Timothy J. Durkee MD, PhD, FACOG Biology Alumnus 1980 Associate Professor of Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology University of Illinois College of Medicine-Rockford
I was a graduate of the biology department in 1980. Presently I live in Rockford, Illinois, where I am Associate Professor and Chairman and Clerkship Director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Illinois College of Medicine-Rockford and also Attending Physician, Founding Partner of Rock Valley Women's Health Center. I have been married for 25 years, and have two daughters. I received an MD and PhD from the University of Illinois College of Medicine-Chicago. My PhD work was with the department of physiology and biophysics, where I studied molecular endocrinology. I did my residency at Loyola University Medical Center. I can be reached at tjdurkee@aol.com
Renata Dennis, BS-Biology, Wheaton College 1981, BSN-Nursing, Emory University 1983, MPH-Emory University 1997.
Renata has worked as a pediatric nurse for most of the past 25 years in Atlanta and Columbus, Georgia. She has worked in the areas of hematology-oncology, public health, general pediatrics, asthma, and emergency medicine. She has spent the last 9 years in Infectious Diseases at Emory University, working as a research nurse coordinator on the following research studies: Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group (PACTG-NIH), Mother-Infant Rapid Intervention at Delivery (MIRIAD-CDC), and various government and industry-sponsored vaccine studies (including yellow fever, genital herpes, HIV/AIDS, HPV, Meningococcal, flu, avian flu). Currently, Renata is an instructor/training coordinator for SEATEC-Southeast AIDS Training and Education Center, based out of the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at Emory University. AETCS are HRSA-funded sites that are charged with the continuing education of clinicians who take care of HIV/AIDS patients as part of the Ryan White Care Act. Her specialty areas include adolescent transition to adult HIV/AIDS care as well as rapid HIV testing in labor and delivery and emergency departments.
Renata is also a CPR Instructor and active at her church where she has helped lead mission teams to the same village outside of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, since 2001.
Robert Mullins Biology Alumnus 1989
Dr. Mullins majored in Biology at Wheaton in 1989 before earning a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology. He is now an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Iowa, and spends his time doing research on the genetics and cell biology of macular degeneration and other diseases of the retina.
He is grateful for the education he received at Wheaton and especially thankful that at Wheaton he met his all time best friend and wife of 19 years Becky (Wang) Mullins, who also graduated with a biology degree. He can be reached at mullinsrf@gmail.com
Erin Engel Kunkel, Biology Alumna, 1998, Foot and Ankle Surgeon in Ohio
I majored in Biology, graduating 1998. It is one thing to attend a Christian college and enter a job with a focus on Biblical studies. It is quite another to obtain the kind of scientific knowledge required for doctorate programs in science. Wheaton has the academic reputation respected by medical schools across the country. The Biology program, particularly animal physiology, helped to prepare me for my medical training. I am now a successful foot and ankle surgeon in private practice in Dayton, Ohio.
Jacob Turnquist Biology Alumnus 1999 Head Physician of the 3rd Infantry Division
I graduated from Wheaton in 1999. I was blessed to have been a student of Dr. Bruce for 3 courses during my time there. I was a student at the Wheaton College Science Station after my sophomore year and was on staff after graduating. While at Wheaton I participated in Army R.O.T.C. The biology department was instrumental in helping me formulate an understanding of how my Christian faith and science interact for which I am most thankful. Upon graduation, I attended the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and graduated in 2003. I did my residency in pediatrics at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Due to the needs of the Army, I was assigned to a Brigade Combat Team with the 3rd Infantry Division immediately upon completing residency. I have been serving as the head physician of that unit since 2006. In October 2007 I deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom operating south of Baghdad in a battlespace about a large as Switzerland. I am scheduled to return in January 2009 and finally return to practicing pediatrics again. I am married to my best friend, Jennifer, and have a son, Christian who is the apple of my eye. I am happy to talk to anyone about biology, medicine, or the military.
In the News, Dr. Eric Long, Biology Major ’99 and Wheaton Graduate, described as Science Loving Superhero
Recently in the Seatle Pacific University magazine, Dr. Eric Long, Wheaton Graduate and Biology Major ’99, was named Professor of the Year. Click here to read the article. Dr. Eric Long graduated with the class of '99 with a B.S. in biology at Wheaton College. From Wheaton, he traveled north to pursue an M.S. in Biology at the University of North Dakota. At UND he researched behavioral ecology of mountain lions, and his field work was in the Black Hills, SD. While in the field, Dr. Long lived at the Wheaton College Science Station and worked in the surrounding area to help develop a technique to estimate mountain lion population size. Concurrently, he studied historic dietary shifts of mountain lions in California, where these large cats have recently begun to include more feral pigs (the other white meat!) in their diets.
After completing his master's thesis at UND, Dr. Long moved to Penn State in 2001, where he began a Ph.D. in Ecology. For his dissertation, he studied population ecology and management of white-tailed deer. Dr. Long specifically investigated how social influences affect long-distance dispersal of young males.
Upon finishing his Ph.D. in 2005, Dr. Long accepted a tenure-track position as Assistant Professor of Biology at Seattle Pacific University (where a formative Wheaton Biology Professor of his, David Bruce, began his teaching career!). Currently, Dr. Long teaches classes in ecology, conservation biology, animal biology, and biostatistics. His research focuses on population ecology and management of black-tailed deer populations, and my field work is done in the San Juan Islands of Washington State. Dr. Long states, “I'm in my fourth year at SPU, and I love teaching in a Christian environment, similar to my student days at Wheaton!”
Marcella Bondie Biology Alumna 2000 Hired at Carnow Conibear & Associates Enironmental Consulting Firm
Following graduation in 2000, Marcella Bondie (BA Biology / English) served as an Americorps member for Family Rescue, a social service agency in Chicago. She then spent time living in Istanbul, Turkey, before returning to Chicago to work for Environmental Design International. Marcella has recently accepted a position at Carnow Conibear and Associates, a environmental consulting firm in Chicago.
She married Tim Keenan in 2005. Marcella's currently serves on a committee for Engineers Without Borders, and volunteers in the Shedd Aquarium Amazon Rising exhibit. She can be reached at marcellabondie@gmail.com
Congratulations Marcella on you new position at Carnow Conibear!
REBECCA HEIDKAMP BIOLOGY ALUMNA 2000 PhD CANDIDATE IN NUTRITION AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY
Following graduation in 2000, Rebecca Heidkamp (BS Biology / HNGR intern) joined World Relief 's Health Program Technical Unit and supported HIV/AIDS and Child Survival programs in Kenya, Sudan, Rwanda, Haiti and Mozambique. She joined Cornell University's Program in International Nutrition in 2005 and is currently a PhD candidate in Nutrition conducting research on infant feeding and HIV in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She can be reached at rheidkamp@gmail.com
KRISTIN TITCOMBE BIOLOGY ALUMNA '02 and GRADUATE FROM FULLER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
Kristin ’02 graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary with a Master’s in Cross Cultural Studies in June 2008. Prior to coming to Fuller, she spent the previous two years in Minnesota working to end homelessness for people leaving county jails, and mentoring a Somali family. At Fuller she learned how to do anthropological research and missiology among Latinos, graffiti writers, the Church of Later Day Saints, and the Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-Transgender community. The Biology Department at Wheaton helped her be able to think critically, and gave her a great foundation for conducting social research. Kristin thanks Dr. Page and Dr. Rorem for being amazing teachers and mentors! Upon graduation Kristin is headed into the unknown, but hopes to do a combination of community organizing and informal pastoral counseling.
Congratulations on your graduation from Fuller Seminary, Kristin!
Heath Weeks Biology Alumnus 2003 High School Biology Teacher On An Adventure as A Farmer
Hello, I am a '03 Alumnus of the biology department. After teaching high school biology in Hobbs, NM for four years, I got married (Adrienne) and moved to Des Moines, IA this summer to start a new career as a small scale farmer with my Grandpa. It's been an adventure so far and I've learned a lot from all the hands on work. I keep a blog from the farm if you want to read more about it (www.heathonthefarm.blogspot.com)
Congratulations Heath on your recent marriage and your new career as a farmer!
SHAILA COCKAR BIOLOGY ALUMNA '03 COMPLETED HER FOURTH YEAR OF TEACHING BIOLOGY
Shaila Cockar '03 currently lives in Albuquerque, NM. She has just completed her fourth year of teaching Biology, Environmental Science and Advanced Biology at Menaul School, which is a small, Presbyterian school. She is also the Student Council advisor and Science Fair coordinator for the school. She enjoys the great ethnic and socio-economic diversity of her students, as well as the opportunity for many field trips and outdoor experiences with kids. During the summers, Shaila works as a field research assistant with Dr. Marcy Litvak at the University of New Mexico, studying carbon flux and plant biomass in various ecosystems across an altitude gradient in the northern part of the state.
AMANDA KUHNHAUSEN MUNK BIOLOGY ALUMNA '03 AND GRADUATE OF LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE TO DO RESIDENCY AT OREGON HEALTH SCIENCE UNIVERSITY IN PORTLAND
It was a pleasure to study in the Biology Department at Wheaton College, and I mentally thanked my professors time and time again as I entered medical school at Loma Linda University School of Medicine, feeling prepared and well-taught. The four years of medical school were rigorous, and yet God was good, bringing a close friend back into my life who became my husband in November 2007. I just graduated in May 2008, and matched to a residency in Emergency Medicine at Oregon Health Science University in Portland, Oregon. My husband, Joe Munk, and I are both from Oregon, so we are excited to be near our families as I train to become an emergency physician. I will always remember fondly the amazing camping trips at Black Hills, Dr. Rorem's dear "critters," and the camaraderie among my fellow students. Thanks to Wheaton College, I have been able to pursue this long-held dream of becoming a doctor in the Northwest.
Congratulations Amanda on your graduation from Loma Linda University School of Medicine!
MEGAN LEVERENTZ BIOLOGY MAJOR ALUMNUS ’03 AND GRADUATE FROM UC DAVIS SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
Megan Leverentz Biology Alumnus ’03 and recent graduate from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, hopes to go back home to MN to join a private practice. Megan participated in collaborative research with Cell Biologist, Dr. Kennett, in her senior year at Wheaton (RTPCR for gene expression in zebrafish) and went to the Black Hills Science Station for a class. After Wheaton College, Megan took a year off to work in a research lab at Washington University St. Louis School of Medicine working on a mouse model for human cholesteatomas, and also worked at a small animal vet hospital in MN.
Congratulations on graduation from Veterinary School Megan!
MOLLY (CHAMBERS) GREEN BIOLOGY ALUMNUS '04 HIRED AS STAFF SCIENTIST AT TRAVIS/PETERSON ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING, INC., FAIRBANKS, ALASKA
Molly (Chambers) Green Biology alumnus '04 and winner of the Russell Mixter Award in Biology, at Wheaton College in '04, received her MS degree in Environmental Quality Science December '05 from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Molly has recently been hired as a Staff Scientist at Travis/Peterson Environmental Consulting, Inc. Along with this good news, Molly also recently married Jeff Green in 2007.
MICAH HUGHES ’04 BIOLOGY ALUMNUS SPOKE TO WHEATON STUDENTS ABOUT HIS RESEARCH AT RUSH
Micah Hughes ’04 biology alumnus spoke to Wheaton students this past spring about the research he conducted with the Rush University Department of Cardiology. His talk was entitled, "The investigation of safety and retention of Human CD34+ progenitor cells delivered into the myocardium of swine." or, “Cardiology Research in Biotheraputic Delivery." The research was investigating the safety and accuracy of a new cardiac catheter and looking at the retention of stem cells delivered to the heart. More specifically they investigated the Biotheraputic delivery of adult bone marrow progenitor cells (CD34+ cells) into ischemic myocardium. It was a preclinical research study and the animal model used is yorkshire swine.
Micah received his MS degree in Biotechnology at Rush and has been doing research for the Alzheimer's Disease Center for two years and Research for the department of Cardiology in the Rush Cardiovascular Pre-Clinical Research lab for one year. Micah starts Medical School this year in Colorado at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Megan Wood Biology Alumna '05 and graduate from Sonoma State University’s Master's program in Biology is hired at Bodega Marine Lab.
Following graduation from Wheaton, Megan spent a year as a conservation associate at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, providing local environmental education. From Florida, Megan crossed the country to the coastal wine country of northern California for graduate school in marine ecology. Her thesis focused on intertidal habitat quality for marine invertebrates and the placement of marine protected areas along the west coast. Megan then completed a marine policy fellowship in the San Francisco area for the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) West Coast Coastal Services Center, which provides science services to marine resource policymakers and managers. In 2010, Megan was hired at the Bodega Marine Laboratoryto pursue work in abalone research and commercial fishery management along the coast of Northern California.
WHEATON COLLEGE '07 ALUMNA ESTHER MARIE PAPP FINISHED HER FIRST YEAR IN MEDICAL SCHOOL
Hi, my name is Esther Marie Papp and I am a 2007 graduate of Wheaton College with a B.S. in biology, and the recipient of the David Bruce Memorial Research Award, 2006. I am now making good use of my Wheaton education by applying it to the study of medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. I have finished my first year as a medical student and at this point am interested in doing my residency in surgery, either in plastic and reconstructive surgery or orthopedic surgery. This past summer I conducted research in a plastic surgery lab at Wash.U. investigating the antigenicity of peripheral nerve allografts after various lengths of cold treatment. This summer I did plenty of microsurgeries on mice to transplant nerves, which was very exciting because I love surgery!
One of the passions that I will also live out besides my interest in surgery is my desire to grow more fully in my relationship with Jesus Christ by being one of the leaders of the Christian Medical Association here on campus. As a Christian in the medical field, it is very important to me that I learn to intellectually engage the issues that are unique to my career and help others to do the same as we face questions such as how to live out our calling to represent our Lord as we interact with patients and colleagues in the medical environment. Now I can see that the theological teaching I had in my bible and biology classes at Wheaton were a great blessing in helping me start thinking through how to address such issues.
BETSY SIGSBURY BIOLOGY ALUMNA '07 FINISHED HER FIRST YEAR OF TEACHING
My name is Betsy Sigsbury and I graduated with a B.S. in biology and a B.A. in Secondary Education in 2007. I am currently a high school science teacher in Beloit, WI at Beloit Memorial High School. I teach ninth grade physical science which is a mixture of physics, chemistry and earth science. Being a double major at Wheaton was a definite advantage in the teaching field and although teaching something outside of biology has been challenging, the kids are fantastic and the staff is extremely supportive. I chose Beloit out of all the offers I received because of the diverse student body and the exceptional staff working there. It has been an experience I have learned so much from and I owe this department a great deal of gratitude for helping to prepare me to start working straight out of college. I am one of the few graduates who can truly say they directly apply their college degree to their career. I will be married in August '08 to Nathan Leong ('05 graduate, International Relations) and we will live in Madison, WI. I will soon start my masters in Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. If anyone has any questions on what it is like to be a science teacher or how to go about becoming one, feel free to contact me at betsyleong@gmail.com
Betsy was a awarded "The Rookie Teacher of the Year Award" after her first year of teaching! Congratulations Betsy!
2010 Biology Grad Morgan Younkin Working as Research Assistant for Health Effects Institute
Morgan Younkin (2010) is a research assistant at the Health Effects Institute (HEI) in Boston, Massachusetts. HEI is a research nonprofit, receiving half of its funding from the EPA and half of its funding from the worldwide motor vehicle industry that provides high-quality, impartial, and relevant science on the effects of air pollution on health. The Institute’s work involves funding, overseeing, and reviewing studies, as well as producing periodic reviews and perspectives detailing the existing and future state of the field. In addition, HEI does significant work internationally in the developing countries of Asia and Latin America, working with national investigators to produce reviews, original research, and meta-analyses. As the Research Assistant, Morgan assists staff scientists in all aspects of HEI's work. Among other things, Morgan helps create background summaries on topics of interest, summarizes applications for funding, and assembles literature databases. Morgan says, “I'm excited to be involved in a review and analysis of the Latin American literature and an economic valuation of potential mitigation strategies. The work environment is very collegial and instructive. I enjoy working in environmental epidemiology and look forward to the foundation it gives me as I begin application to medical school.” Morgan’s wife Lainey is a dietetic intern as Massachusetts General Hospital, and Morgan reports that “We are really enjoying living in Boston. I certainly miss life at Wheaton, but post-college life is good as well. I like my job, but it has also affirmed my need for a strong interpersonal aspect in my work, which epidemiologists don't get as much of as medical practitioners do. So, I'm excited to start application to medical school this summer for entrance in fall of 2012.” Congratulations, Morgan, on the good work you are doing and good luck with your applications!
Alumni Contacts
Wheaton College Biology Alumni have gone on to a variety of careers and are an excellent source of information about career paths and about the processes involved in being a Biology major as well as how the knowledge obtained can be applied in a various contexts. The alumni are a valuable resource for help in evaluating the Biology program and for answering questions that current students have about being a Biology major.
Biology Contacts
One of the best ways to determine what you can do with a Biology degree from Wheaton College is to see what other graduates have done. The listing of an e-mail address indicates that the alumnus has agreed to answer questions you may have about how studying biology at Wheaton contributed to their life and career development.
Directory of Alumni
Mark D. Crockett M.D. '89
John B. Hess Professor of Biology Ecology, Genetics, Ornithology, and Herpetology. '64
Bradley V. Davitt Pediatric Ophthalmologist. '87
Dr. Neal P. Thompson Research for EPA, Registration of pest management materials on minor (fruit and vegetable) crops. '57
David W. Terhune M.D. '75
Paul Terrill M.D., Family Physician. '84
Linda Brady Thompson Lifecare Consultant. '62
Marc Armstrong Alliance Manager. '79
Cindy (Cynthia) A. Ladd Myers Physical Therapist.
Alison Snyder Masters student in Argonomy. '98
Cynthia Evans Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine. '81
Jennifer L. Busch Assistant Professor of Physiology at Wheaton College. '96
Jacob Turnquist Head Physician of the 3rd Infantry Division. '99
Michael Waits University of Arizona Law School Student. '05
* HINT - To Contact Alumni Follow Email links*
Mark D. Crockett, MD. class of '89
How are you contacted? Email: tox911@safeplace.net
What do you do? Currently President of a Medical Informatics Group.
John B. Hess class of '64
How are you contacted? Email: jbh8861@cmsu2.cmsu.edu
What do you do? I am currently Professor of Biology and I teach Ecology, Genetics, Ornithology, and Herpetology.
How can I help? I do what I like to think of as serious photography (semiprofessional) and I would be pleased to talk with other alums (former classmates) and current bio majors that want to talk to someone like me. Also I have studied the evolution-creation controversy extensively over the last 30 years, perhaps I could serve as a resource for someone in that area.
Bradley V. Davitt, M.D. class of '87
How are you contacted? Email davittb@slu.edu
What do you do? I am currently a pediatric ophthalmologist. After graduating from Wheaton in 1987, I attended the University of Illinois (Champaign & Rockford) and then did a transitional internship at St. John's Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis. I did my residency in ophthalmology at St. Louis University and then did a fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology at the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Neal P. Thompson class of '57
How are you contacted? Email npt@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu
What do you do? Research for EPA registration of pest management materials on minor (fruit and vegetable) crops
David W. Terhune, M.D. class of '75
How are you contacted? Email: DWT001@aol.com
Paul Terrill, MD class of '84
How are you contacted? Email: bumbee@boreal.org or smc@boreal.org
What do you do? I'm currently a Family Physician in a small remote group practice provides the only medical care for this county.
How can I help? I would be willing to act as a resource for students or alums interested in rural/remote medicine. We occasionally act as a site for Community Health rotations for Family Practice residents. We are not able to act as a site for students in the Health Professions Seminar course (if that is still in its same format as in 1982).
Linda Brady Thompson class of '62
How are you contacted? Email: lindathson@aol.com.
What do you do? I am a lifecare consultant for a marketing department of a Retirement Community.
How did you get where you are? Sales and marketing is a far cry from a Zoology major but in many ways finding a need and filling it has some of the same satisfactions that a career in health care (an earlier goal) would have had. I did graduate work in cell biology after Wheaton, got as far as passing my prelims and then had two children. Then I was widowed, married a widower-fellow-Wheaton-alumnus with two children and we finished with a fifth. Finances led us into developing an Amway distributorship through which I learned a great deal about sales in general. When the children were mostly grown and gone and I thought about working outside the home, sales was a natural choice. My former YFC leader had developed the ACTS company and it was through him that I heard about the opening at a Retirement Community. The rest as they say is history. If I presumed to give advice to current students, it would be to be utterly committed to Jesus Christ as Savior and Sanctifier...and to consider every open door as a gift from him. Christ in me has enabled me to endure and thrive through many losses, disappointments, betrayals and deaths and without him, as he said of his father, "I can do nothing." Enjoy the adventure of the journey.
Marc Armstrong class of '79
How are you contacted? Email: armstrong@ilog.com
What do you do? I work for an optimization software component provider based overseas.
Cindy (Cynthia) A. Ladd Myers
How are you contacted? Email: mhmindy@Juno.com
What do you do? I received my B.S. in Biology from Wheaton, M.S.P.T. in Physical Therapy from University of Indianapolis. Profession: Physical Therapist for 12 years. My current position is a senior therapist at a Community Hospital where I supervise an off site out-patient therapy clinic, spend 90% of my time on patient care and 10% on administration. My brother Bruce A. Ladd also a Biology major, '82.
Alison Snyder, class of '98.
How are you contacted? Email: amsnyder@ufl.edu
What do you do? I am in a master's program in agronomy. I am hoping to get involved in international/development agriculture.
Cindy Evans class of '81
How are you contacted? Email: evans.181@osu.edu and cevan54@columbus.rr.com
What do you do? I am an associate professor of ob/gyn at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. I have been on faculty for 16 years, serving in the general division and as director of the menopause clinic. I have been active in various research trials in the field of menopause, and lecture on the topic throughout the country. My favorite job, though is being mom to two wonderful children, Kim and Josh, currently ages 13 and 15.
Jennifer L. Busch class of '96
How are you contacted? Email: jennifer.l.busch@wheaton.edu
What do you do? I am the new Physiology Professor at Wheaton College. My Research involves studying the activation of cGMP-dependent protein kinase, an enzyme that regulates several physiological processes including blood pressure.
Jacob Turnquist class of '99
How are you contacted? Email: jacob.turnquist@4bct3id.army.mil
What do you do? I am head physician to a Brigade Combat Team with the 3rd Infantry Division. While at Wheaton I was a bio major, in R.O.T.C., and spent a couple of summers in the Black Hills. I would be happy to answer any questions about biology, the military, or medical school.
Michael Waits class of '05
How are you contacted? Email: michael.waits@gmail.com
What do you do? I am a first year Law School at the University of Arizona. If any biology majors are interested in law school, I would be more than happy to answer any questions they might have.