FURMAN BIOLOGY

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Biology Faculty at Furman University

There are thirteen full-time faculty members in Furman's Department of Biology. In a typical year, one or more are away from the campus to pursue research elsewhere; they are often replaced by instructors on one-year appointments. Together, they represent all of the major areas of modern biology.  Scroll down to learn more about each faculty member.
 

 Dr. Blaker  William D. Blaker, Professor
 
Ph.D., University of Missouri. Research interest: neurobiology. Teaching specialties: Neurobiology, Human Physiology, Animal Physiology, The Brain. Telephone: (864) 294-3084. E-mail: bill.blaker@furman.edu
 
   Dennis C. Haney, Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Florida. Research interests: comparative animal physiology, ichthyology. Teaching specialties: Animal Physiology, Human Physiology, Marine Biology. Telephone: (864) 294-2050.
E-mail: dennis.haney@furman.edu  Dr. Haney's personal web page can be found by clicking here.
 
 
 
    Eli Hestermann, Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Research interests: pharmacology of cell receptors, toxicology. Teaching specialties: Cell Biology, Intermediary Metabolism. Telephone: (864) 294-3527.
E-mail: eli.hestermann@furman.edu  
 
 
Gregory P. Lewis, Associate Professor
Ph.D., Cornell University.  Research interests:  Watershed biogeochemistry, stream and river ecosystem studies.  Teaching specialties:  Environmental Systems, General Ecology.  Dr. Lewis is a faculty collaborator in the River Basins Research Initiative (http://rbri.furman.edu/). Telephone:  (864) 294-3249.  E-mail:greg.lewis@furman.edu

 

Dr. Liao Min-Ken Liao, Associate Professor
 

Ph.D., University of Illinois.  Research Interests:  Analysis of bacterial genes and their protein products, using bacteria to synthesize useful organic compounds.  Teaching specialties:  Microbiology, Genetics, Molecular Genetics, Intermediary Metabolism.  Dr. Liao maintains a Personal Home Page, which can be read by clicking here.Telephone:  (864) 294-3246. E-mail: min-ken.liao@furman.edu

 
Travis W. Perry, Associate Professor
 

Ph.D., University of New Mexico.  Research interests:  Habitat use and population dynamics of North American bats.  Teaching specialties:  Natural Resource Management, General Ecology, Animal Ecology, Field Zoology.  Dr. Perry maintains a personal website that can be accessed by clicking here. Telephone:  (864) 294-3009.  E-mail:  travis.perry@furman.edu

 
 
   A. Joseph Pollard, Professor, Department Chair
 
Ph.D., University of Cambridge. Research interests: ecology, plant-herbivore interactions, plant taxonomy. Teaching specialties: Plant Ecology, General Ecology, Field Botany. Pollard maintains a Web page that can be accessed by clicking here.Telephone: (864) 294-3244. E-mail: joe.pollard@furman.edu



Nicholas Schisler, Assistant Professor

Ph.D., University of Western Ontario. Research interests: genetics, molecular evolution,
phylogenetics, and bioinformatics; specifically intron evolution, evolution of protein families, and comparative genomics. Teaching specialities: Bioinformatics, Genetics. Telephone: (864) 294-3243. E-mail: nicholas.schisler@furman.edu Dr. Schisler has a Personal Home Page that you can access by clicking here.

 

Dr. Snyder  John A. Snyder, Professor

Ph.D., University of Michigan. Research interests: Lepidoptera of the Southeast, biochemistry of insects, plant-insect interactions. Teaching specialties: Developmental Biology, Genetics. Snyder maintains a Personal Home Page, which can be read by clicking here. Telephone: (864) 294-3248. E-mail: john.snyder@furman.edu

Dr. Thompson  Laura K. Thompson, Professor

Ph.D., Virginia Tech.  Research interests: plant physiology, molecular genetics, cloning and gene structure. Teaching specialties: Intermediary Metabolism, Molecular Genetics, Genetics, Plant Physiology, Applied Plant Biology. Coordinator of the Health Fields Advising Program.  Telephone: (864) 294-2085. E-mail: laura.thompson@furman.edu 
 
 Dr. Turgeon  Victoria Turgeon, Associate Professor
 
Ph.D., Wake Forest University.  Research interests:  developmental neurobiology and the interactions of serine  proteases with the central nervous system.  Teachng specialties:  Cell Biology, Chordate Morphology and Development, Microanatomy.  Telephone: (864) 294-3791.  E-mail: victoria.turgeon@furman.edu 
 Dr. Worthen  Wade B. Worthen, Professor
 
Ph.D., Rutgers.  Research interest: insect community ecology. Teaching specialties: General Ecology, Population Genetics and Evolution, Invertebrate Zoology. You may reach his personal home page by clicking here. Telephone: (864) 294-3390. E-mail: wade.worthen@furman.edu

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