Our Faculty and Staff
The Department of Biological Sciences includes faculty with a wide range of interests in research and teaching and our dedicated and professional staff who manage and administer the department. Our faculty, together with adjunct faculty from other units within SIUE, supervise graduate students on a diverse array of Master's research projects.
Chair
Dr. Jake Williams
Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences
SW 1165
(618) 650-2118
jasowil@siue.edu
Interests: Animal physiology.
Faculty
Dr. Tom Anderson
Assistant Professor
SW 1250
(618) 650-3907
thander@siue.edu
Interests: Population and community ecology, species interactions, aquatic ecology.
Dr. Maurina Aranda
Assistant Professor
SW 1190
(618) 650-3468
maarand@siue.edu
Interests: Discipline-based education, cellular biology education, and STEM education; K-12 and undergraduate curriculum design.
Dr. Paul Brunkow
Undergraduate Committee Chair, Department of Biological Sciences
SW 1220
(618) 650-2976
pbrunko@siue.edu
Interests: Amphibian conservation ecology, effects of morphological variability on ecology.
Dr. Carolyn Butts-Wilmsmeyer
Director of the Center for Predictive Analytics
SW 1105
(618) 650-2682
cbuttsw@siue.edu
Interests: Quantitative genetics and bioinformatics; Biostatistics and predictive modeling; Nutritional improvement of grain crops; Natural resilience in plant production systems.
Dr. Susanne DiSalvo
Safety Officer, Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate Program Director
SW 1260
(618) 650-5928
sdisalv@siue.edu
Interests: Host-symbiont interactions. Social amoebas as model eukaryotic host systems for bacterial symbionts (Burkholderia, Amoebophilus, and Neochlamydia). Context-dependent shifts on symbiotic outcomes.
Dr. Betsy Esselman
Professor
SW 1230
(618) 650-5719
eesselm@siue.edu
Interests: Plant conservation genetics, plant systematics and taxonomy.
Dr. Rick Essner
Professor
SW 1115
(618) 650-2338
ressner@siue.edu
Interests: Ecological and functional morphology.
Dr. Tom Fowler
Department of Biological Sciences
SW 1110
(618) 650-5231
tfowler@siue.edu
Interests: Molecular genetics and cell signaling in fungi.
Dr. Kevin Krajniak
Professor
SW 1290
(618) 650-3467
kkrajni@siue.edu
Interests: Physiology, distribution and effects of neuropeptides in freshwater molluscs and arthropods.
Dr. Danielle N. Lee
Assistant Professor
SW 1240
(618) 650-3405
danilee@siue.edu
Interests: Animal Behavior, Urban Ecology, Mammalogy, Science Outreach.
Dr. Faith Liebl
Professor
SW 1120
(618) 650-2509
fliebl@siue.edu
Interests: Synapse development; expression, trafficking, and localization of glutamate receptors.
Dr. Zhi-Qing Lin
Professor
SW 2165
(618) 650-2650
zhlin@siue.edu
Interests: Developing phytoremediation technology for the cleanup of trace element contaminated water and soil, including the use of phytoextraction, phytostabilization, phytovolatilization, and constructed wetland treatment systems.
Dr. Darron Luesse
Professor and Assistant Chair, Department of Biological Sciences
SW 1200
(618) 650-2153
dluesse@siue.edu
Interests: Molecular processes behind plant gravitropism and other environmental responses, intracellular signal transduction, chlorophyll synthesis, and plant physiology.
Dr. Vance McCracken
Interim Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
SW 1165 or PH 3428 (Box 1608)
(618) 650-5246
vmccrac@siue.edu
Interests: Gastrointestinal microbiology and mucosal immunology, Helicobacter pylori, enterohepatic Helicobacter species, inflammatory bowel disease, molecular approaches to microbial ecology, testing of novel antimicrobial compounds.
Dr. Brittany F. Peterson
Associate Professor
SW 1180
(618) 650-2453
bripete@siue.edu
Interests: Microbiomics, microbial ecology, insect-microbe interactions, symbiosis, complex microbial communities.
Dr. Emily Petruccelli
Associate Professor and Webmaster
SW 1130
(618) 650-3004
epetruc@siue.edu
Interests: Neurogenetics, effects of alcohol on neural transcription and behavior.
Dr. Bill Retzlaff
Professor/Interim Vice Chancellor for Administration (VCA)
PH 3431
(618) 650-2728
wretzla@siue.edu
Interests: Green roof systems.
Dr. Chris Theodorakis
Professor
SW 2215
(618) 650-5235
ctheodo@siue.edu
Interests: Aquatic ecotoxicology, water quality, molecular and genetic toxicology, biomarkers, oxidative stress & DNA damage, nanotoxicology, evolutionary toxicology, endocrine disruption, conservation genetics, molecular ecology.
Dr. Amy Winn
Associate Professor
SW 1170
(618) 650-3406
ahubert@siue.edu
Interests: Molecular biology of stem cells and regeneration in planarian flatworms.
Emeritus and Retired Faculty
Dr. Luci Kohn
Professor Emeritus
SW 1210
(618) 650-2394
lkohn@siue.edu
Interests: Quantitative morphology; genetic and environmental influences on skeletal and dental morphology; evolution of morphology.
Dr. Kurt Schulz
Professor Emeritus
kschulz@siue.edu
Interests: Forest canopy-understory interactions, ecological restoration, invasive species.
Instructors and Lecturers
Dr. Tricia Altmansberger
Instructor
SW 1125
(618) 650-5239
traltma@siue.edu
Courses Taught: BIOL111 and BIOL140
Katie Durbin, MS
Instructor, Lab Coordinator
SW 0175
(618) 650-3942
cadurbi@siue.edu
Courses Taught: Introduction to Biological Sciences I (BIOL 150), Introduction to Biological Sciences II (BIOL 151)
Dr. James Enyart, DC, MS
Instructor
SW 1285
(618) 650-2307
jenyart@siue.edu
Courses Taught: BIOL140, BIOL 240ab, BIOL205, BIOL440
Bethany Kassebaum, MS, MA
Instructor
SW 1295
(618) 650-3902
bkasseb@siue.edu
Courses Taught: Contemporary Biology (BIOL 111), Human Biology (BIOL 140), Anatomy & Physiology (BIOL 240a, 240b)
Chrissy Simmons, MS
Instructor, Lab Coordinator
SW 1205
(618) 650-2508
chsimmo@siue.edu
Courses Taught: Contemporary Biology (BIOL 111), Human Biology (BIOL 140), Introduction to Biological Sciences I (BIOL 150), Introduction to Biological Sciences II (BIOL 151)
Jessica Wright, MS
Instructor, Lab Coordinator
SW 0170
(618) 650-5068
jchoudh@siue.edu
Courses Taught: Human Anatomy and Physiology (BIOL 240a,b)
Staff
Joy Achieng
Accounting Associate
SW 1305, Box 1651
618-650-2642
jachien@siue.edu
60% Biological Sciences, 40% Chemistry
Tami Wright
Office Support Specialist
SW 2155, Box 1099
(618) 650-3311
twrigab@siue.edu
40% Biological Sciences, 60% Environmental Science
Adjunct Faculty
Dr. Chaya Gopalan
School of Nursing, School of Education, Health and Human Behavior
VC 2612
(618) 650-5802
cgopala@siue.edu
Interests: Sex differentiation of the brain, educational research.
Dr. Barb McCracken
School of Dental Medicine
AL 285
(618) 474-7208
bmccrac@siue.edu
Interests: Smoking/electronic cigarettes and oral inflammation
Dr. Joseph Schober
School of Pharmacy
UP 1009
(618) 650-5129
joschob@siue.edu
Interests: Cancer cell motility, microtubule and actin signaling, microtubule plus-end proteins.
Dr. Cinnamon VanPutte
School of Dental Medicine
AL 286
(618) 474-7030
cvanput@siue.edu
Interests: Thyroid hormone physiology, Microbiome, Periodontal disease
Dr. Kyong Sup Yoon
Department of Environmental Sciences
SW 2180
(618) 650-3302
kyoon@siue.edu
Interests: Environmental toxicology and vector biology