Schultz, Emily

By

Emily Schultz

Emily Schultz, PhD

Associate Professor, Biology and ESS
eschultz3@coloradomtn.edu
Pronouns: She/Her

Education

  • PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rice University
  • BA in Organismal Biology and Ecology, Scripps College

Publications

  • Schultz, E.L., L. Hülsmann M. D. Pillet, F. Hartig, D. D. Breshears, S. Record, J. D. Shaw, R. J. DeRose, P. A. Zuidema, M. E. K. Evans. “Climate-driven, but dynamic and complex? A reconciliation of competing hypotheses for species’ distributions”. In review at Ecology Letters.
  • Schultz, E.L., J.Eckberg, S. Berg, S.M. Louda, and T.E.X. Miller. 2017. “Native insect herbivory suppresses invasion and complex population dynamics of weeds across heterogeneous environments”. Ecology Letters 20(11): 1374–1384.

Professional Associations

  • Ecological Society of America

Personal Interests

I love to get outside and explore the natural world, which is what originally got me interested in ecology. When I'm stuck inside, I enjoy reading, knitting, and sewing. Most recently I started woodworking and boxing.

Family

You might see me walking around Breckenridge with my dog Pirate; my cats, Aiko and Shoyu, prefer to stay home.

Hawkinson, Ann

By

Ann Hawkinson

Ann C. Hawkinson, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Biology
970-625-6925 | ahawkinson2@coloradomtn.edu

2023 CMC Faculty of the Year, Rifle

Education

  • PhD, University of Northern Colorado, 2011
    Area of Study: Biological Education
    Dissertation: Experimental Infection of Jamaican Fruit Bats with Tacaribe Virus
  • BS, Colorado Mesa University, 2006
    Area of Study: Biology
    Senior Thesis: Equine Embryo Transfer
  • Biosafety Level 3 Training and Certification, Colorado State University, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology. 2015

Awards

  • First Year Scholars Outstanding Faculty and Staff, University of Northern Colorado. (2013). First Year Scholars Outstanding Faculty and Staff, University of Northern Colorado. (2012). Outstanding Faculty and Staff, Center for Human Enrichment. (2012).

Publications

  • Sherman, T.J.; Petty, D.; Schountz, T.; Hodges, N.; Hawkinson, A.C. (2022).  Increased Ifng and Il10 Expression Correlate with Disease in Rodent Models Experimentally Infected with Modoc Virus. Viruses, 14, 1026.
  • Hawkinson, A., Gerrard, D., Sherman, T., Modahl, C., Hume, G., Campbell, C., Schountz, T., Frietze, S. (2017). Transcriptomic signatures of Tacaribe virus-infected Jamaican fruit bats. mSphere, 2(5). https://doi.org/10.1128/ mSphere.00245-17
  • McGuire, A., Miedema, K., Fauver, J. R., Rico, A., Aboellail, T., Quackenbush, S. L., Hawkinson, A., Schountz, T. (2016). Maporal Hantavirus Causes Mild Pathology in Deer Mice (Peromyscus Maniculatus). Viruses, 8(10), 15. http://www.mdpi.com/1999- 4915/8/10/286. DOI: 10.3390/v8100286
  • Muster, V. J., Adney, D. R., Doremalen, N., Brown, V. R., Miazgowicz, K. L., Milne-Price, S., Bushmaker, T., Rosenke, R., Scott, D., Hawkinson, A., de Wit, E., Schountz, T., Bowen, R. (2016). Replication and shedding of MERS-CoV in Jamaican fruit bats (Artibeus jamaicensis). Scientific Reports, 6, 21878.. DOI: 10.1038/srep21878
  • Shaw, T. I., Srivastava, A., Chou, W.-C., Liu, L., Hawkinson, A., Glenn, T. C., Adams, R., Schountz, T. (2012). Transcriptome sequencing and annotation for the Jamaican Fruit Bat (Artibeus jamaicensis). PloS one, 7(11), e48472.
  • Hawkinson, A., Bowen, R., James, S., Gardiner, D., Calisher, C., Adams, R., Schountz,
    T. (2012). Tacaribe Virus Causes Fatal Infection of An Ostensible Reservoir Host, the Jamaican Fruit Bat.
  • Hawkinson, A., McGlaughlin, M., Calisher, C. H., Adams, R., Schountz, T. (2011).
    Molecular and phylogenetic characterization of cytokine genes from Seba’s short- tailed bat (Carollia perspicillata). Open Immunology Journal, 4, 31-39.
  • Schountz, T., Prescott, J., Cogswell, A. C., Oko, L., Mirowsky- Garcia, K., Galvez Fuenzalida, A., Hjelle, B. (2007). Regulatory T cell-like responses in deer mice persistently-infected with Sin Nombre virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci., 104, 15496.

Professional Associations

  • Rocky Mountain Virology Club
  • American Society for Microbiology- International Membership
  • American Society for Microbiology-Rocky Mountain Chapter Membership
  • American Society for Virology

Family

I live with my husband, son, and our two dogs, two cats, and two salamanders.

Personal Interests

I love to be outside, especially in the mountains!

Schmidt, Rebecca

By

Rebecca Schmidt

Rebecca Schmidt, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Biology
970-870-4433 | rschmidt3@coloradomtn.edu

Education

  • Ph.D., Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester, MN
  • B.A., Lawrence University, Appleton, WI

Awards

In 2018, Rebecca was recognized with the LSAMP-IINSPIRE Program Award for Excellence in Mentoring promoting under-represented minority participation in STEM.

Selected Publications

  • Clark SE, Schmidt RL, Aguilera ER, Lenz LL. (2020) IL-10-produing NK Cells Exacerbate Sublethal Streptococcus penumoniae infection in the lung. Translational Research. 226:70-82. doi: 10.1016/j.trsl.2020.07.001
  • Van Sciver RE, Lee MP, Dasom Lee C, Lafever AC, Svyatova E, Kanda K, Collier AL, Siewertsz van Reesema LL, Tang-Tan AM, Zheleva V, Bwayi MN, Bian M, Schmidt RL, Matrisian LM, Petersen GM, Tang A. (2018). A New Strategy to Control and Eradicate “Undruggable” Oncogenic K-RAS-Driven Pancreatic Cancer: Principles Learned from Developmental and Evolutionary Biology. MDPI Cancers. May 14;10(5)
  • Schmidt, R.L. (2014) A Roadmap to Understanding Toll Pathway Changes: An Educational Primer for use with "Regulation of Toll signaling and inflammation by β-arrestin and the SUMO protease Ulp1" GENETICS 196:923-929.
  • Schmidt, R. L. and Lenz, L.L. (2013) “Adjuvants Targeting the DNA Sensing Pathways– Cyclic-di-GMP and Other Cyclic-di-Nucleotides” Book Chapter in DNA Sensing: The impact of dsDNA on Disease and Vaccinology ed. Ishi, K., and Tang, J.C.K. Elsevier
  • Schmidt, R.L. and Lenz, L.L. (2012) Distinct Licensing of IL-18 and IL-1β Secretion in Response to NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation. Public Library of Science ONE 7(9): e45186. Epub Sept 18.
  • Schmidt, R.L., Trejo, T.R., Plummer, T.B., Platt, J.L., Tang, A.H. (2008) Infection-induced proteolysis of PGRP-LC controls the IMD activation and melanization cascades in Drosophila. FASEB J. Mar;22(3):918-29. (Epub Oct 16, 2007)
  • Schmidt, R.L., Ahmed, A., Park, C.H., Gundelach, J.H., Cheng S., Knudsen B. and Tang A.H. (2007) Inhibition of RAS-Mediated Tumorigenesis by Blocking the SIAH-E3 Ligase-Dependent Proteolysis. Cancer Res. Dec 15;67(24):11798-810.

Professional Interests/Associations

I am interested in all types of cells, from bacteria to human physiology and cancer biology. I love thinking about how cells interact with each other, whether these are microbial cells fighting for resources, pathogens interfering with our immune system, or transformation of cancer cells. I enjoy staying current with these fields as a member of the American Society of Microbiology and the American Society of Cell Biology. I am passionate about helping everyone gain a foundational knowledge of biology and its relevance to daily life!

Pollack, Justin

By

Justin Pollack

Dr. Justin Pollack, N.D.

Professor, Science / Health
970-406-1312 | jpollack@oloradomtn.edu

2019-20 Breckenridge & Dillon Faculty of the Year

Education

  • N.D. (Naturopathic Doctor), Bastyr University
  • B.A., Natural History, Pre-Medicine

Awards/Publications

  • Graduation Keynote Speaker, Colorado Mountain College Commencement, 2019
  • Full-time Faculty of the Year, Colorado Mountain College, Breckenridge and Dillon, 2016
  • Adjunct Faculty of the Year, Colorado Mountain College, Breckenridge and Dillon, 2012

Professional Associations

  • CMC Faculty Senate President, 2023-24
  • Physical Activity and Nutrition Team of the Summit (PANTS); member, 2009-present; executive co-chair, 2016-present
  • Colorado Association of Naturopathic Doctors (CoAND); member, 2003-present; executive secretary (2003-2007); executive vice president (2008-2009)
  • American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP); member, 1998-2004, 2008-2010, 2020-present

Dr. Pollack earned his N.D. at Bastyr University in Seattle, worked as a resident and adjunct clinical faculty at NUNM in Portland, OR and holds a B.A. from the Evergreen State College. While working through his doctorate, he had an "early retirement" working as a medical assistant, herbalist, kayak instructor, raft guide, outdoor educator and naturalist guide.

Dr. Pollack maintains a private practice at the Mountain-River Naturopathic Clinic in Frisco, co-owning the clinic and the Backcountry Herbal Apothecary with his wife, Dr. Kim Nearpass.  He is an professor of science/health, having started as an adjunct faculty in 2004.

Stepanek, Josh

By

photo: Josh Stepanek

Josh Stepanek, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Biology
970-569-2977 | jstepanek@coloradomtn.edu

Joshua Stepanek Curriculum Vitae

Education

  • Ph.D. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
  • M.S. Ecology and Natural Resources, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN
  • B.S. Ecology and Field Biology, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN

Awards

  • 2020 - 2021 CMC Vail Valley at Edwards Faculty of the Year

Professional Interests

I was introduced to aquatic and evolutionary biology while earning my B.S. and M.S. in Ecology and Field Biology from St. Cloud State University in central Minnesota, where I was drawn to the important but largely neglected world of freshwater microalgae. Taking this love of evolution and microalgae I worked on projects as diverse as the effects of estrogenic compounds in our waterways, nutrient pollution and its effect on the primary production community, and the fluid dynamic pressures driving shape evolution in my favorite group of algae, diatoms. The greatest lessons I took away from this time was the critical importance of basic research in evolution and diversity when approaching any applied biological question.

After leaving Minnesota to move west, I was able to continue exploring the intersection between basic biological research and application during my Ph.D. at the University of Colorado Boulder. At CU I utilized molecular and comparative phylogenetic techniques to examine evolutionary patterns in ecology and oil accumulation within diatoms, with an emphasis on the production of biofuels and high value lipid products.

Before coming to CMC I was a research faculty at St. Cloud State University where I participated in the development of the campus Bioenergy and Biomass Sustainable Energy Facility. A facility that creates renewable energy from campus cafeteria waste while mitigating energy waste streams through the production of high value algae.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

My current research interests include genetic studies in algal taxonomy and systematics, the evolutionary patterns and timing of ecological shifts within algal lineages, and diversity studies within unique Colorado habitats.

TEACHING AND LEARNING

I can trace my own passion for science and biology directly to many of the laboratory and field experiences during my undergraduate education. These lessons directly inform how I approach the courses that I offer with an emphasis on hands-on learning that strives to include actual research in class activities.

Publications

  • Kociolek J.P., Lowe R.L., Sánchez K. & Stepanek J.G. 2021. Benthic diatom (Bacillariophyta) flora of Torch Lake, Michigan, an oligotrophic, alkaline ecosystem with evident benthic diatom production, with a consideration of some new and interesting species. The Great Lakes Botanist 60: 24–55.
  • Stepanek J.G. & Kociolek J.P. 2019. Molecular phylogeny of the diatom genera Amphora and Halamphora (Bacillariophyta) with a focus on morphological and ecological evolution. Journal of Phycology 55: 442–456.
  • Hamsher S.E., Keepers K.G., Pogoda C.S., Stepanek J.G., Kane N.C. & Kociolek J.P. 2019. Extensive chloroplast genome rearrangement amongst three closely related Halamphora spp. (Bacillariophyceae), and evidence for rapid evolution as compared to land plants. PLoSONE 14(7): e0217824. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0217824
  • Pogoda C.S., Keepers K.G., Hamsher S.E., Stepanek J.G., Kane N.C. & Kociolek J.P. 2019. Comparative analysis of the mitochondrial genomes of six newly sequenced diatoms reveals group II introns in the barcoding region of cox1. Mitochondrial DNA Part A 30: 43–51.
  • Kociolek J.P., Williams D.M., Stepanek J.G., Liu Q., Liu Y., You Q., Karthick B. & Kulikovskiy M. 2019. Rampant homoplasy and adaptive radiation in pennate diatoms. Plant Ecology and Evolution 152: 131–141.
  • Stepanek J.G. & Kociolek J.P. 2018. Amphora and Halamphora from inland waters of the United States and Japan, with the description of 33 new species. Bibliotheca Diatomologica 66: 1–260.
  • Lowe R., Kociolek J.P., You Q., Wang Q. & Stepanek J.G. 2017. Diversity of the diatom genus Humidophila in karst areas of Guizhou, China. Phytotaxa 305: 269–284.
  • Stepanek J.G., Fields F.J. & Kociolek J.P. 2016. A comparison of lipid content metrics using six species from the genus Halamphora (Bacillariophyta). Biofuels 7: 521–528.
  • Stepanek J.G. & Kociolek J.P. 2016. Re-examination of Mereschkowsky’s genus Tetramphora (Bacillariophyta) and its separation from Amphora. Diatom Research 31: 123–148.
  • Stepanek J.G., Hamsher S.E., Mayama S., Jewson D.H. & Kociolek J.P. 2016. Observations of two marine members of the genus Cymbellonitzschia (Bacillariophyta) from Tokyo Bay, Japan, with the description of the new species Cymbellonitzschia banzuensis. Phycological Research 64: 26–34.
  • Thomas E.W., Stepanek J.G. & Kociolek J.P. 2016. Historical and current perspectives on the systematics of the ‘enigmatic’ diatom genus Rhoicosphenia (Bacillariophyta), with single and multi-molecular marker and morphological analysis and discussion of the monophyly of ‘monoraphid’ diatoms. PLoS ONE 11(4): e0152797. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0152797.
  • Kociolek J.P., You Q., Stepanek J.G., Lowe R.L. & Wang Q. 2016. A new Eunotia C.G. Ehrenberg (Bacillariophyta: Bacillariophyceae: Eunotiales) species from Karst formations of southern China. Phytotaxa 265: 285–293.
  • Kociolek J.P., You Q., Stepanek J.G., Lowe R.L. & Wang Q. 2016. New freshwater diatom genus, Edtheriotia gen. nov. of the Stephanodiscaceae (Bacillariophyta) from south-central China. Phycological Research 64: 274–280.
  • Stepanek J.G., Mayama S. & Kociolek J.P. 2015. Description and phylogenetic position of Amphora aliformis (Bacillariophyta), a new species from Tokyo Bay. Phycologia 54: 78–86.
  • Stepanek J.G. & Kociolek J.P. 2015. Three new species of the diatom genus Halamphora (Bacillariophyta) from the prairie pothole lakes region of North Dakota, USA. Phytotaxa 197: 27–36.
  • Stepanek J.G. & Kociolek J.P. 2014. Molecular phylogeny of Amphora sensu lato (Bacillariophyta): an investigation into the monophyly and classification of the amphoroid diatoms. Protist 165: 177–195.
  • Hamsher S.E., Graeff C.L., Stepanek J.G. & Kociolek J.P. 2014. Frustular morphology and polyphyly in freshwater Denticula (Bacillariophyceae) species, and the description of Tetralunata gen. nov. (Epithemiaceae, Rhopalodiales). Plant Ecology and Evolution 147: 346–365.
  • Stepanek J.G. & Kociolek J.P. 2013. Several new species of Amphora and Halamphora from the western USA. Diatom Research 28: 61–76.
  • Kociolek J.P., Stepanek J.G., Lowe R.L., Johansen J.R. & Sherwood A.R. 2013. Molecular data show enigmatic cave dwelling diatom Diprora (Bacillariophyceae) to be a raphid diatom. The European Journal of Phycology 48: 474–488.
  • Julius M.L., Stepanek J.G., Tedrow O., Gamble C., & Schoenfuss H.L. 2007. Estrogen-receptor independent effects of two ubiquitous environmental estrogens on Melosira varians Agardh, a common component of the aquatic primary production community. Aquatic Toxicology 85: 19-27.