Month: October 2023

Charly is a senior Biology student who is also pursuing minors in Chemistry and Psychology.  This summer, she worked with Dr. Zachary Murphy through a sponsorship with the Summer Fellows Research Program on, “Investigating the Role of TET2 in Erythropoiesis with CRISPR/Cas9,”

Charly described her research: “Erythropoiesis is a biological process that involves the production of erythrocytes, commonly known as red blood cells. This process is crucial to human beings because the molecules that interact with the red blood cells help to transport oxygen to all areas of the body. Red blood cells must take on a biconcave morphology so that the specific interactions between proteins and molecules can be made. This physical characteristic is created by the removal of the cell’s nucleus and other cellular components during the developmental stage. If this developmental process is disrupted in any way, the cell will not be able to carry the normal amount of oxygen. These disruptions can lead to diseases such as anemia and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). One of the human genes, TET2, has been suggested to be related to MDS. It is thought that TET2 could play a role in the development of red blood cells, which could mean that a lack or mutation of the gene could lead to improper cells being produced. Our research has looked at this gene and what happens to cells when CRISPR/Cas9 technology is introduced along with specific short guide RNA (sgRNA) sequences . The sgRNA sequences were designed to target exons 3, 7, and 11 of the gene. Our hypothesis is that if these three exons are targeted and mutated, then the cells will not take on the proper shape needed.

“Alongside this idea, our research has also looked into finding inexpensive alternatives to protocols and biochemical materials. Science can be quite costly, and this can create a financial barrier to students and schools that choose to work with erythroid research. We tested various protocols several times to determine whether or not these alternatives would be suitable to use for future experiments. This tied into the research above because this idea of finding alternatives came about while in the process of troubleshooting. Our goal is to create cost effective alternatives so that other institutions, like St. John Fisher, can conduct erythroid research. This could help make research more diverse and bring in more ideas that could change the world of erythroid research.”

Who else is always looking for a new book to read?  While your “to read” list may be giving you a side eye, we wanted to give you a few new recommendations that our faculty members have been reading.

Our first recommendation comes from Dr. Tim Madigan.  “Thanks to [my attendance at the Society for Italian Philosophy] I’m reading a book I shamefully must admit I’d never previously heard of, Alassandro Manzoni’s The Betrothed.”  Tim graciously provided a synopsis of The Betrothed, and it can be found on The New Yorker. 

Dr. Mark Rice gave us not one, but two books!  “Two books that have really stuck out to me in my summer reading are the novel, Trust, by Hernan Diaz, and the nonfiction book, The Common Wind: Afro-American Currents in the Age of the Haitian Revolution by Julius Scott. In very different ways, both books deal with one of my favorite topics: how do we know things? In Trust (winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for fiction) we get a multi-faceted story about a fictional financial tycoon whose life story gets peeled back in layers revealing what may or may not be the real truth of his success. In The Common Wind, Scott’s deep and innovative archival research reveals the multiple channels through which men and women of the African diaspora communicated with each other about what was happening on their own and different islands through the Caribbean: colonial unrest, slave rebellions, and the possibilities of freedom.”

Dr. Deb Vanderbilt greatly enjoyed a book series during the summer months. “…I read the 3 volumes of The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin. It is a science fiction sensation that is currently being filmed for a netflix series. I can’t pretend I understood all the physics it involved (help, Kris Green!) but that did not get in the way of my total enjoyment of this trilogy.”

If anyone would like to submit what they’re currently reading, feel free to email me at: cfischer@sjf.edu.  We look forward to hearing your suggestions!

The new semester brings many new faces to our campus among both students and faculty, and this semester we have several new professors from various departments.  We would like to introduce you to a few of them below!

Dr. Michelle Flood is joining us in our Media and Communications department.  She recently moved to Rochester from Seattle, WA and was most recently a Visiting Assistant Professor at Willamette University.  While she was moving across the country, Michelle listed to the audiobook version of No Way!  Okay, Fine by Brodie Lancaster.  Michelle’s favorite Saturday activity is going to hot yoga with her spouse, and then finding a good farmer’s market.  She loves to cook, and as she starts here at Fisher, she’s very excited to get to know her students and teach classes she loves.

When asked about what she’s working on, Michelle said, “I plan to go through the IRB process so I can conduct interviews with fans of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. It’s a project that I’ve been working on for a few years, but I think a new methodology will enhance my arguments – plus the interviews will coincide with the premiere of the series’ final season!”

Since Michelle is new to the Rochester area, she is looking for recommendations for some local spots!  If you have a location Michelle should check out, be sure to let her know!

Dr. Kye Mohd Hanafiah is one of our new Biology department professors.  Last autumn, she moved to Rochester from Menang, Malaysia. Kye has had training, research and teaching experience in infectious disease epidemiology and control,  antimicrobial and diagnostic discovery & development, and various forms of science communication.  Her favorite spot in Rochester is Mendon Ponds, along with the Rochester Public Market.  On Saturdays, Kye enjoys hiking and going to the public market, and outside of work she enjoys eating good food, watching good films, and reading good books!  Speaking of reading, Kye recently finished the Eaerthsea series by Ursula K Le Guin, and she’s currently re-reading the Desire Anthology by Haruki Murakami.

As she begins her time with us, Kye is looking forward to working with smaller groups of students and with dynamic and supportive colleagues.  Be sure to check out her research publications; her running opinion column called Science, She Wrote; and her first book ‘Science Communication in Practice: Malaysian Perspective with Global Relevance.’

Also new to our Biology department is Dr. Philip Dodge who specializes in Anatomy and Physiology, Pathology and Gross Anatomy.  He’s coming to Fisher after spending time at both RIT and Nazareth, and he is looking forward to facing new challenges that being at Fisher will bring!  Philip’s favorite spot in the area includes any of the Finger Lakes.  On any given Saturday you can find him golfing, boating, and fishing, and he enjoys spending time with his family.

Our History department welcomes Dr. Anthony Siracusa who comes to Fisher from the University of Colorado, and before that Memphis, Tennessee!  Anthony specializes in modern US and African American History, and he also has experience as a civic engagement professional.  After making the cross country trek, he can’t wait to meet with our students as students have provided him with great hope and joy throughout his career.  If you’re in Lavery Library, try and find his book, Nonviolence Before King, or check it out online.

While he’s been reading books related to the courses he’s teaching this semester, Anthony has managed to find time to read some fictional works this summer as well.  He has re-read the Lord of the Rings triology, Bram Stoker’s Dracula,  the first five books in The Vampire Chronicles, and he has started Dune.  Despite his short time in the Rochester area, Anthony and his wife have already found some great places in Rochester.  A couple of their favorites are The Owl House and Strange Bird, but they have also enjoyed Cure at the Public Market, Verne’s on Park Ave, The Half Pint, Roux, and Boulder Coffee in South Wedge.  Lately, they’ve spent their weekends visiting the lake towns and remodeling their Rochester home.  If he isn’t exploring Rochester, Anthony enjoys playing and making music in his home studio.  He was part of a touring punk band for many years, and he is eager to connecting to the community here, along with visiting Needle Drop Records.  You can also find Anthony on his weekly podcast covering the Memphis Grizzlies.

After 20 years at IBM, Professor Dan Brown is now a member of our Cybersecurity department.  Dan is a returning Fisher grad who graduated in 2000, and he is looking forward to seeing how much has changed as he returns in his new role. Currently, he is reading The Codebreakers by David Kahn which now features a new chapter on computer cryptography!

Outside the realm of cybersecurity and computer science, Dan is reading Hard Boiled by Geoff Darrow and Weapon X by Barry Windsor-Smith to compare the  background artwork of each issue.  Every month, he makes sure to attend the monthly Metal Meltdown at The Record Archive.  On a typical Saturday, Dan likes to sit down with a cup of coffee and listen to the Bac-In-Time show on 105.5.  In his spare time, Dan enjoys weightlifting, reading, comics, various games (including card, dice, board, tabletop, RPG, and video games), music, art, cryptograms, and exploring primitive weapons.

Sport Management welcomes Professor Katie McJury.  Katie is looking forward to working with the students and getting back into the field.  While she’s looking for any recommendations for her next read, Katie recently finished Cloud Cuckoo by Anthony Doerr.  She loves to watch movies, play with her family, and PBS.  On the weekends, you can catch Katie watching her kids do what they love – soccer, lacrosse, hockey, swimming, performing arts, and more!  You can also find her at the Blue Barn Cidery, the west side farm markets, and Turning Point Park.

After spending over 20 years as a K-12 educator, Dr. Christine Richards makes the switch to post secondary education by joining our African American Studies department!  She just started reading Disruptive Thinking by T.D. Jakes.  While her favorite spot in Rochester depends on the season, she is a fall lover at heart.  On a typical Saturday, Christine enjoys listening to music as she takes care of things around the house, or she ventures out to different activities in the city.  Outside of her field, she loves to spend time with her family and friends and travel.  As Christine starts at Fisher, she is looking forward to getting to know the students and staff, along with becoming immersed in the Fisher culture.  Be sure to keep your eye out, as she has a few works coming soon!