changes that occur in NO expression in response to ovarian steroids during different, reproductive stages, i.e. in pre-pubertal, pubertal and mature females.

I am a non-traditional student who returned to college as a single mother in her 30's. I live with my 2 children, in a house on 2 acres, about 8 miles from Miami. Living in the Oxford area is ideal for raising a family. The community provides a small town atmosphere where you can feel safe, and easily travel to any of the stores in town. Another benefit for me is the flexibility of the graduate program. I am able to juggle my obligations at home with my teaching and research requirements without compromising either priority. This accommodation is one of the unique qualities of the Zoology Department and is one of the reasons I chose Miami for my graduate work. Overall, my experience at Miami has been extremely rewarding. I find my research exciting and challenging. I've also had the opportunity to teach laboratory courses, as well as formal lecture courses, and have developed a passion for teaching. Miami offers me a great education, state of the art research facilities and opportunity for professional growth in teaching and research in a beautiful, campus setting. What more could you ask for?

Marty Horgan. I've completed two years of study toward a Ph.D. degree in the Department of Zoology, studying phytoplankton in reservoir ecosystems in Ohio. In particular, I am interested in how pulses of different types of nutrients are involved in structuring communities. My work has been conducted in the laboratory, in the experimental ponds facility at the Ecology Research Center, and at reservoirs around Ohio. During the time I've been at Miami University, I've been supported on research assistantships.

The Midwest is home to me and I received a B.S. in biology from Grand Valley State University in Michigan. However, I spent eight years in the Northeast earning a M.S. in Natural Resources from Cornell University in New York and working as a federal employee in the U.S. Geological Survey studying anadromous fish in Massachusetts. Currently I live with my wife about 40 miles north of Oxford. I've been fortunate to interact and work with some great people at Miami both from Zoology and other departments. Campus is pleasant and offers a nice atmosphere with eating and shopping within walking distance. I feel that the Department of Zoology and the university offer many opportunities for students to do excellent work in a supportive environment.

Sarita Hebbar. I am pursuing a PhD in the Department of Zoology at Miami University. My career goal is to be involved in scientific research in the area of neurobiology. I work with Dr. Joyce Fernandes. We use the genetic model organism, Drosophila melanogaster, to investigate cellular and molecular principles governing development of neuromuscular junctions. In the past 2 years, I have enjoyed my research experience at Miami University. The atmosphere in the department is friendly. I have found my fellow graduate students, the faculty and staff extremely approachable, interested and of great help whenever I needed their input. Exchange of scientific ideas happens all the time, at common lab meetings, seminars or just in the hallways of Pearson Hall.

The revised PhD program requirements caters to individual students and their career goals extremely well. One aspect of the program is a variety of seminars that encourage student to discuss relevant, recently published research. This helps in keeping pace with current trends in diverse areas of biology. Since these seminars are interdisciplinary, I have interacted with graduate students and faculty from departments like botany, chemistry, microbiology and psychology. Graduate students are also provided with opportunities to present their research at national and regional meetings. As an international student, I have always felt comfortable in the zoology department and in the town of Oxford.

Paul Drevnick. I am in my first semester of study in the Ph.D. program at the Department of Zoology. As a new student, I am getting my feet wet by taking courses, teaching an introductory lab course, and learning new research techniques from fellow grad students in my lab. Most importantly, I have valuable time to develop a study plan for my dissertation research. I enjoy studying ecotoxicology, or how toxic chemicals affect the structure and function of ecosystems. For my dissertation research, I plan to address two questions that have yet to be adequately answered by scientists: can the toxicity of chemical mixtures to organisms be predicted, and what is the ecological significance of toxicant exposure and effects?

Miami University was the right choice for me for several reasons. First, having visited campus prior to enrollment, I had seen firsthand that faculty and students here thrive in an atmosphere of higher learning and collegial research. Secondly, Dr. Oris and his students are pioneering the integration of molecular techniques in ecotoxicology. As I believe this is the future of research methodology in the field, I want to become well experienced in these techniques. Lastly, Oxford is a nice place to live. While searching for prospective grad schools, my wife and I were looking for a university situated in a small town with friendly people. We have found that in Oxford.

I have been impressed by the faculty and grad students in the Department of Zoology. I often find myself having stimulating conversations with people within and outside of my discipline. Also, my advisor is allowing me the freedom to develop my own research project, yet he is easily available for any questions I have. This is the atmosphere in which grad students thrive in and I am glad to be here.