Department of Biology
Emeriti Faculty
Persis C. Coleman
Professor Emerita of Biology
B.A. University of California, Berkeley, 1972
Ph.D. University of California, Davis, 1977
M.P.H. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1991
Although a zoology major, I pursued plant population genetics for my Ph.D. My research as a postdoctoral fellow was in invertebrate population biology. At Rollins my research varied depending on student interests. Student research ranged from investigating the genetic population structure of various species, the natural history of hermit crabs, and the maternal and child health characteristics of Orange County, FL. Rollins allowed me to teach, mentor, and conduct research in ways that enriched the community and met the particular interests of the student.
Eileen Gregory
Professor Emerita of Biology
B.S. Michigan State University, 1974
M.S. University of Washington, 1976
Ph.D. University of Washington, 1979
I am trained as a microbiologist and immunologist, but my most recent research focus is on improving science education at the college and precollege levels. My primary teaching goal is to excite students about biology while also providing the knowledge and skills necessary for a successful career. I am always experimenting with the use of technology in the college classroom and enjoy discovering new methods for engaging students in the learning process. After 35 years at Rollins I have retired from my full-time position.
Steve Klemann
Professor Emeritus of Biology
B.A. Hanover College, 1975
M.S. Miami University (Oxford, Ohio), 1978
Ph.D. Miami University (Oxford, Ohio), 1982
During my 35 years at Rollins, my interests were in the areas of Developmental and Cellular Biology. Over my career, I worked on questions in mammalian reproduction and cancer cell biology employing molecular approaches. I taught courses ranging from Developmental Biology, Cellular Biology, Molecular Biology, Human Reproduction, Human Genetics, and Seminars in Biology and Molecular Biology. In my retirement, I am pursuing my interests in the outdoors and my avocation of furniture making. My wife and I travel and camp as our schedules permit from the onset of spring into the autumn, mostly in national parks and forests. During the summer, I cycle, kayak, hike, and play golf to remains active and 'reasonably' fit. During the winter, I have become an avid cross country skier. I also spend considerable time in my wood shop building furniture and have become a member of the Northwoods Art Tour to exhibit and sell my work.
Judy G. Schmalstig
Professor Emerita of Biology
B.S. Pennsylvania State University, 1976
M.S. Ohio State University, 1980
Ph.D. University of Dayton, 1985
My two main research interests are plant photobiology and plant-insect interactions. My research helped in understanding how the silverleaf whitefly causes the silvering of leaves in squash. In the area of photobiology, my research centered on plants in the legume family that move their leaves throughout the day to follow the sun (sun-tracking). The leaves are moved by the pulvinus, a swelling at the base of the leaf. In the pulvinus, specialized cells absorb or release water, allowing the leaf to move in three-dimensions. I showed that sun-tracking leaves perceive light on the leaf blade and transport a signal to the pulvinus. Under high light, these same leaves orient slightly parallel to the sun, thus reducing potential oxidative damage to photosynthetic proteins. Two other mechanisms all leaves use to reduce photodamage are: (1) chloroplast movement away from the top of the cell; and (2) use of blue-light absorbing carotenoid pigments to reduce light absorption by chlorophyll. I have been studying the relationship of these two mechanisms in the model plant Arabidopsis.