Wednesday, April 27, 2011

What's the news?

.... check it out for yourself. The Spring 2011 edition of Biology Matters, our departmental e-newsletter is now available. Read about some of what we've been up to, including student and alumni profiles. We publish Biology Matters twice a year over the last several years - to see previous issues, please go the the Index page.

For additional informatino about the Biology Department, please check out our web page.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Biology Majors Earn Honors

Tri-Beta Inducts New Members

The Saint Michael's College chapter of Beta Beta Beta (National Biological Honor Society) inducted 15 new members on Friday, April 1 in the Pomerleau Alumni Center: Amy Blackey, Heidi Chapman, Jacqueline Cronin, Leah Damon, Christopher Dustin, Katherine Gregorits, Spenser Johnson, Matthew Jordan, Stephanie Locke, Katherine McGrath, Kaitlyn O’Donnell, Sydney O’Saben, Steven Paula, Janel Roberge, and Amanda Willette. Earlier this spring, Tri-Beta elected its officers for next academic year: Janel Roberge (President), Heidi Chapman (Vice President), Michael Herring (Secretary), Tom Perekslis (Treasurer), Steven Paula (Historian), and Jake Girard (Public Representative).


Dr. Pam Carroll (SMC class of 1985) was the guest speaker at the induction. Earlier in the afternoon, Dr. Carroll, who is currently the Head of Research at the Belfer Institute of Applied Cancer Science at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, gave a research presentation on “Conquering the Complexity of Cancer” and talked to interested students about her path after St. Mike’s, offering advice on what lies ahead after graduation. Dr. Carroll was also inducted as an alumni member to the SMC chapter of Beta Beta Beta, along with honorary inductee SMC President Dr. Jack Neuhauser.

Check out the new website for the SMC Tri-Beta chapter!



A Bumper Crop of Biology Students Inducted into Phi Beta Kappa this Year
Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and largest academic honor society, was founded on December 5, 1776, by five students at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA. It was the first society to have a Greek letter name and to introduce the essential characteristics of such societies: an oath of secrecy (discarded in 1831), a badge, mottoes in Latin and Greek, a code of laws, and an elaborate initiation ritual.

As the Gamma chapter of Vermont, Saint Michael’s is one of only three Vermont institutions to have Phi Beta Kappa chapters, along with the University of Vermont (Alpha) and Middlebury College (Beta). Of the 220 Catholic colleges in the country, only 20 have chapters, four of them in New England: Saint Michael’s, Boston College, Holy Cross and Fairfield.

While Biology majors have typically been well represented among the PBK inductees each year, there is a bumper crop this year. We are proud of the seven biology majors (Kaitlyn Begins, Derrick Cumberbatch, Maggie Ecker, Anna Gauthier, Matt Jordan, Jennifer Lermond, and Chelsea Myers), one biochemistry major (Jeff Dukette) and one biology minor (Amanda Willette), who will be inducted this year. While not a biology major, we are also proud of Sarah Brault, a psychology major and daughter of our Administrative Assistant, Denise Brault, who is also among the inductees this year. Given that a Chapter may induct only up to 10% of the senior class into PBK, it is a considerable honor to be chosen. The Induction Ceremony was held Friday, April 8th at 4:30 PM in McCarthy Recital Hall.