Biology Faculty at Furman University

There are thirteen full-time faculty members in Furman's Department of Biology. In a typical year, one or more are away from the campus to pursue research elsewhere; they are often replaced by instructors on one-year appointments. Together, they represent all of the major areas of modern biology. Scroll down to learn more about each faculty member.

Ph.D., University of Missouri. Research interest: neurobiology. Teaching specialties: Neurobiology, Human Physiology, Animal Physiology, The Brain. Telephone: (864) 294-3084. E-mail: bill.blaker@furman.edu

Dennis C. Haney, Associate Professor

Ph.D., University of Florida. Research interests: comparative animal physiology, ichthyology. Teaching specialties: Animal Physiology, Human Physiology, Marine Biology. Telephone: (864) 294-2050.
E-mail: dennis.haney@furman.edu Dr. Haney's personal web page can be found by clicking here.

Eli Hestermann, Assistant Professor

Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Research interests: pharmacology of cell receptors, toxicology. Teaching specialties: Cell Biology, Intermediary Metabolism. Telephone: (864) 294-3527.
E-mail: eli.hestermann@furman.edu

David M. Hollis, Assistant Professor

Ph.D., University of Notre Dame. Research interests: Molecular mechanisms of brain repair and regeneration in adult fish and amphibians. Teaching specialty: Human Physiology. Telephone: (864) 294-2306. E-mail: david.hollis@furman.edu

Gregory P. Lewis, Associate Professor

Ph.D., Cornell University. Research interests: Watershed biogeochemistry, stream and river ecosystem studies. Teaching specialties: Environmental Systems, Ecology. Dr. Lewis is a faculty collaborator in the River Basins Research Initiative (http://rbri.furman.edu/). Telephone: (864) 294-3249. E-mail:greg.lewis@furman.edu

Min-Ken Liao, Associate Professor; Travis W. Perry, Associate Professor

Ph.D., University of New Mexico. Research interests: Habitat use and population dynamics of North American bats. Teaching specialties: Natural Resource Management, Ecology, Field Zoology. Dr. Perry maintains a personal website that can be accessed by clicking here. Telephone: (864) 294-3009. E-mail: travis.perry@furman.edu

A. Joseph Pollard, Professor, Department Chair

Ph.D., University of Cambridge. Research interests: ecology, plant-herbivore interactions, plant taxonomy. Teaching specialties: Ecology, Field Botany. Pollard maintains a Web page that can be accessed by clicking here.Telephone: (864) 294-3244. E-mail: joe.pollard@furman.edu

Nicholas Schisler, Assistant Professor

Ph.D., University of Western Ontario. Research interests: genetics, molecular evolution,
phylogenetics, and bioinformatics; specifically intron evolution, evolution of protein families, and comparative genomics. Teaching specialities: Bioinformatics, Genetics. Telephone: (864) 294-3243. E-mail: nicholas.schisler@furman.edu Dr. Schisler has a Personal Home Page that you can access by clicking here.

Laura K. Thompson, Professor; Ph.D., Virginia Tech. Research interests: plant physiology, molecular genetics, cloning and gene structure. Teaching specialties: Intermediary Metabolism, Molecular Genetics, Genetics, Plant Physiology, Applied Plant Biology. Telephone: (864) 294-2085. E-mail: laura.thompson@furman.edu

Victoria Turgeon, Associate Professor: Ph.D., Wake Forest University. Research interests: the role of certain cell-surface receptors in the normal death of central nervous system cells during embryonic development and after injury to the central nervous system. For a more extensive description of her laboratory's research activity, click here. Teachng specialties: Cell Biology, Chordate Morphology and Development, Microanatomy. Telephone: (864) 294-3791. E-mail: victoria.turgeon@furman.edu

Wade B. Worthen, Professor

Ph.D., Rutgers. Research interest: insect community ecology. Teaching specialties: Ecology, Population Genetics and Evolution, Invertebrate Zoology. You may reach his personal home page by clicking here. Telephone: (864) 294-3390. E-mail: wade.worthen@furman.edu

Emeritus Faculty (continuing research)

John A. Snyder, Professor Emeritus

Ph.D., University of Michigan. Research interests: Lepidoptera of the Southeast, plant-insect interactions. Telephone: (864) 320-7823. E-mail: john.snyder@furman.edu

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