NEWSLETTER
Volume 2, Issue 5
May 2005


Stephen Benjamin began his career at CSU in 1977 as an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology. During his tenure at CSU he has distinguished himself in a variety of capacities, including Director of Collaborative Radiological Health Laboratory, Associate Dean of the Graduate School, and Interim Head of the newly-formed MIP Department. Dr. Benjamin has mentored 16 PhD students, has served on numerous committees, and has been recognized with a host of awards. Colleagues point out that he was an outstanding educator, interested in his students' success, and always willing to talk to them. They also comment that he has an active itellect in areas ranging from basketball to fishing, from architecture to fishing, and from days gone by to....fishing. The MIP Department wishes Steve well on the next phase of his life and and look forward to his contributions as an Emeritus member of the faculty.


Dr. Ramesh Akkina was recently quoted in the May 6 Issue of the Wall Street Journal in regards to his laboratories use of the SCID-hu mouse in AIDS research. Read the article > >

Spring 2005 Undergraduates

  • On Saturday, May 14th, 75 Microbiology majors will be awarded the Bachelor of Science degree at the Biomedical Sciences commencement ceremony. Two students maintained a 4.0 average over the course of the undergraduate career: Sarah Shropshire and Betsy Taylor. A record number of graduating seniors, seventeen, are candidates for graduation with distinction, having maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.77 or above, and 55 students have cumulative GPA's at 3.0 or above (28 of those are at 3.5 or higher). Six students completed requirements for the University Honors Program. They are: Elena Garcia, Jennifer House, Sharon New, Keri Propst, Sarah Shropshire and Betsy Taylor.
    Student selected Dr. Jonathan Carlson to give the commencement address. John Washburn will deliver student remarks for the graduating class. Future destinations for our graduates include graduate study, professional school and positions in industry and government.

Spring 2005 PhD Graduates:

  • Ben Espinosa; "Association of the pathophysiology and immunity of tuberculosis with the M. tuberculosis proteome". His advisors are Dr. Ian Orme and Dr. John Belisle. Ben will be going to Rhode Island for training and then will be moving his family to Peru where he will be doing research for the Navy.
  • Todd Painter; "Interactions of PCBs and Arsenic in Hepatocarcinogenesis". His advisor is Steve Benjamin. He has accepted a position as a Staff Pathologist at EPL, Inc. (Experimental Pathology Laboratories, Inc.), in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
Spring 2005 MS Graduates:
  • Nicole Kraipowich; "Studies on the Pathogenesis of Jaagsiekti Sheep Retrovirus Induced Ovine Pulmonary Adenocarsinoma in Experimental Animals" Her advisor is Dr. James DeMartini. Dr. Kraipowich lives with her family in Deerfield, New Hampshire, and is a visiting scientist at MIT, Division of Comparative Medicine.
  • Jerome McKay; "Reverse Transcription, Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Analysis of Alpha, Beta, and Beta2 Toxin Expression and Production in Clostridium perfringens Isolates from Healthy and Diseased Foals and Cattle". Jerome's advisor is Dr. Bob Ellis. Jerome will working with Dr. Ellis as the Assistant to the Biosafety Officer at CSU.
  • Karthika Muthukumaraswamy; "Identification of a Novel AU-Rich Element-Specific RNA-Binding Domain in an Exosome Subunit". Her advisor is Dr. Jeff Wilusz. Karthika has recently accepted a position in Philadelphia, PA.


Susan Deines and Erica Suchman received the University Award for Exceptional Achievement in Service Learning Instruction.

Susan Deines received the CVMBS Outstanding Academic Advising Award in Undergraduate Education.

Erin Napier received the CVMBS Outstanding Employee Service Award in Biomedical Sciences.

Michelle Dennis received the Floyd Cross Award.


Congratulations to the MIP Student poster competition winners at the Rocky Mountain Branch - American Society for Microbiology Annual Meeting held April 16 at Metropolitan State College in Denver.

1st Place - Graduate Student Poster Presentation awarded to Gail M. Berardino-Lang.
Gail M. Berardino-Lang, Megan Cassidy, Julia Shimizu, and Nancy M. DuTeau. "Denitrifier Diversity in Soil:Wood Incubations".

1st Place - Undergraduate Student Poster Presentation awarded to Janet Kemp.
Janet A. Kemp, Gail M. Lang, and Nancy M. DuTeau. "Characterizating a Mosquito Gut Bacterial Community".

2nd Place - Undergraduate Student Poster Presentation awarded to Jenna Horne.
Jenna Horne, Kelsey Schmidt, and Nancy M. DuTeau. "Whole Mosquito DNA Isolation for Characterization of Gut Bacterial DNA".


Highest award winners from CVMBS (top 4% of whole session):

  1. Chelsea Zimmerman, Biochem/Micro Major, mentored by Chris Kawcak.
  2. Keri Propst, Micro Major mentored by Norm Curthoys.
  3. Emily Plake, Micro Major mentored by Erica Suchman
High award winners from CVMBS (top 10% from whole session):
  1. Adrienne Harris, Micro Major mentored by Julia Inamine
  2. Michael Frazier, Micro Major mentored by Roxanne Karkhoff-Schweizer
CVMBS college winners (top 10% of college):
  1. Sukantha Chandrasek, Micro Major mentored by Julia Inamine
  2. Yi Cheng (Sharon), Micro Major mentored by Jon Carlson
  3. Betsy Taylor, Micro Major mentored by FDA
CVMBS faculty that mentored non-CVMBS students to an award:
  1. Nancy DuTeau Janet Kemp Biology; college winner Natural Sciences
  2. Nancy DuTeau Julia Shimizu Biology; college winner Natural Sciences
  3. Stuart Tobet Brandon Wadas Biochemistry; college winner Natural Sciences
Photo Gallery
More > >


The Medicinal Chemist Search is officially closed!

Michio Kurosu has accepted our offer for the Medicinal Chemist Assistant Professor (special appt) position in MIP that is part of our Infectious Disease Initiative. He will be joining MIP on July 1, 2005. Currently he is employed as a Research Fellow in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University.


MIP Publications Late May/Early April 2005


Join the Department in wishing Steve Benjamin well in his retirement on June 10, 2005 from 3:00-5:00pm in the Pathology Glover Gallery.

 


  • May 9 & 10
    Christopher Bosio
    , PhD
    Dept of Micro, Immuno & Path
    Colorado State University
  • May 17 & 18
    Tian Wang
    , PhD
    Dept of Internal Medicine
    Yale University
  • May 24 & 25
    Bradley Blitvich
    , PhD
    Dept of Micro, Immuno & Path
    Colorado State Unviersity

Farewell Anjuli!
Anjuli Ninesling has successfully completed her sophomore year of Vet School and will be moving to the VTH for her junior and senior studies. Unfortunately for us, this means she will no longer be the MIP Courier. We will miss her friendly face, but wish her all the best in her future endeavers!


  • Ludmel Urdaneta, May 2
  • Amol Amin, May 4
  • Yevgeniy Azarkh, May 4
  • Joseph Anderson, May 7
  • Norma Gorrochotegui-Escalante, May 7
  • Adama Sacko, May 7
  • Todd Painter, May 7
  • Melissa Boyne, May 8
  • Barry Beaty, May 9
  • Ralph Smith, May 10
  • Katrina Quinn, May 11
  • Laurel Respicio, May 15
  • Lance U'ren, May 15
  • James Starbuck, May 16
  • Sue VandeWoude, May 16
  • Rama Sakamuri, May 17
  • EJ Ehrhart, May 18
  • Erica Suchman, May 18
  • Krystle Grabhorn, May 19
  • Stefan Berg, May 20
  • Margarita Gomez Escalada, May 21
  • Mark Hughes, May 22
  • Delphi Chatterjee, May 26
  • Karamjeet Pandher, May 26
  • Lisa Wolfe, May 26
  • John Anderson, May 28
  • Sherry McElwain, May 28
  • Erin Napier, May 28
  • Eric Beck, May 29
  • Anne Lenaerts, May 29
  • Gopi Palanisamy, May 29
  • Chelsey Sobeck, May 31


Brian Geiss
Postdoc, Olson Lab
Shayna Warner
Research Assoc, Dow Lab




Quote of the Month:

"A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that 'individuality' is the key to success."

~ Robert Orben



Dr. Randy Basaraba experienced first hand how the view doesn't change unless you're the lead sled dog at this years "Fast & Furriest" fundraiser.


The picnic on May 6 was a huge success! Good food, good friends, and a lot of fun was had in celebration of the school year completion.
Lotsa Picnic Photos

Needing to better protect his head from the sun, Professor Ralph Smith requested help from his Junior and Senior Microbiology students. For extra credit the students could create a hat with a Microbiology Theme. Dr. Smith received 17 hats, all of which are very creative and interesting!
Hat Photos > >


New Grant Awards

Patrick J. Brennan, "Biogenesis of Lipoarabinomannan in Mycobacterium", HHS-NIH-NIAID-Allergy & Infect Diseases.
Varalakshmi D. Vissa, "Molecular Epidemiology of Leprosy", HHS-NIH-NIAID-Allergy & Infect Diseases.
MAY 2005

Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri
2
Faculty
Seminar
4pm
3
Grad
Seminar
12pm
4
Histo
Seminar
8am
5 6
MSA Picnic 4-8pm
9-13
FINALS WEEK!!
16 17
Tian Wang Interview
18
Tian Wang Interview
19 20
23 24
Bradley Blitvich Interview
25
Faculty Mtg
4pm
103 Path

Bradley Blitivich Interview
26 27
30 31      

JUNE 2005

Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri
    1 2 3
6 7 8 9 10
Benjamin Retirement Party 3-5pm
13 14 15 16 17
20 21 22 23 24
27 28 29 30  


Do you have NEWS you would like to share?

Do you have an IDEA of what could be added to this newsletter?

Do you have a PICTURE for the Funnies?

Send In your ideas or newsworthy items. Contributions make the Newsletter better!

MIP Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 5, May 2005 MIP HomeCVMBS HomeCSU Home