Pharmacy, Natural & Health Sciences

Biology - Student-Faculty Research

Dr. R. Emerson and Evelyn Niswander Department of Biology

Students and Faculty working

Summer Research

Students have participated in a number of research projects sponsored cooperatively between the Biology Department and the Environmental Studies Program through extramurally funded initiatives.  Students are hired during the summer months as research technicians to help with the various projects.

  1. Paired watershed study on Beargrass Creek to study the effects of farming practices on water quality
  2. Federally funded water quality research on the Eel River
  3. Microbial source tracking of E. coli in local streams
  4. Fish ladder to facilitate fish migration over Stockdale dam on the Eel River
  5. Dam removal in North Manchester and Liberty Mills in the Eel River
  6. Dam removal at Mexico in the Eel River
  7. Smallmouth bass research in partnership with Central Michigan University
  8. Nonpoint source pollution and nutrient export in Beargrass Creek in partnership with University of Minnesota
  9. Breeding bird population structure changes after construction of a two-stage ditch
  10. Examination of water quality improvement in a two-stage ditch
  11. Spatial variability of fish community structure in Beargrass Creek and Pawpaw Creek watershed

Research Papers

Megan S. Taylor
"Effects of Aesculus glabra canopy on understory community structure and environment in a temperate deciduous forest"

Matt Helm

"Hedgehog signaling mediates interferon-gamma induced mesenchymal stem cell proliferation and recruitment to the stomach"

Audrey Deitrich
"Identification of pathogenic and non-pathogenic skin flora on equipment used by the Manchester University football team in the fall of 2012"

Tiffany York
"Examination of Flute, Saxophone, and Trumpet for S. aueres, B cerues, and N. mucosa."



Summer research

Summer Research

Summer Research