Pitt-Johnstown Biology Department

This was an awesome STEM day organized by Dr. Christine Dahlin!

Congrats to our new Inductees in Tri-Beta, our Biology Honor Society!

New members of Tri-Beta include Audra Fedor, Peyton Morrison, Anson Portzline, Taylar Zacharda and Yash Kamboj.

Tri-Beta Officers are President Cecilia Bean, VP Sam Franz, Treasurer Maura White, Secretary Kyri Hammers and Historian Jaide Dudek.

Some of our amazing student and faculty presentations from SPACE!

Animal Behavior students (and some Psych!) trecked to for behind the scenes meet and greets with a kinkajou, burrowing owl and ball python. They learned about animal enrichment, zookeeping and much more! Plus got to pet a very fuzzy kinkajou!

Dr. Dahlin and a number of her former Biology students, including Bryce Killinger, Lily Richwine, Malanna Snipe, Brianna Guenther and Own Small have published research on the amazing vocabular of yellow-naped amazons. Check out their new research article and youtube video here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0GXepQ6xDc&feature=youtu.be

https://nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jav.03552

Decoding parrot duets: complex communication in yellow‐naped amazons Parrots represent an excellent model in which to study complex vocal communication because they meet the prerequisites of the social complexity hypothesis and, like humans, have lifelong vocal learni...

Check out Dr. Dahlin's interview on a local podcast discussing animal behavior and cat rescue:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4PeEdCQy5b2kYg8pHbteGn?si=lddidWwUSpGD4gFTZfltMA&fbclid=IwY2xjawPd6UFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeuudknAzORijMBwzr0Rg-MHKe5yfrlUzmoGa6hWkp_qwCaxfNk1v9zKkohpw_aem_bVt_L4qTgzfceaa-xUiCwQ&nd=1&dlsi=a5667e6e80bd4e93

Episode 86: Dr. Christine Dahlin from Dr. Dahlin Talks Animals Where Adventure Lives · Episode

We are thrilled to announce we have a new doctor in the department! Longtime laboratory instructor Jennifer Manges is now DOCTOR MANGES! Dr. Manges just defended her EdD at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Education, with her dissertation titled "Innovating Nursing Education Through Virtual Simulation: Evaluating an Intervention to Strengthen Confidence in Communication Skills with Vaccine-Hesitant Patients".

We already had an asset in Dr. Manges but are so excited her new knowledge and skills will further enhance our department. Dr. Manges completed her EdD while continuing to teach her courses AND raising her kids; she is superhuman!

Human Anatomy students carved "bone-break" pumpkins to celebrate Halloween, and hone their anatomy skills!