Study life at every level, from molecules and genes to cells, organisms, and ecosystems, in Stockton University’s Biology program. The Biology B.A. and B.S. degrees provide a strong foundation in the biological sciences while preparing students for careers in research, biotechnology, healthcare, education, and laboratory science, as well as graduate and professional programs.
Biology students gain hands-on experience through laboratory courses, faculty-mentored research, field studies, and independent projects. Stockton’s 1,600-acre campus in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, near the Atlantic Ocean, provides unique opportunities to explore diverse terrestrial, estuarine, and marine habitats. Students also use modern research facilities and equipment.
Study Life. Shape the Future.
What Biology degrees can I earn at Stockton University?
Stockton University offers a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Biology, along with a Biology minor. Students can choose a concentration in General Biology, Biotechnology, Biology Education, Pre-Health Professions, Pre-Physician Assistant or Pre-Physical Therapy. These options help students shape their studies around their academic interests and career goals.
What will I study as a Biology major?
Biology majors study life from cells and genes to organisms and ecosystems. Courses explore topics such as genetics, biodiversity, evolution, ecology, microbiology, neurobiology and molecular biology. Laboratory work, field experiences and research help students build skills in scientific investigation, data analysis and problem-solving.
What laboratories and natural areas will I use?
Students learn in teaching and research laboratories with microscopes, tissue culture facilities, environmental growth chambers, thermocyclers and DNA sequencing technology. Stockton’s campus in the New Jersey Pine Barrens also gives students access to forests, wetlands and other natural habitats. Nearby coastal ecosystems and the Marine Science and Environmental Field Station provide additional settings for fieldwork and research.
What learning experiences are available outside the classroom?
Biology students can take part in faculty-guided research, independent study, internships, study abroad and the Washington, D.C. internship program. Opportunities may be available in laboratories, hospitals, aquariums, pharmaceutical companies and other organizations. Biology and health-related student clubs also help students explore careers and prepare for future study.
What can I do with a Biology degree?
A Biology degree can prepare students for careers in research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical science, laboratory work, science education and other areas of the biological sciences. It can also support preparation for graduate and professional programs in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, pharmacy, podiatry, physician assistant studies and physical therapy. Some career paths require additional education, certification or professional licensure.
Research, Fieldwork and Scientific Facilities
Faculty-Mentored Research and Independent Study
Biology students have opportunities to work with faculty on research projects, independent studies, tutorials, and seminars that extend learning beyond the regular curriculum. These experiences allow students to investigate areas of biological interest while developing skills in scientific inquiry, data collection, analysis, communication, and problem-solving.
Modern Laboratories and Research Facilities
Biology students learn in modern teaching and research facilities that include laboratories, a greenhouse, environmental growth chambers, animal care spaces, physiological computing equipment, and fossil and biological collections. Students gain hands-on experience using scientific equipment such as light microscopes, tissue culture facilities, centrifuges, thermocyclers, automated DNA sequencing systems, and an XROMM laboratory.
Field-Based Biology Experiences
Stockton’s location provides Biology students with unique opportunities to study living systems in diverse environments. The 1,600-acre Galloway campus, located in the New Jersey Pine Barrens near the Atlantic Ocean, the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, and other conservation areas, serves as a living laboratory for exploring forests, wetlands, coastal environments, and other natural systems. Students may also participate in field-based learning and research through Stockton’s Marine Science and Environmental Field Station.
Program Concentrations & Minor
General Biology Concentration
Biotechnology Concentration
B.S. Dual-Degree Medical Technology Concentration
Pre-Health Professions Concentration
Pre-Physician Assistant (Pre-PA) Concentration
Pre-Physical Therapy (Pre-PT) Concentration
Biology Education Concentration
Biology Minor
The Biology minor provides students in other majors with a foundation in the life sciences and the opportunity to explore topics such as cell and molecular biology, genetics, biodiversity, and evolution. The minor strengthens skills in scientific observation, laboratory methods, and data analysis while complementing studies in fields such as chemistry, psychology, education, and health-related disciplines.
Program Faculty
Our faculty have diverse scholarly interests and a commitment to undergraduate education, providing a broad educational experience in the biological sciences and opportunities for faculty mentoring and undergraduate research.
Michael Lague
Michael Lague
Program Chair Associate Professor of Biology
BIOGRAPHY
Expertise and Interest
Human evolution; skeletal biology; morphometrics; size & scaling; functional morphology
Research Description
Dr. Lague's research focuses on the postcranial skeleton of early hominins (humans) such as Australopithecus, Paranthropus, and early Homo. Although fossil hominin specimens are all housed in African museums, Dr. Lague has amassed a large collection of 3D scans of fossil postcrania that can be used for collecting measurements (via a computer) and can be printed with a 3D printer. The 3D scan collection includes bones of modern primates (including modern humans) that can serve as a comparative context for investigating questions related to taxonomy and limb function in early hominins.
Melissa Zwick
Adam A. Aguiar
Adam A. Aguiar
Associate Professor of Biology
BIOGRAPHY
I am a tenure-track associate professor of biology who has had the rewarding experience of teaching here at Stockton University for over a decade. I completed my PhD in Molecular Biology at the University of Delaware in 2011. My dissertation, “The Involvement of Insulin-Like Binding Protein 2 in Prostate Cancer Progression and Metastasis”, focused on the mechanism of a specific protein that promotes prostate cancer aggressiveness.
As a teaching assistant at the University of Delaware, I taught Introductory Biology
and Microbiology, as well as lectures in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, and Cancer
Biology. I have completed a Higher Education Teaching Certificate from the University
of Delaware. In addition, I have had a year’s teaching experience in tenth-grade biology
at St. George’s High School through the GK-12 program (in collaboration with the University
of Delaware).
Here at Stockton University, I teach various biological lectures and labs [e.g., Cells
& Molecules, Genetics, Biodiversity and Evolution, Cell Biology, Anatomy and Physiology].
I also constructed and conducted a General Natural Sciences and Mathematics (GNM)
course entitled Ecology and Saltwater Fishing, which I teach on the Atlantic City
campus and beaches.
My research group, Striped Bass Tagging for Stockton (SBTS), collaborates with the American Littoral Society to tag Morone saxatilis in south Jersey waters. We also scale- and tissue-sample our catches before release. These methods hope to provide insight into the migration, behavior, and stock origin proportions of the South Jersey mixed migratory stock of this species.
My outreach program, New Angles for Success (NAS), bridges the state’s Hooked on Fishing; Not on Drugs (HOFNOD) program, my research group, and GNM class to different organizations in the local and regional community. NAS events include fishing activities and simulations, informative lectures on environmental resources and protection measures, and educational youth tutorials and games. Additionally, I am a co-creator of the Scientific Enrichment Academy at Stockton (SEAS) summer program and a counselor for the Boy Scouts of America Merit Badge Academy.
Equally passionate to teaching and outreach is my love for saltwater fishing. I utilize prior life experiences in such, and my heightened enthusiasm, to create a more interactive environment in my classes and outreach events.
Website/CV: Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Molecular Biology and Genetics
University of Delaware
Higher Education Teaching Certificate
University of Delaware
B.S., Biology
Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Molecular Biology and Genetics
Cell Biology
COURSES TAUGHT
BIOL 1200 - Cells and Molecules Lecture
BIOL 1205 - Cells and Molecules Lab 1205
BIOL 1260 - Anatomy and Physiology for Health Sciences I
BIOL 2260 - Anatomy and Physiology for Health Sciences II
BIOL 1400 - Biodiversity and Evolution
BIOL 2110 - Genetics Lecture
BIOL 2115 - Genetics Lab
BIOL 3190 - Cell Biology
GNM 2249 - Ecology and Saltwater Fishing
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Migration, Behavior, and Population Health of Morone saxatilis (Striped Bass) in the Northeast Saltwater Environment
Species Diversity and Mechanisms of Ecological Succession on Reef and Wreck Sites off the South Jersey Shore
Assessing Combinatorial Approaches of Active and Traditional Lecturing in College-Level Biology Courses
PUBLICATIONS
Kathleen Klein, Jennifer Calabrese, Adam Aguiar, Sunny Mathew, Kimoni Ajani, Rania Almajid, and Jennifer Aarons., Evaluating Active Lecture and Traditional Lecture in Higher Education. Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence, Manuscript 1139, November, 2023.
Adam A. Aguiar. “Chapter 9: Genomic Replication and Gene Expression” The Exciting World of Microbiology, edited by Carlton R. Cooper, Benjamin G. Rohe, and Bradley C. J. Leifheit, Great River Learning Publishing, in press Fall 2022
Bonnan MF, Wilhite DR, Masters SL, Yates AM, Gardner CK, Aguiar, A.A. (2013). What Lies Beneath: Sub-Articular Long Bone Shape Scaling in Eutherian Mammals and Saurischian Dinosaurs Suggests Different Locomotor Adaptations for Gigantism. PLoS ONE 8(10): e75216. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0075216
Miles F.L., Tung N.S., Aguiar A.A., Kurtoglu S, Sikes R.A., Increased TGF-ß1-mediated suppression of growth and motility in castrate-resistant prostate cancer cells is consistent with Smad2/3 signaling. Prostate, 2012 72(12):1339-50
Adam A. Aguiar, David J. DeGraff, Qian Chen, Lisa K. Adams, B. Jill Williams, and Robert A. Sikes, Androgen Mediated Translational and Postranslational Regulation of IGFBP-2 in Androgen-Sensitive LNCaP Human Prostate Cancer Cells. American Journal of Translational Research, 2010. 2(2):200-208
Adam A. Aguiar, David J. DeGraff, and Robert A. Sikes, Disease Evidence for IGFBP-2 as a key player in prostate cancer progression and development of osteosclerotic lesions. American Journal of Translational Research, 2009. 1: 115-130
David J. DeGraff, Manisha Malik, Kenichi Miyako, Lidia Rejto, Pinchas Cohen, Diccon Bancroft, Adam A. Aguiar, Robert A. Sikes, Hormonal regulation of IGFBP-2 proteolysis is attenuated with progression to androgen insensitivity in the LNCaP progression model. Journal of Cellular Physiology, 2007 Oct:213(1):261-8
POPULAR AUDIENCE ARTICLES
Adam A. Aguiar,November Surf: Will Lightning Strike Twice?. The Fisherman Magazine – NJ Edition, p20-22, November, 2023
Adam A. Aguiar, Too Warm, Or Too Cold? Species’ Preferred Temperature Ranges. The Fisherman Magazine – NJ Edition, p22G-26G, October, 2023
Adam A. Aguiar, Inspiring a Passion for Fishing. News Briefs – The Fisherman Magazine – Digital Edition, July 4th, 2022
Adam A. Aguiar, Love is in the Air and Under the Water. The Fisherman Magazine – NJ Edition, p40G-43G, April, 2022
Adam A. Aguiar, LBI Beaches are His University Classroom, The Sandpaper Magazine, p6&8, February 23rd, 2022 (one of 2 twin articles; the other being Hooked on Fishing; Studying Striped Bass on the Island written by undergraduate research student, Dylan Garrabrant)
Adam A. Aguiar,Barnegat Inlet Jetty Fishing: Risks, Rewards, The Sandpaper Magazine, p6&8, December 1st, 2021
Adam A. Aguiar,Strategies to Elicit Engagement in Online Labs, Faculty Focus: Higher Ed Teaching Strategies From Magna Publications - Online Student Engagement, November 17, 2021
Adam A. Aguiar,New Angles for Success: Mentoring Underrepresented Youth, Celebrate Diversity Digest, Stockton University, October, 2021
Adam A. Aguiar,Beach Replenishment Discussion Not Over. Press of Atlantic City, pA8, October 31st, 2021
Adam A. Aguiar, Beach Replenishment Is Costly in a Couple of Ways. The Sandpaper Magazine, p6&10, October 6th, 2021
Adam A. Aguiar,Long Live Rock: Fishing Groins and Jetties. The Fisherman Magazine – NJ Edition, p34-37, October, 2021
Adam Aguiar, Challenges of Remote Learning Can Be Beneficial, The Essential Elements: School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics, Stockton University, September, 2021
Adam A. Aguiar,Beach Building: To Replenish, or Not? The Fisherman Magazine – NJ Edition, p32-35, September, 2021
Adam A. Aguiar, Bass Biology: Making Sense of Striper Sense. The Fisherman Magazine – NJ Edition, p26G-30G, May, 2021
Brian Fiske and Adam A. Aguiar, Teach Scientific Methods Through a Fishing Field Trip, Faculty Club – Best Lessons, Course Hero, February 23, 2020
Adam A. Aguiar,Eeling Stripers: July’s Jetty Jocks! The Fisherman Magazine – NJ Edition, July, p14-18, 2020
Joseph K. Mitchell (Former Student) and Adam A. Aguiar, Improved Snag and Drop: Adapt for Success and Conservation. The Fisherman Magazine – NJ Edition, March, 2019
Adam A. Aguiar,New Angles for Success. The Fisherman Magazine – NJ Edition, p16-18, Nov, 2018
Adam A. Aguiar,Plugging Fall Stripers. The Fisherman Magazine – NJ Edition, Nov, 2015.
Adam A. Aguiar, Surf Fishing: Peanut Bunker Blitzes and Sand Eel Raids. The Fisherman Magazine – NJ Edition, Oct. 10, 2013.
Matthew F. Bonnan
Matthew F. Bonnan
Professor of Biology
Since the tender age of five, I have been fascinated by dinosaurs. It was never so much the treasure-hunter aspect of paleontology that attracted me to this science, but rather the thrill of reconstructing long-dead animals and breathing life into old bones. In other words, I am a zoologist and anatomist at heart who happens to be fascinated by dinosaurs. I see dinosaurs as living animals, and I want to reconstruct how these animals moved and behaved when their bones were still pulsing with blood. As time has gone by, I have come to have a
deep appreciation and fascination with all the backboned (vertebrate) animals, their collective natural history, and their evolution. I have come to realize that the questions about dinosaurs that I began to pursue in earnest in graduate school have a broader and more powerful context across our vertebrate family tree.
I have helped discover and describe three new species of dinosaurs with colleagues in South Africa, and have overseen nearly fifty undergraduate and graduate student research projects on vertebrate functional morphology and evolution.
Website/CV: matthewbonnan.com
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University
B.S., Geological Sciences. University of Illinois
at Chicago
A.S., Earth Sciences, College of DuPage
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Dinosaurs, Vertebrate Paleontology, Functional Morphology, Animal Kinematics
COURSES TAUGHT
Biodiversity & Evolution (BIOL 1400)
Embryology (BIOL 3141)
Comparative Anatomy (BIOL 3150)
Vertebrate Animal Movement (BIOL 3112)
Vertebrate Paleontology (BIOL/GEOL 3242)
Dinosaurs (GNM 1040/2191)
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Dinosaurs, Vertebrate Paleontology, Functional Morphology, Animal Kinematics
RESEARCH INTERESTS
I am interested in three broad but interconnected areas of research: 1) the evolution of dinosaur locomotion, particularly in the giant, long-necked sauropod dinosaurs; 2) the evolution of an erect posture from a sprawled posture in dinosaurs and mammals; and 3) the evolution of pronation and supination in the forelimb of tetrapods. To these ends, I have utilized traditional anatomical approaches as well as state-of-the-art computer modeling to understand and infer how the limbs of both extinct and extant tetrapods have evolved and adapted. Currently, I have begun to utilize XROMM (X-ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology) to produce three-dimensional animations of small animal bones in vivo. My current research focuses on the three-dimensional kinematics of lizard and mammal forelimbs, as means to "reverse engineer" how early dinosaur and mammal relatives may have moved and stood.
PUBLICATIONS
Ullmann, P.V., M.F. Bonnan, and K.J. Lacovara. 2017. Characterizing the evolution of wide-gauge features in stylopodial limb elements of titanosauriform sauropods via geometric morphometrics. The Anatomical Record, DOI: 10.1002/ar.23607.
Bonnan, M.F., Shulman, J., Varadharajan, R., Gilbert, C., Wilkes, M., Horner, A., and Brainerd, E.. 2016. Forelimb kinematics of rats using XROMM, with implications or small eutherians and their fossil relatives. PLos ONE 11(3): e0149377. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0149377.
Bonnan, M.F. 2016. The Bare Bones: An Unconventional Evolutionary History of the Skeleton. Bloomington:
Indiana University Press.
528 pp.
McPhee, B.W., Bonnan, M.F., Yates, A.M., Neveling, J., and Choiniere, J.N. 2015. A new basal sauropod from the pre-Toarcian Jurassic of South Africa: evidence of niche-partitioning at the sauropodomorph-sauropod boundary? Scientific Reports 5: doi:10.1038/srep13224.
Xing, L., Lockely, M.G., Bonnan, M.F., Marty, D., Klein, H., Liu, Y., Zhang, J., Kuang, H., Burns, M.E., and Li, N. 2015. Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous trackways of small-sized sauropods from China: new discoveries, ichnotaxonomy and sauropod manus morphology. Cretaceous Research 56:470-481. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2015.06.014
Bonnan, M.F., Wilhite, D.R., Masters, S.L., Yates, A.M., Gardner, C.K., and Aguiar, A. 2013. What Lies Beneath: Sub-Articular Long Bone Shape Scaling in Eutherian Mammals and Saurischian Dinosaurs Suggests Different Locomotor Adaptations for Gigantism. PLoS ONE 8(10): e75216. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0075216
VanBuren, C.S. and Bonnan, M.F. 2013. Forearm posture and mobility in quadrupedal dinosaurs. PLoS ONE 8(9): e74842. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0074842
Yates, A.M., Wedel, M.J., and Bonnan, M.F. 2012. The early evolution of postcranial skeletal pneumaticity in sauropodomorph dinosaurs. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 57:85-100. http://dx.doi.org/10.4202/app.2010.0075
Yates, A.M., Bonnan, M.F., and Neveling, J. 2011. A new basal sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Early Jurassic of South Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 33 (3): 610-625.
Bonnan, M.F., Sandrik, J.L., Nishiwaki, T., Wilhite, D.R., Elsey, R.M., and Vittore, C. 2010. Calcified cartilage shape in archosaur long bones reflects overlying joint shape in stress-bearing elements: Implications for nonavian dinosaur locomotion. The Anatomical Record, 293: 2044-2055.
Reiss, K.L., and Bonnan, M.F. 2010. Ontogenetic scaling of caudal fin shape in Squalus acanthias (Chondrichthyes, Elasmobranchii): a geometric morphometric analysis with implications for caudal fin functional morphology. The Anatomical Record, 293:1184–1191.
Yates, A.M., Bonnan, M.F., Neveling, J., Chinsamy, A., and Blackbeard, M. 2009. A new transitional sauropodomorph from the Early Jurassic of South Africa and the evolution of sauropod feeding and quadrupedalism. Proceedings of the Royal Society, London, B: DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.1440.
Livingston, V.J., Bonnan, M.F., Elsey, R.M., Sandrik, J.L., and Wilhite, D.R. 2009. Differential limb scaling in the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and its implications for archosaur locomotor evolution. The Anatomical Record, 292: 787-797.
Bonnan, M.F., J.O. Farlow, and S.L. Masters. 2008. Using linear and geometric morphometrics to detect intraspecific variability and sexual dimorphism in femoral shape in Alligator mississippiensis and its implications for sexing fossil archosaurs. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 28(2): 422-431.
Bonnan, M.F. 2007. Linear and geometric morphometric analysis of long bone scaling patterns in Jurassic Neosauropod dinosaurs: their functional and paleobiological implications. The Anatomical Record, 290(9): 1089-1111.
Bonnan, M.F. and P. Senter. 2007. Were the basal sauropodomorph dinosaurs Plateosaurus and Massospondylus habitual quadrupeds?; pp. 139-155 in Barrett, P. M. and D.J. Batten (eds.), Evolution and palaeobiology of early sauropodomorph dinosaurs. Special Papers in Palaeontology, 77.
Bonnan, M.F. and A.M. Yates. 2007. A new description of the forelimb of the basal sauropodomorph Melanorosaurus: implications for the evolution of pronation, manus shape and quadrupedalism in sauropod dinosaurs; pp. 157-168 in Barrett, P. M. and D.J. Batten (eds.), Evolution and palaeobiology of early sauropodomorph dinosaurs. Special Papers in Palaeontology, 77.
Bonnan, M.F. 2006. REVIEW: Chinsamy-Turan: The Microstructure of Dinosaur Bone: Deciphering Biology with Fine-Scale Techniques. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 26(1): 233-234.
Bonnan, M.F. 2005. Pes anatomy in sauropod dinosaurs: implications for functional morphology, evolution, and phylogeny; pp. 346-380 in K. Carpenter and V. Tidwell (eds.), Thunder-Lizards: The Sauropodomorph Dinosaurs. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
Bonnan, M.F. and M.J. Wedel. 2004. First occurrence of Brachiosaurus (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of Oklahoma. PaleoBios, 24(2): 13-21.
Bonnan, M.F. 2004. Morphometric analysis of humerus and femur shape in Morrison sauropods: implications for functional morphology and paleobiology. Paleobiology, 30(3): 444-470.
Bonnan, M.F. 2003. The evolution of manus shape in sauropod dinosaurs: implications for functional morphology, forelimb orientation, and sauropod phylogeny. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 23(3): 595-613.
Bonnan, M.F. 2001. The evolution and functional morphology of sauropod dinosaur locomotion. Ph.D. Dissertation, Northern Illinois University, 722 pp. UMI
Bonnan, M. F. 2000. The presence of a calcaneum in a diplodocid sauropod. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 20(2): 317-323.
Tara L. Harmer-Luke
Tara L. Harmer-Luke
Professor of Biology
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Luke joined Stockton in 2004 after completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University where she studied chemoautotrophic bacteria at Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents. Prior to that, she earned her Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University studying transcriptional regulation in the arabinose operon in bacteria. She earned a B.A. in Biology with specialization in Marine Science at Boston University. She has conducted research at Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents, 2500 M below the surface of the Pacific Ocean by diving in the Deep Submergence Vehicle Alvin. Dr. Luke was also part of the shore-based science team for NOAA's telepresence-endabled 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas expedition, which involved exploring deep sea habitats using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV).
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Johns Hopkins University,
Baltimore, MD
B.A. Boston University
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Molecular Systematics, Bioinformatics, Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents, Marine Microbial Ecology, Underwater Technology, Molecular Biology, Transcriptional Regulation
COURSES TAUGHT
Biodiversity and Evolution (BIOL 1400)
Genetics (BIOL 2110)
Genetics Laboratory (BIOL 2115)
Deep Sea Biology (BIOL/MARS 3333)
Underwater Robotics (MARS 3337)
Bioinformatics (BIOL4110)
Molecular Evolution (BIOL 4211)
Exploring the Deep Sea (GNM 2264)
Microbial Ecology, Underwater Technology, Molecular Biology, Transcriptional Regulation
RESEARCH INTERESTS
My current research involving undergraduates focuses on molecular characterization of local marine ecosystems, including shipwrecks and artificial reefs off the coast of New Jersey.
PUBLICATIONS
Straub, P.F., Evert, S., Harmer Luke, T.L., and Sullivan, M.C. 2013. Mapping of Artificial Reef Habitats by Side Scan Sonar and ROV in the Northwester Mid-Atlantic Coastal Ocean. Proceedings of the Joint International Scientific Diving Symposium, American Academy of Underwater Sciences and European Scientific Diving Panel. 331-338
Bates, Amanda E., Harmer, Tara L., Roeselers, Guus, Cavanaugh, Colleen M. 2011. Phylogenetic Characterization of Episymbiotic Bacteria Hosted by a Hydrothermal Vent Limpet (Lepetodrilidae, Vetigastropoda). Biological Bulletin. 220: 118-127.
Straub, P.F. and T.L. Harmer Luke. 2008. DNA Sequencing of 18s Ribosomal RNA Genes of the Northern Star Coral (Astrangia
poculata) Collected from New Jersey Artificial Reefs. Proceedings of the American
Academy of Underwater Sciences 27th Symposium. 167-174.
Harmer, T.L., R.D. Rotjan, A.D. Nussbaumer, M. Bright, A.W. Ng*, E. DeChaine, and C.M.Cavanaugh.
2008. Free-living tubeworm endosymbionts found at deep-sea vents. Applied and Environmental
Microbiology. 74 (12): 3895-3898.
Scott, K.M., M. Henn-Sax, T.L. Harmer, D.L. Longo*, C.H. Frame*, and C.M. Cavanaugh. 2007. Kinetic Isotope Effect and Biochemical Characterization of Form IA RubisCO from the marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus marinus MIT9313. Limnology and Oceanography. 52(5), 2199–2204.
Scott, K.M., S.M. Sievert, F.N. Abril, L.A. Ball, C.J. Barrett*, R.A. Blake, A.J. Boller, P.S.G. Chain, J.A. Clark, C.R. Davis, C. Detter, K.F. Do, K.P. Dobrinski, B.I. Faza, K.A. Fitzpatrick, S.K. Freyermuth, T.L. Harmer, L.J. Hauser, M. Hügler, C.A. Kerfeld, M.G. Klotz, W.W. Kong, M. Land, A. Lapidus, F.W. Larimer, D.L. Longo*, S. Lucas, S.A. Malfatti, S.E. Massey, D.D. Martin, Z. McCuddin, F. Meyer, J.L. Moore, L.H. Ocampo Jr., J.H. Paul, I.T. Paulsen, D.K. Reep*, R.L. Ross*, P.Y. Sato, P. Thomas, L.E. Tinkham, and G.T. Zeruth. 2006. The Genome of Deep-Sea vent Chemolithoautotroph Thiomicrospira crunogena XCL-2. Public Library of Science Biology. Vol. 4, No. 12, e383.
Schwedock, J., T.L. Harmer, K.M. Scott, H.J. Hector, A.P. Seitz, M.C. Fontana*, D.L. Distel, and C.M. Cavanaugh. 2004. Characterization and Expression of Genes from the RubisCO Gene Cluster of the Chemoautotrophic Symbiont of Solemya velum: cbbLSQO. Archives of Microbiology. 182:18-29.
Mix, L.J., T.L. Harmer, and C.M. Cavanaugh. 2004. Sequence of the Core Antenna Domain from the Anoxygenic Phototroph Heliophilum fasciatum: Implications for Diversity of Reaction Center Type I. Current Microbiology. 48:438-440.
Van Dover, C.L., S. E. Humphris, D. Fornari, C. M. Cavanaugh, R. Collier, S. K. Goffredi, J. Hashimoto,M. Lilley, A.L. Reysenbach, T. M. Shank, K. L. Von Damm, A. Banta, R. M. Gallant, D. Götz, D. Green, J. Hall, T.L. Harmer, L.A. Hurtado, P. Johnson, Z. P. McKiness, C. Meredith, E. Olson, I. L. Pan, M. Turnipseed, Y. Won, C. R Young III, R.C. Vrijenhoek . 2001. Biogeography and ecological setting of Indian Ocean hydrothermal vents. Science. 294:818-823.
Harmer, T.L., M. Wu, and R.F. Schleif. 2001. The role of flexibility in DNA looping-unlooping by AraC. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 98: 427-431.
Harmer, T.L., and R.F. Schleif. 2001. The C-terminal end of AraC tightly binds to the rest of its domain. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 276(7): 4886-4888.
Harmer, T.L. 2000. Connecting two AraC DNA binding domains with linkers. Ph.D. Thesis. Johns Hopkins University. 98 pp.
Widmaier, E.P., T.L. Harmer*, A.M. Sulak*, and T.H. Kunz. 1994. Further characterization of the pituitary- adrenocortical responses to stress in Chiroptera. Journal of Experimental Zoology. 269:442-449.
Nathaniel Hartman
Nathaniel Hartman
Associate Professor of Biology
.
BIOGRAPHY
B.A., Biology - Clark University, 2001 Ph.D., Biology - Wesleyan University, 2010 Postdoctoral Training - Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery
My background is in cellular neuroscience and molecular biology, with an expertise in developmental timing and stem cells. My graduate work at Wesleyan focused on the migration and integration of embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitors transplanted into the hippocampus. My postdoctoral work involved cellular and molecular analysis of the mTOR pathway in postnatal neurogenesis in mice. My current research goals are to investigate neural development and to mentor and train the next generation of neuroscientists. I draw upon my research experiences in classes to help the students engage with the material on a regular basis. I try to help students understand that science is a process that is constantly updating our overall understanding of the natural world. My laboratory is currently pursuing projects aimed at elucidating mechanisms of neural stem cell fate decisions in mice, focusing on the Akt and mTOR pathways.
Website/CV: Nathaniel Hartman Website
Michael Law
Michael Law
Associate Professor of Biology
BIOLOGY
Born and raised in South Jersey, Dr. Law is a Stockton University alumnus who joined the faculty at Stockton in 2017. His Ph. D. work was performed at the University of Southern California focusing on the biophysical properties underlying protein-RNA interactions. Following his Ph. D., Dr. Law returned to New Jersey as a postdoctoral researcher at UMDNJ where he investigated transient transcriptional control during yeast meiotic differentiation. This project was funded by an NIH National Research Scholar Award. Shortly after his postdoc, Dr. Law started his independent research laboratory focused on understanding the roles of histone methylation during yeast cell fate decisions.
EDUCATION
B.S. Biology, Stockton University, 2000
Ph. D. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, 2006
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Molecular Biology, Genetics, Genomics, Biochemistry
COURSES TAUGHT
Cells & Molecules
Genetics
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Throughout their lifetimes, cells are constantly bombarded by an ever-changing environment. They integrate these environmental changes with information about themselves to make important decisions of cell fate. Mistakes in these processes can lead to developmental defects or cancer. Research in my laboratory is interested in understanding how cells integrate information about themselves and their environments to make the correct cell fate decision. Using the budding yeast S. cerevisiae as an experimental model, we are currently focusing on the roles of post-translational histone modifications in controlling yeast cell fates. To understand this question, we regularly employ genetic, molecular, biochemical, and genomic approaches.
PUBLICATIONS
Law, M. J. and M. A. Finger. 2017 The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cdk8 mediator represses AQY1 transcription by inhibiting Set1p-dependent histone methylation. G3 (Bethesda) Mar 10;7(3):1001-1010.
Lardenois A., E. Becker, T. Walther, M. J. Law, B. Xie, P. Demougin, R. Strich, and M. Primig. 2015 Global alterations of the transcriptional landscape during yeast growth and development in the absence of Ume6-dependent chromatin modification. Mol Genet Genomics. Oct; 290(5):2031-46.
Stuparevic I., E. Becker, M. J. Law, and M. Primig. 2015 The histone deacetylase Rpd3/Sin3/Ume6 compex repress an acetate-inducible isoform of VTH2 in fermenting budding cells. FEBS Letters Apr 2; 589(8): 924-32.
Liu Y., I. Stuparevic, B. Xie, E. Becker, M. J. Law, and M. Primig. 2015 The conserved histone deacetylase Rpd3 and the DNA binding regulator Ume6 repress BOI1’s meiotic transcript isoform during vegetative growth in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mol Microbiol May; 96(4):861-74.
Becker E., Y. Liu, A. Lardenois, T. Walther, J. Horecka, I. Stuparevic, M. J. Law, R. Lavigne, B. Evrard, P. Demougin, M. Riffle, R. Strich, R. W. Davis, and M. Primig. 2015 Integrated RNA- and protein profiling of fermentation and respiration in diploid budding yeast provides insight into nutrient control of cell growth and development. J. Proteomics Apr 24;119:30-44.
Law M. J. and K. Ciccaglione. 2015 Fine-tuning of Histone H3 Lys4 Methylation During Pseudohyphal Differentiation by the CDK Submodule of RNA Polymerase II. Genetics Feb: 199(2): 631-42.
Lardenois A., I. Stuparevic, Y. Liu, M. J. Law, E. Becker, F. Smagulova, K. Waern, M. H. Guilleux, J. Horecka, A. Chu, C. Kervarrec, R. Strich, M. Snyder, R. W. Davis, L. M. Steinmetz, and M. Primig. 2014 The conserved histone deacetylase Rpd3 and its DNA binding subunit Ume6 control dynamic transcript architecture during mitotic growth and meiotic development. Nucleic Acids Research 43(1): 115-28.
Law, M. J., M. J. Mallory, R. L. Dunbrack Jr. and R. Strich. 2014 Acetylation of the transcriptional repressor Ume6p allows efficient promoter release and timely induction of the meiotic transient transcription program in yeast. Mol Cell Biol 34(4): 631-42.
Law, M.J., Lee D. S., Lee C. S., Anglim P. P., Haworth I. S., and Laird-Offringa, I.A. 2013. The role of the C-terminal helix in the interaction of U1A protein with U1hpII RNA. Nucleic Acids Research 41(14): 7092-100.
Mallory M.J.#, Law, M.J.#, Sterner D.E., Berger S.L., Strich R. 2012. Gcn5p-dependent acetylation induces
degradation of the meiotic transcriptional repressor Ume6p. Mol Biol Cell. 23(9):1609-17.
#equal contributions to manuscript
Cooper, K.F., Krasley E. Scarnati M.S., Mallory M.J., Jin C., Law M.J., Strich R. 2012. Oxidative stress-induced nuclear to cytoplasmic relocalization is required for Not4-dependent cyclin C destruction. J Cell Sci. 125:1015-26.
Mallory, M. J., M. J. Law, and R. Strich. 2010 Sin3p mediates the meiotic transcription program in yeast Euk. Cell 9:1835-1844.
Law, M.J., Rice, A.J., Lin, P., Laird-Offringa, I.A. 2006. The role of RNA structure in the interaction of U1A protein with U1hpII RNA. RNA 12: 1-11.
Law, M.J., Linde, M.E., Chambers, E.J., Oubridge, C., Katsamba, P.S., Nilsson, L., Haworth, I.S., Laird-Offringa, I.A. 2006. The role of positively charged amino acids and electrostatic interactions in the complex of U1A protein and U1 hairpin II RNA. Nucleic Acids Res 34:275-285.
Law, M.J., Chambers, E.J., Katsamba, P.S., Haworth, I.S., Laird-Offringa, I.A. 2005. Kinetic analysis of the role of the tyrosine 13, phenylalanine 56, and glutamine 54 network in the U1A/U1hpII interaction. Nucleic Acids Res 33:2917-2928.
Peter F. Straub
Peter F. Straub
Distinguished Professor of Biology
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Straub is currently a Professor of Biology at Stockton University. He received post-doctoral training in molecular biology from Washington University in St. Louis after completing a Ph.D. at the University of Delaware, College of Ocean, Earth and Environment. Dr. Straub has been a visiting researcher at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries laboratory in Sandy Hook and a seasonal Scientist at the Mt Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Salisbury Cove, ME. Dr. Straub is currently involved in research using sonar to map and remove marine debris such as lost crab traps from local bays and waterways (http://www.wecrabnj.org/).
Website/CV: Underwater Science
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Marine Studies, University of Delaware (1990)
M.S., Marine Studies, University of Delaware (1985)
B.S., Marine Science, Stockton University (1980)
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Coastal and Estuarine biology, genetics, scientific diving, sonar and underwater mapping
CAUSES TAUGHT
Cells & Molecules
Genetics
Botany
Medical Botany
Biotechnology
Scientific Diving
Tropical Marine Biology
Caribbean Biology
Marine Survey Methods
Tide Marsh Ecology
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Coastal and Estuarine environments. Mapping underwater habitats with sonar. Underwater operations with scuba diving and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV). Genetics of marine organisms.
PUBLICATIONS
Straub, P.F., S.D. Nagiewicz, V.J. Capone, D. Lieb and S.P. Evert, (2015). Mapping the 1860 Wreck
of the US Coast Survey Vessel Robert J. Walker. In: Lobel, L. K. ed. Diving for Science
2015: Proceedings of the 34thAmerican Academy of Underwater Sciences Symposium. September
28th-October 3, 2015, Key West, FL. American Academy of Underwater Sciences. Dauphin
Island, AL, pgs. 100-106. ISBN 978-0-9962343-0-6
Straub, P.F., S. Evert, T.L. Luke and M.C. Sullivan (2013). Mapping of artificial reef habitats
by side scan sonar and ROV in the northwestern mid-Atlantic coastal ocean. In: Lang
M. and M.D.J Sayer, eds. Proceedings of the AAUS/ESDP Curacao Joint Interantional
Scientific Diving Symposium, October 24-27, 2013, Curacao. American Academy of Underwater
Sciences. Dauphin Island, AL, pgs: 331-338. ISBN: 978-0-9800423-7-5. NJSG-13-843.
Straub, P. F. and T. L. Harmer Luke (2008) DNA sequencing of 18s ribosomal RNA genes of the Northern
Star Coral (Astrangia poculata) collected from New Jersey artificial reefs. In: In:
Brueggeman P, Pollock NW, eds. Diving for Science 2008. Proceedings of the American
Academy of Underwater Sciences 27th Symposium. Dauphin Island, AL: AAUS.pgs: 167-174.
ISBN 978-0-9800423-2-0
Biology Adjunct Faculty
Biology Student Organizations
The Biology Program also offers a number of opportunities for students to get involved
in various areas of interest outside of the classroom.
Check out the many different biology-related, student clubs offered at Stockton:
- Beta Beta Beta (TriBeta) Biological Honor Society
- Neuroscience Club
- Pine Barrens Birding Club
- Pre-Dental Club
- Pre-Medical Club
- Pre-Physician Assistant Club
- Pre-Veterinary Club
- SAVE – Stockton Action Volunteers for the Environment
- Undergraduate Physical Therapy Club
- Women in Health Professions
Student Testimonials
The professors in the NAMS department really wanted every student to succeed and learn, not just get a passing grade. They didn’t just see students as another number, but as people who were willing to learn and be leaders and professionals for our future.
Read Ashley's whole story.
B.S. Biology
With the help of Stockton's amazing professor, Dr. Tripepi, we developed a new media that is easily accessible and affordable. I was able to work with an amazing archaea Haloferax volcanni which is able to live in extreme conditions, is non-pathogenic and has a photo repair mechanism.
Read Maria's whole story
B.S. Biology, Minor Spanish
Program News
Unlocking the Brain's Potential: The Cutting-Edge Science of Neural Stem Cells
Dr. Nathaniel Hartman and his lab students study how specific molecular pathways converge
and alter neural stem cell behavior. One protein of particular interest is the mammalian
target of rapamycin (mTOR).
Learn more about neural stem cells in the NAMS e-zine The Essential Elements. And don't miss other alumni stories in our current e-zine edition!
Careers in Biology
A Biology degree prepares students for careers in biological research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical research, laboratory science, science education, and other areas of the biological sciences. It also provides a strong foundation for graduate and professional programs in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, optometry, podiatry, physician assistant studies, physical therapy, and related fields. Career requirements vary, and some positions require additional education, certification, or professional licensure.
Potential Careers
- Biologist
- Research Scientist
- Laboratory Scientist
- Forensic Scientist
- Paleontologist
- Zoologist
- Botanist
- Ecologist
- Physician
- Dentist
- Pharmacist
- Veterinarian
- Physical Therapist
- Science Educator
- Science Writer
- Government Scientist
- Pharmaceutical Researcher
- Biotechnology Specialist
- Physician Assistant
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