Cell and Molecular Biology Seminar

BIO 186A - Spring 2008; Tuesday 4:30-5:20

Dr. Melanie Loo, Course Coordinator

Office: Seq 414, Office hours: M 11:00-11:50 and T 3:15-4:05

E-mail: mwloo@csus.edu Website: www.csus.edu/indiv/l/loom

Our Goal: We want you to find out about current topics and varied career opportunities for CSUS students interested in Cell and Molecular Biology. Speakers have been selected to represent different areas of employment (government, industry, academia); some are CSUS alums; all are generously donating their time to share their experiences with you. We also want you to reflect on what you see and hear, to begin developing your own career path.

Grading: This course is graded Credit/No Credit. To receive credit for the course you must attend at least 12 of the 14 seminars, sign in with the instructor at each seminar, and maintain a journal containing an “informal report” on each of the seminars attended. Informal reports on the past week's seminar will be collected every week.

Informal Reports: Each report will be typed or neatly handwritten and consist of:

1. The seminar title and name of the speaker;
2. A paragraph outlining the main points you learned from the seminar; and
3. A short paragraph describing your reflections on the seminar (What did you find most interesting or informative? What did you hear that was connected to something else you had previously learned and what was the connection? What questions were raised and/or answered for you?)

Drop Policy: Dropping during the first two weeks of class is through My Sac State (01/28-02/08). Dropping during weeks two through six requires a petition signed by the instructor and the Department chair at the discretion of the instructor. Dropping during weeks five and six also requires the Dean’s signature and will result in a “W” on your transcript. There is no such thing as an automatic drop. You are responsible for entering the drop on either My Sac State or by petition. Failure to do this could result in an assignment of “No Credit” for the class.

Student Conduct: Do your own work! Do not copy someone else’s seminar summaries and reflections. Do not have anyone sign in for you. Any cheating, or suspected cheating, will be reported to the Dean of Students. Cheating will result in a “No Credit” grade in the course and can result in complete dismissal from CSUS. Do follow proper seminar etiquette.

· The seminar lasts 50 minutes – don’t come late or leave early.

· Turn off cell phones, beepers, and other forms of electronic distraction.

· Be polite – don’t talk, study, eat or drink loudly, or leave the room during the talk.

· Stay until the question and answer period has ended.

· Don’t feel bad if you get lost – ask questions!

BIO 186A, Spring, 2008, Schedule of Speakers

Date	Speaker	Topic
January 29	Dr. Melanie Loo	Introduction to BIO 186A Objectives and Requirements
February 5	Ms. Anna Domek	Finding Jobs and Developing Careers
February 12	*Mr. Ameer Thompson	Starting a PhD Program
February 19	Dr. Kelly McDonald	Alternative Careers in Biology (including Community College Teaching)
February 26	Dr. Jesse Joad	Medical Research, Teaching, and Practice
March 4	*Dr. David Thomas	Pharmacy School Teaching and Research
March 11	Ms. Sarah Brown	Applying Molecular Techniques to Conservation Biology
March 18	Dr. Enid Gonzalez	Microbes and Agriculture
March 21 12:00 Seq 301	Dr. Amy Gryshuk	Biophotonics Research at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratories Bonus Seminar +Meeting with Students at 1:00
March 25	Dr. John Harada	Dissection of Arabidopsis Seed Development
April 1	Ms. April Fulsdey	Spring Break--No Fooling
April 8	*Ms. Mary Hansen	Forensic Biology
April 15	*Dr. Jan Nolta	Human Stem Cells for Regenerative Therapies
April 22	Dr. Christopher Sullivan	Investigating Disease Mechanisms Using Microarrays
April 29	*Mr. Jeff Shasky	Biotechnology at Novozyme
May 6	Dr. Roger Sullivan	Cytochrome P450 and Human Evolution
May 13	*Ms. Zina Dahmani	Arcadiabio: New Approaches in Drug Delivery

* CSUS Alum