April/May  2014   Volume  12  Issue  7  

BioMass

Congratulations Seniors!

Contents

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page 4 Professor Alyson Center

Tapping Trees for Sweet,

Sticky Maple Syrup

Senior Reflection: Breaking the Pre-Med Mold

Senior Reflection: Australia and Animal Physiology Provided Career Clarity

Student  Coordinator:  Alex  Ripperger  ‘14  

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A Final Word from the

Student Coordinator

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Leah Agneberg John Amaral Jessica Anderson Matthew Anderson Lindsey Andres-Beck Nelson Badia Marie Bak Cory Baughman Jonathan Bauman Paul Bergeland Carrie Bergen Elijah Bowen Jessica Bradshaw Madeline Brandt Samuel Bremseth-Vining Hans Christenson Bradley Christman Peter Clements Justine Dammermann Lansa Dawano Gregory Dean Stephanie Diamond Christine Dietz Eleanore Dusheck Elizabeth Eggert Erik Emanuelson Cody Ewers Meghan Exner Haley Flom Connor Foote Nora Forbes Zebulon Frantzich Abby Frederickson Thomas Freeman Paige Garrett Alexander Germann Kyle Gibbs Steven Gustason Adam Hadro Petra Hahn

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Anastasia Hains Sydney Hataye Josephine Haxton Josephine Heino Cole Hendrickson Chloe Hennes Jordan Hiller Christopher Hinh Jeffrey Hudson Chiamaka Isiguzo Michael Jenson David Jonason Sarah Kemp Kortney Krueger Lindsey Lee Robert Lehman Emily Lewis Ann-Kristine Lindell Anne Lips Meredith Lockwood Nicholas Lund Erick Marigi Hannah Marti Guttu Maskalo Morgan Mathison Stephen May Madison McLachlan Elena Miller Jennifer Mohn Ryan Morrissey Kelsey Mullen Emily Nadolny Laura Nelson Miranda Ness Michael Neufeld Moriah Novacinski Kelsey Okuno Paige Owens-Kurtz Christopher Paradise Kendrick Paulson

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Jonathon Peterson Katherine Peterson Katherine Porter Alexander Prokop Mackensie Quade Elise Raney Jacquelynn Rath Hannah Rector Greta Richeson Alexandra Ripperger Allison Rippy Tamara Roque David Rosenthal Alek Rudstrom Fredrik Sadler Spencer Scarth John Schechinger Hope Sexton Nikita Shah Lauren Slagel Sonja Smerud Melissa Songpitak Seth Spawn Hannah Springer Ellen Squires Cale Steinhoff Linde Sundell Katherine Ulvestad Lee Vang Charles Vernon Sarah Wineman Nhia Xiong Guang Yang Weijia Zheng

Senior Plans page 5

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Volume  12  Issue  7  April/May  2014  

Senior Reflection: Breaking the Pre-Med Mold

By Cory Baughman ‘14

Being the student coordinator for Biomass this year has been an incredibly fun job. Each month I read and edited articles by Oles discussing recent biology events, research projects, or activities. The newsletter is a great way to showcase the diversity of the major, from the dedicated pre-med students who have always enjoyed human anatomy to unsuspecting others who took a particular class and ended up falling in love with plants. I really appreciated all the writers who took the time to describe how the biology department at St. Olaf positively impacted their college experience.

My personal path through the Biology major was classic and straightforward, and surprisingly, that makes it atypical. I came in as a freshman knowing I was going to be a Biology major, and I wanted to go to veterinary school. I quickly planned my schedule to ensure I could fit in all the necessary biology major requirements and vet school pre-requisites, while having a semester to study abroad. Although I never deviated from this path, there were certainly courses I enjoyed more than others. Initially, I wrongly believed that I would adore every biology course in my schedule. It took some time to realize it was okay for me to not be interested in a cell’s cytosol but love learning about how seals can dive deep in the ocean. Classes such as Animal Physiology and Microbiology satisfied my passion to learn about animals and diseases. Our college loves the phrase “finding your vocation,” but I feel very fortunate that my biology classes confirmed that my calling in life is to be a veterinarian.

Being a Biology major at St. Olaf, whether you enjoy taking classes about cells, viruses, or plants, is tough work. Yet I’ve heard numerous alumni comment on how well prepared they were for life post-graduation in graduate school or the working world. I am very excited to start four years of veterinary school at the University of Minnesota in the fall, and I feel confident in my ability to handle the rigorous academics and high expectations. While it will be sad to leave our beautiful “Hill,” I look forward to reading next year’s issues of Biomass and catching up on all the cool St. Olaf biology news. These past four years were filled with lots of learning and fun, and I hope all future biology majors are lucky enough to have the wonderful experience that I did.

A Final Word from the BioMass Student Coordinator By Alex Ripperger ‘14

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Coming in as a hesitant first-year, I was excited to make friends and form relationships with professors. Neither really happened during my first semester. All of my professors were visiting and were essentially as new to the college as I was. I had become the face in the crowd I thought I would be avoiding by coming to Olaf.

Things began to change my sophomore year when Professor Jean Porterfield, whom I met once as a freshman, remembered my name. This was the first time I felt like I belonged at St. Olaf. She would eventually become my advisor and provided invaluable counsel throughout my journey. I began taking more interesting, relevant, and challenging classes. I owe so much to the people who pushed me to think critically, question everything, make connections, and broaden my focus. These skills will no doubt benefit me in medical school and beyond.

The influence my peers had on me cannot be overemphasized. My biggest takeaway is that by surrounding myself with people who not only have varying views, but who are better than me, I will inevitably become more well-rounded and a better person. Assimilating other people’s perspectives allows me to interact with diverse populations and working with people who are passionate about similar things excites me to be an active member of a healthcare team.

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Volume  12  Issue  7  April/May  2014  

Senior Reflection: Australia and Animal Physiology Provide Career Clarity

By Peter Clements ‘14

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As a pre-med freshman, I quickly learned that there is this idea of a “pre-med mold.” A “good” pre-med takes the requisite courses, volunteers at Northfield ED, goes to FMSC, shadows physicians, does research, gets good marks, scores 30+ on the MCAT, and gets into medical school. I hated this concept. I didn’t like telling people I was pre-med because of the associated negative connotations. I did, however, fall into the trap because I became self-conscious after looking at what other pre-meds

had accomplished. I kept anxiously asking for advice about what I could do so my resume would be flawless. Some told me I should consider things like research, but the best advisors were vague with their direction.

I didn’t appreciate this at the time, but now I understand their intentions. It is outrageous to think that a first-year knows what he is going to do with rest of his life. We are supposed to struggle with these decisions. We can’t be reliant on others to make our decisions and expect to be happy with the consequences. It is important to explore other careers, but people, pre-meds in particular, should base their endeavors on personal preference, not on what they think they should be doing.

In my junior year, I realized that my motivation for doing what I did was not fueled by a pre-med checklist, but by my introspective desires. At this point I knew that medicine was the right choice. If it had been the case that I loved research and decided to go to graduate school, that would have been the better choice for me rather than to continue following the pre-med mold. As corny as it sounds, I think we should try to the be best Cory, Christine, Brandon, or whoever you are that you can be rather than trying to be the best pre-med. Create your own path; you can’t go wrong if you simply do what you love.

I will succeed after St. Olaf if I remember the lessons I learned here: try new things and follow through with those that are fulfilling, find passionate mentors and friends, and embrace uncertainty. In doing that, I won’t allow myself to miss out on vocation, community, and happiness.

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My experience as a Biology major at St. Olaf began with Biology 125 during my sophomore year. As a sophomore being pulled in multiple directions, I hadn’t committed to a major quite yet. I was strongly considering Biology, but I also considered majoring in English or Political Science. During the latter part of my sophomore year, I completed my second Biology course and became increasingly interested in a career in medicine, so I made the decision to declare. My first two years in Biology courses were great in allowing me to develop a general base of knowledge in cell biology, evolution, genetics, and basic physiological mechanisms.

This base knowledge contributed to one of the peak experiences of my time at St. Olaf, my semester in the Environmental Studies in Australia Program led by Professor Dave Van Wylen. We took “Terrestrial Ecology” and “Marine Biology” courses, where we focused on specific ecosystems during our travels to different research stations and universities along the Southeastern coast of Australia. The ability to use the strong base I had built in Biology over my first two years at St. Olaf

and focus on specific ecosystems in a very hands-on type of learning was an incredible step for me. In our last week in Australia, we conducted group research projects on a specific species of fish living in the Great Barrier Reef. We gathered our

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Volume  12  Issue  7  April/May  2014  

Professor Alyson Center started off her teaching experience at St. Olaf with a bang. Her first course was a co-instructed interim abroad Equatorial Biology course (BIO 288) taught this past January with Professor Anne Walter. Professor Center said that studying natural selection and evolutionary processes in the Galapagos was truly an amazing experience. Immersed in Ecuadorian culture, Professor Center, Professor Walter, and students travelled to four different ecosystems, exploring the brilliant diversity of plants and animals.

Spring semester Center taught Bio 121, an introductory biology course for non-majors. “Working with St. Olaf students is great”, Professor Center says. “The students in Bio 121 are a delight.”

Center found out about St. Olaf through the Preparing Future Faculty Program at the University of Minnesota. She is currently a doctoral candidate in her fifth year in Plant Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota. Her doctoral research focuses on a long-lived tropical live oak species, Quercus oleoides, a keystone species in Central American tropical dry forests and a critical component of an endangered biome. Center is investigating the species response to changes in seasonal water availability from a physiological and evolutionary perspective.

“My research investigates populations throughout Latin America, allowing me to decipher which populations are the most vulnerable to climate change, which are the most resilient, and whether there is sufficient genetic variation for populations to adapt and persist in a drying world. The findings from this research will be used to recommend conservation strategies for both the Costa Rican and Honduran natural area protection agencies. Given the ecological importance of this species in dry forest ecosystems, understanding how this species will respond to climate change will provide critical insight into how the dry forest ecosystem will respond.”

Center graduated from University of Texas-Austin with an undergraduate degree in Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior. During her last year of college and the year following graduation, Center oversaw a project studying optimal light levels and forest canopy cover for the endangered bract-twist wildflower, Strepanthus bracteatus, for Dr. Norma Fowler. The project sparked her interest in the field and that is when she decided to pursue a Ph.D.

In her free time, Professor Center loves rock climbing, hiking, gardening, and playing with her dogs and cat.

Center will join the biology department again in 2014-15. She will be teaching Genetics in the fall, Bio 127 during interim and Bio 121 in the spring.

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data and observations for the week while snorkeling with waterproof slates in the reef!

During my senior year, I had the opportunity to follow up my two incredible biology courses in Australia with Animal Physiology, taught by Professor Anne Walter. I absolutely loved this class, and it was my first time really trying to answer the questions of how organisms operate from a physiological and anatomical perspective. In lab we were able to conduct experiments involving crayfish, mice, turtles, and frogs, while looking at things like metabolic rates, methods of gas transport, and mechanisms for movement. This class helped solidify my interest in the mechanisms of the body, and gave me further clarity on my desire to pursue a career in medicine. In retrospect, I feel very fulfilled and fortunate to have chosen Biology as my major at St. Olaf. It granted me wonderful professors, helped solidify my career goals, and allowed me to have an abroad experience that will forever be a highlight in my life.

Professor Alyson Center By Athena Yang ‘14

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Volume  12  Issue  7  April/May  2014  

Tapping Trees for Sweet, Sticky Maple Syrup

By Ellen Squires ‘14

It was early spring, and looking out into the grove of maples in Norway Valley, I couldn’t help but think about one thing—maple syrup. Maybe it was all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books I devoured in my childhood, but I’ve always flirted with the idea of tapping maple trees.

My dream was finally realized this year, thanks in large part to the generous assistance and expertise of maple aficionado Professor John Giannini. He helped me set up nine taps in the block of trees near the Regents parking lot, and before we knew it, we had buckets and buckets full of sticky sap.

The process is relatively simple. We drilled small holes in the tree, inserted the spiles, attached some metal pails, and let the trees work their magic. The more difficult part was the boiling process. It takes about 40 gallons of sap (and a lot of patience) to make 1 gallon of syrup, so going from sap to syrup requires many hours of boiling. By maintaining the sap at a rolling boil over a propane stove, the water evaporates and the sugar becomes more concentrated. When the liquid reaches the end point—judging this is the trickiest part—all that is left is straining, bottling and, voila, maple syrup!

As a biologist, I was fascinated by the science behind sap production. A tutorial on Cornell’s webpage explains the tree physiology pretty well. Essentially, it’s all about pressure changes inside the tree, which occur when early spring temperatures fluctuate between above freezing during the day and below freezing at night. The pressure inside the tree goes up during the warmer daytime temperatures. At night, lower temperatures create suction, causing water to be drawn up through the roots. This restores the sap inside the tree, enabling it to flow again when the temperatures warm the next day.

Sap from maple trees contains a higher concentration than sap from other trees, making it one of the most popular to tap for syrup. But where did the sugar come from? Last season’s photosynthesis! The tree stores carbohydrates produced by photosynthesis as starch, which is then converted to the sucrose that is dissolved in sap. The distinctive “maple” flavor comes from amino acids that differentiate it from normal sugar.

Harvesting the sugar produced by a tree might seem harmful, but research suggests that, when done properly, tapping doesn’t hurt the tree at all. Under normal environmental conditions, healthy trees aren’t damaged, as only about 10% of its sugar is ever harvested through tapping.

The process of tapping was immensely rewarding. While we did end up with a healthy amount of syrup, the experience was the best part. One night, I sat perched above the boiling pot, smelling the maple-tinged steam and listening to the chirping spring peepers in the pond. I was won over by the magic of maples, by the mysterious scientific process at work and by the bottles and bottles of sweet syrup. This was spring at its finest.

Senior Plans

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Lindsey Andres-Beck - I plan to take a gap year before going back to school to get my Ph.D. in neuroscience. Marie Bak - I

will be attending veterinary school at Colorado State University. Cory Baughman - I plan to attend University of Iowa Carver

College of Medicine to attain an M.D. Maddie Brandt - Attending the University of Minnesota for MS in Food Science,

researching with Dr. Koushik Seetharaman. Brad Christman - I plan to participate in City Year for a year after St. Olaf. City Year is an Americorps program aimed at ending the dropout crises in the US by putting idealistic recent college grads on the front lines of inner city public education. I hope to gain valuable teaching and leadership skills during my City Year. In addition, I can complete all student teaching hours required to gain teaching certification. City Year also has a lot of strong connections with grad schools I might want to utilize. Post City Year, I will decide either to teach secondary education or go to grad school. I am very interested in Marine Biology and Animal Physiology and i've been thinking about the prospect of doing a masters or PHD in one of these subject areas. I could see myself enjoying a career in teaching high school science, teaching college animal physiology or doing research. Gregory Dean - Medical School at the University of Nebraska Medical Center

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Stephanie Diamond - I will be student teaching in the fall and then hopefully teaching either middle school science or high

school biology! Elizabeth Eggert - This summer I will be working at Tennis and Life Camp at Gustavus. I am in the process of

applying to dental school and hoping to start the fall of 2015! Haley Flom - I have a summer internship at Wolf Ridge

Environmental Learning Center as their Animal Care and Education Intern in which I'll learn how to care for and manage their educational animals (owls, hawks, a porcupine - oh my!) and learn how to teach wildlife classes to visitors. In the fall, I'll be packing off to France and assistant teaching English courses to French high school students in the Versailles region through April 2015. After that...who knows?(!?!?!) Kyle Gibbs - Attend Duke Cell and Molecular Biology PhD program Steve

Gustason - Starting in July I will be working in Quality Assurance at Epic Systems in Madison. Petra Hahn - A year of service

with Lutheran Volunteer Corps in Seattle, WA, working for Lifelong AIDS Alliance. Cole Hendrickson - Attend the zoo

frequently Chloe Hennes - I am getting married and traveling in Germany for 3 weeks this summer. Then I will be working for

a year while I figure out where life is going to take me next! Sarah Kemp - Junior Scientist in the Schwertfeger lab at the

University of Minnesota Emilia Lewis - I will be working for the park service, earning my Wilderness EMT certification, and

hopefully working out in the boonies for a good number of years. I tentatively plan to eventually become a PA. Erick Marigi - I

will be attending the University of Minnesota Medical School to earn an M.D. Degree. Hannah Marti - I'm starting a PhD

program in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at UT Austin. Morgan Mathison - Graduate School at the University of Wyoming in Laramie for a dual masters degree in Environment & Natural Resources and Global area studies under the Peace Corps Masters International Program. This means I will spend next year in Laramie and then do two years of Peace Corps service. Jenny Mohn - Next year I will be moving to California to pursue my PhD in Neuroscience at the University of

California Davis. Miranda Ness - I am enrolled in University of Puget Sound's Masters in Teaching Program (emphasis in

Biology) located in Washington State. Moriah Novacinski - Take a gap year to gain more patient contact hours before entering

a PA program. Paige Owens-Kurtz - I will be spending my gap time between graduating and applying for medical school working at several Twin Cities' hospitals as a perfusionist, who is someone who manages the bypass machines used during transplants and other major surgeries. Kate Peterson - Attending Boston University for a Master's degree in Theological

Studies. Mackensie Quade - I will begin working as a Business Analyst for Boom Lab Consulting Firm in June. Hannah

Rector - I will be attending physician assistant school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center starting this fall.

Alexandra Ripperger - I will be attending the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Tamara Roque -

Attending Veterinary School at Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Spencer Scarth - Graduate School

for Exercise Science. Will be going to either University of Louisville or California Baptist University. Nikita Shah - This summer, I will either be traveling or working a summer job. Then, in August I will be moving to Madison, WI to pursue my Pharm.D at the University of Wisconsin. Lauren Slagel - Summer Research Internship with the Tucker Center for Research on Women and Girls in Sport at the University of Minnesota. Attending the University of Iowa Masters of Public Health program in the fall. Sonja Smerud - Fulbright Scholarship in Munich, Germany studying environmental policy formation in an

international context. Melissa Songpitak - I plan to work as a research assistant for two years. Thereafter, I plan on pursuing a

Ph.D. in neuroscience. Seth Spawn - I will be returning to Siberia, fishing, laboring, and applying to graduate school in

biogeochemistry. Hannah Springer - I am planning on attending graduate school for animal science at the University of

Minnesota. Ellen Squires - I will be a Post-Bachelor Fellow at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Seattle. Katie

Ulvestad - As a biology and economics major I wanted to blend my passion for healthcare with my studies in business and policy. Next year I will be working at Epic Systems as a Project Manger and Implementation Consultant and will gain insight into technology and data use within the industry. This position will allow me to continue pursuing my interests in innovation and efficiency of the health care system as a whole. Sarah

Wineman - I'm going to University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine! Athena Yang - Going to Boston University for PT school.

You will always be an ‘Ole!

!