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Graduate Program : Graduate Faculty Research Interests |
My research focuses on physiological ecology and behavior of vertebrates, especially reptiles and amphibians. If you look at my publications, you'll see I have a particular interest in Gila Monsters and rattlesnakes. My current projects involve conservation biology of Gila Monsters in the southwestern U.S. and the ecology of the Northern pacific rattlesnake in central Washington. My graduate students have worked on a variety of topics in vertebrate ecology with species ranging from amphibians and reptiles to mammals and birds. Although I certainly welcome graduate students who are interested in my own research (reptile physiological ecology), I do not necessarily expect my graduate students to work within my study system (e.g. Northern Pacific rattlesnakes). In advising graduate students, I tend to encourage independent thinking and independent projects. I encourage each student to develop his or her own individual thesis research that will likely be successful and meaningful for the student and, most importantly, in which they have the greatest interest and motivation. My past and current CWU graduate students and titles of MS theses:
My research involves using the free-living soil nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans to study neural pathways involved in controlling behavior. In particular, I am studying the pathways controlled by the neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin. These neurotransmitters are important for modulating behavior in animals from invertebrates to humans. I have performed genetic screens to identify mutants defective in response to dopamine and serotonin using well characterized behaviors modulated by these neurotransmitters such as rates of locomotion and egg laying. One current project involves genetic screening for mutants defective in their response to long-term exposure to serotonin on egg laying and characterizing these mutants by identifying the genes responsible for these altered responses to serotonin.
My current work involves characterization of vegetation community changes that occur after fire. I hope to link these changes to factors such as fire intensity, frequency, and season of disturbance. In addition to my own research topics I will consider working with students interested in diverse topics from rare plant communities to community dynamics of weed species. My past and current CWU graduate students and titles of MS theses:
Grad students from other departments for whom I am committee member:
Investigations into the distribution, morphology, and evolution of amphibians and reptiles of the Pacific Northwest. My past and current CWU graduate students and titles of MS theses:
My research interests encompass many aspects of community ecology, particularly focusing on plant-herbivore interactions. My current research involves quantifying levels of herbivory in forest canopies. Although I am most interested in graduate students who want to work on projects related to my ongoing research, I have sponsored graduate students with diverse interests in population and community ecology. Opportunities for graduate students include: investigating plant-herbivore interactions at the Wind River Canopy Crane site, laboratory or field studies testing whether various marking techniques affect herbivory rates, quantifying elk herbivory in the understory. I am also interested in research on dwarf mistletoe in the eastern Cascades. My past and current CWU graduate students and titles of MS theses:
My research interests focus on cold tolerance, especially insects and amphibians that freeze solid to survive the winter. Potential graduate projects range from field studies of the geographic distribution and the microenvironmental conditions experienced by ectotherms during the winter to detailed physiological laboratory studies of metabolic and other responses to freezing and thawing. I am currently engaged in field monitoring of local freeze-tolerant amphibians and also a major ecophysiological project (with laboratory and field components) with the goldenrod gall fly (Eurosta solidaginis, Family Tephritidae) funded through the National Science Foundation. Although I often have a list of potential research projects, I am open to new research ideas generated by students. If you might be interested in working with me, please give me a call (509.963.2884) or send me an email: irwinj@cwu.edu and we can discuss the possibilities.
My research interests include stream ecology and fish biology. I have ongoing projects involving studies of the population dynamics and spawning behavior of trout and salmon. I am also interested in having students work with me on field studies that involve the habitat preference and home range size of stream fishes. In addition to projects on fishes, I am interested in the ecology of aquatic invertebrates such as insects and zooplankton that inhabit local streams and lakes. My past and current CWU graduate students and titles of MS theses:
My research interests include the systematics, evolutionary biology, biodiversity, and ecology of the mushrooms. My main focus has been using DNA sequences to understand the evolutionary relationships between species of fungi and then using the phylogenies to answer basic questions about the evolution characteristics or the ecology of the organisms. Current areas of interest include:
My research focuses on microbial ecology and biogeochemistry. Currently, I am involved in a project that examines the diversity and activities of microorganisms in Soap Lake, a lake that is both saline and alkaline. Because the lake supports no life forms larger than zooplankton, it is an ideal setting in which to examine a closed, microbially dominated ecosystem. Graduate projects might include development of new techniques for culturing and characterization of unusual microorganisms, identification and characterization of previously undescribed species, phylogenetic studies of new prokaryotic groups, or elucidation of novel metabolic and physiological adaptations. My past and current CWU graduate students and titles of MS theses:
The major goal of research in my laboratory is to elucidate the mechanisms that plants use to alter their photosynthetic machinery in response to environmental stress. I am particularly interested in the study of photosynthesis. I welcome students who are interested in plant physiology at the whole plant or subcellular-level and will mentor students wishing to work in the laboratory or the field. Examples of research questions that students may pose in my laboratory are: how do conifers respond to drought in conjunction with high light? Or, how do plants alter their photosynthetic reactions when exposed to ultraviolet-B radiation? My past graduate students and titles of MS theses:
My primary research investigates factors that produce measureable, verifiable changes in student critical thinking. The goal of this research is to scientfically evaluate diverse instructional methods for their effect on CT performance . Students that participate in this research will learn to: 1) assess critical thinking using a variety of approaches, 2) evaluate the significance of research findings using statistics and other methods, and 3) apply these findings to instructional practice to promote the development of CT and scientific literacy. An important part of this research is curricular reform and professional development that results in superior science education at all levels.
In my lab, we use molecular techniques to address a variety of questions in plant evolutionary biology. Graduate students can participate in ongoing research in conifer phylogenetics and chloroplast genomics. Alternatively, they may also investigate phylogeography, genetic structure or other evolutionary issues in local plant species. My past and current CWU graduate students and titles of MS theses:
The vertebrate brain is a complex biological system of cellular interactions. The developmental mechanisms controlling the formation of correct synaptic connections in the brain are a further level of complex cell biology. With the relatively simple system of the avian visual system, these developmental processes can be studied in vivo at the cellular level. I use molecular biological tools to identify gene products that might control the development of the chick brain. I also use molecular biological methods in vivo to specifically test whether a particular gene product has a developmental function. Typically the expression of a gene is altered, and brains are later assayed for correct axon outgrowth and synapse formation. Student project involvement can range from: 1) DNA-database (gene) searches and analyses on the computer; to 2) anatomical analyses of brains; to 3) synthesis of molecular biological reagents in a DNA lab. The cell biological mechanisms identified by these methods should be relevant to brain development in a wide range of vertebrates.
Dr. Sun is extremely omnivorous in academic endeavor. However, as he knows his time is not as generous as his interest is, his current emphases in research are in the following three areas:
Dr. Sun especially welcomes interdisciplinary, innovative approaches between biology and anthropology, psychology, or sociology. Lixing Sun My past and current CWU graduate students and titles of MS theses:
We are using molecular genetic tools to answer a variety of ecological, evolutionary, and conservation questions related to amphibian decline. Projects include: regional phylogeography of amphibians, adaptive genetic variation and their response to stress (i.e. heat shock, pollutants, oxygen concentration), and interaction of genetics and demography. I am also interested in projects investigating factors relating to population of viability of threatened species. My past and current CWU graduate students and titles of MS theses:
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Contact Information
Biological Sciences 400 E. University Way Ellensburg, WA 98926 Mail Stop 7537 Phone: (509) 963-2731 Email: biology@cwu.edu |
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