Department of Biological Sciences Faculty
Karthik Aghoram
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., 2000, Biological Sciences, Florida State University
Faculty advisor for Beta Beta Beta (Biology Honors Society)
Junior Pre-Health advisor
Office: SMB 139 / Phone: 919.760.8187 / email
Karthik Aghoram's current research is in three distinct areas: (a) elucidation of an osmosis-responsive signaling pathway. Students are using molecular genetics to study the role of a lipid-transfer protein during osmotic shock. Students are also using site-directed mutagenesis approaches to elucidate the mechanism of activation of an osmosis-activated protein kinase (b) analysis of gene-expression profiles in freshwater invertebrates exposed to pharmaceuticals. Students are collaborating with Dr. Cuffney's research group to identify Corbicula genes that encode proteins involved in drug resistance and metabolism. (c) comparative analyses of antioxidants of organically and conventionally grown vegetables.
Jason Andrus 
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., 2002, Microbiology, NC State University
Office: SMB 138 / Phone 919.760.8891 / andrusja@meredith.edu
Francie Cuffney
Professor & Acting Head of Department
Ph.D., 1987, Entomology, University of Georgia
Chief Pre-Health Advisor
Office: SMB 149 / Phone: 919.760.2879 / email
Francie Cuffney's research interests lie in the area of aquatic invertebrate ecology. Currently students are working on projects associated with Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCP's) in surface waters and their affects on the freshwater clam Corbicula. An assortment of PPCP's have been found in surface waters across the United States, though little is known of their affects on the aquatic community. Projects include both in lab work on toxicity and as well as field projects on clam distribution and populations in different streams in Wake county.
Larry Grimes
Professor
Ph.D., 1984, Entomology, North Carolina State University
Pre-Vet Advisor
Office: SMB 104 / Phone: 919.760.8437 / email
Larry Grimes came to Meredith College in 1981 and is a presently a Professor of Biology and Health Sciences. He received his Ph.D. in Entomology from North Carolina State University. His B.S and M.S. degrees are in Zoology. Overall, his areas of specialization include parasitology, invertebrate zoology, entomology and electron microscopy. The courses that he is responsible for include Invertebrate Zoology, Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, Parasitology, Histology and Scanning Electron Microscopy, Light Microscopy, and a Science in Society course titled Death, Disease and Sex in the Middle Ages. Dr. Grimes' research interests concern the behavioral ecology of the Asian Tiger Mosquito, Aedes albopictus. This mosquito serves as an excellent laboratory model for undergraduate research on both larval and adult behavior. He is the recipient of two Faculty Development Awards.
Erin Stewart Lindquist
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., 2003, Ecology, University of Georgia
Environmental Studies & Science Advisor
Faculty Advisor for Angels for the Environment (A4E)
Faculty Advisor for Alpha Lambda Delta (ALD)
Office: SMB 142 / Phone: 919.760.8754 / email
Erin Lindquist's research focuses on forest ecology. Lindquist likes to be actively engaged in research with her students, and has long-term forest plots in Costa Rica and on the Meredith campus. She and her research students maintain a 1-hectare permanent study plot in the Meredith Forest where they study the dynamics of vegetation, herbivores, and small mammals. Erin also studies the role of land crabs in coastal ecosystems. She teaches courses with a focus on how evolutionary and ecological processes maintain diversity at various levels of biological organization, and how human activities impact these processes. Lindquist is an active faculty member in Meredith Study Abroad. Prior to starting at Meredith College in August 2006, Lindquist was a Resident Professor at the Organization for Tropical Studies (Duke University) teaching tropical biology field courses in Costa Rica.
Andrea Marritt
Visiting Assistant Professor
Ph.D., 2005, Pharmacology, Georgetown University
Office: SMB 173 / Phone: 919.760.8710 / email
Andrea Marritt's research interest is based on her biomedical science background. Her work on the retina led to characterizing the neuronal nicotinic receptor subtypes in the rat retina and their transport down the optic nerve. Her interests in the biomedical sciences led her to teaching, in which she enjoys working with all aspects of biology.
John Mecham
Professor & Department Head
Ph.D., 1972, Zoology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Office: SMB 103 / Phone: 919.760.8007 / email
John Mecham's research is the study of tropical diseases such as schistosomiasis, and comparative physiology. He has recently sponsored undergraduate research on topics such "Quantification of T cells and T cell subsets during the course of murine Schistosoma mansoni infection"; "The effects of the herbal drug BL7 on CD4+ cell production in mice", "Pulsed vocalizations in cats", and "What is the shape of a snail?" He recently began a project with a team in Kenya to the study of the efficacy of the herbal drug Sungaprot in women who are living with HIV/AIDS. Dr. Mecham enjoys playing tennis and is a seasoned photographer.
Bob Reid
Professor
Ph.D., 1971, Botany and Genetics, North Carolina State University
Office: SMB 131 / Phone: 919.760.8409 / email
Liz Wolfinger
Professor and Dean, School of Natural and Mathematical Sciences
Ph.D., 1992, Microbiology, North Carolina State University
Office: SMB 178 / Phone: 919.760.2279 / email
Elizabeth Wolfinger received a Ph.D. in Microbiology from North Carolina State University in 1992. Her research interests include the molecular biology of toxin-producing freshwater cyanobacteria. Working with undergraduate students and Dr. Linda Ehrlich, president of Spirogyra Diversified, she has been investigating the presence of microcystin-LR in Falls Lake raw and finished water and in other local lakes and ponds. She is actively engaged with K-12 teachers and students through classroom visits, after school science programs, summer science camps and as a NC Governor's School Guest Lecturer and Instructor. She has led six North Carolina Biotechnology Center-sponsored workshops since 1997. She is a member of the Project Kaleidoscope Faculty for the 21st Century, the National Association of Biology Teachers and the American Society for Microbiology.
Sandy Katsahnias
Laboratory Manager
M.S. Ed., 1990, Chemistry, Northern Illinois University
Office: SMB 113 / Phone: 919.760.8641 / email
Sandy Katsahnias serves Meredith as both lab manager and Laboratory Instructor. As Lab Manager, she recruits, trains and supervises Student Assistants, oversees maintenance of the department's equipment and is responsible for lab preparation. In her role as a lab instructor, she teaches lab sections of General Biology and Microbiology. In addition, she is currently involved in the Methods class for licensure in Secondary Education. At present she serves on the Meredith Safety Committee. Personal interests include reading, gardening and snow skiing.
Janice Coffey Swab
Professor Emerita
Ph.D., 1966, Biology, University of South Carolina
Office: SMB 141 / Phone: 919.760.8413 / email
Janice Swab's interests are in plant studies and travel for plant study and teaching. Local students have carried out a number of studies on the Meredith campus to give the Meredith community information to increase awareness and appreciation of campus plantings. These include producing an illustrated campus Tree Tour; identifying and mapping campus plants with an emphasis on identifying those that have been designated as commemorative and memorial plants; studying invasive species leading to a campus management plan; and soil studies leading to better planting decisions.
Wallace Crumpler
Adjunct Instructor
M.S., North Carolina State University
Office: SMB 173 / Phone: 919.760.8710 / email
Wallace Crumpler is an instructor of Principles of Biology laboratory. He comes to us from the Department of Zoology at North Carolina State University.
Duane Dreyer
Adjunct Professor
Ph.D., 1971, Pharmacology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Office: SMB 173 / Phone: 919.760.8710 / email
Duane Dreyer's research interests centered on the anatomy, physiology and pharmacology of the somatosensory system of primates. His initial studies involved a single unit analysis of the postcentral gyrus of the Macaque monkey which added detail to the "homunculus" concept of sensory brain organization. In addition, this work established a relationship between the organization of the somatosensory cerebral cortex and the ways in which afferent sensory pathways are sorted within the spinal cord. His later work involved psychophysical studies directional and velocity sensitivity of the skin in humans.
Roberta Danilowicz
Department Assistant
Office: SMB 105 / Phone: 919.760.8637 / email
Roberta Danilowicz is happy to be back in a biology environment after taking a hiatus to raise her children. She has a B.S. in Biology from Kent State University, Ohio and worked at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in cell culture. She has kept her interest in horticulture over the years by gardening in her own backyard.
