DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY, OHIO UNIVERSITY

NEWSLETTER — 1985

Welcome to our second annual newsletter! We have been delighted by theresponse of alumni to our first newsletter this past year and have enjoyedreading about and sharing your accomplishments and other aspects of your livessince leaving the University. This past year has had Its ups and downs for theDepartment and we will attempt to convey to you most of what’s happened In thepages that follow. Please allow us once again to persuade you most gently tolet us know of your activities and comments so that we can share and use thisinformation and pass It on to your long absent colleagues and friends.

DEPARTMENTAL NEWS

The most significant event these past twelve months was the sudden and sadpassing of Professor Charles Miller. Dr. Miller died of a heart attack Sundaymorning, July 15. As many of you know, Dr. Miller served as chairman of theBotany Department from 1970 to 1983. During his tenure and leadership thereputation of the Department rose substantially nationwide and we all havebenefited by this association. He was a strong voice for scholarship bothwithin the Department and throughout the University. As such, his personaldedication, involvement and voice, are greatly missed. He devoted the latterstages of his career and his life to creating an excellent botany program atOhio University and for the most part he succeeded quite well. As such, we werefortunate for our association with him and are greatly saddened by his passing.

Dr. Miller was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, and was 59 years old. Hereceived his bachelors degree at Furman University In Greenville, NorthCarolina, and his masters and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina atChapel Hill. He joined the Botany Department in 1965, coming from theUniversity of Maine. During his career he served on the Editorial Board ofMycologia, a journal devoted to the fungi, his area of specialty, and was listedin Who’s Who in the Midwest and American Men and Women of Science. In 1977, hewas elected Fellow, Ohio Academy of Science. Dr. Miller was also an Armyveteran, serving at a young age In the Burma and India Theaters of World War II.He also served on the Faculty Senate of the University. The announcement of hisdeath In the minutes of their September 17 meeting noted that he was “Known asan untiring advocate of academic excellence and as an outspoken defender ofgraduate education...” and that his “...presence as a member of this body and Inthe community of Ohio University scholars will be profoundly missed.”

The Charles E. Miller Scholarship Fund for botany students has been established in his name and alumni who wish to contribute to this fund are encouragedto do so (with many thanks from both the faculty of this Department as well ashis wife, Ella, and the remainder of his family), in care of the Ohio UniversityFund.

The Department currently has 12 full time faculty members and adjunctprofessors Gene Mapes, Richard Rypma, and Lee Gregg. In addition, Dr. RobertMartin was named acting assistant professor this past summer to take over theteaching duties of Dr. Miller this year. Bob received his doctorate this pastJune and worked under the direction of Dr. Miller in mycology. We also have 24full time graduate students, a number which has remained more or less stableduring the past few years. Our undergraduate enrollment shows promising signsof Increasing. This is good news as It Indicates increasing Interest In botanyand the plant sciences and Increases the probability that funding for theDepartment will remain stable or Increase in the years to come.

We have instituted several new courses. These Include Botany 100 and 160for non—majors. Botany 100 covers the plant world, illustrated and in a generalfashion, and Botany 160 is an Introduction to the application of plant science

in areas of molecular biology and biotechnology. At the graduate level, Botany757, plant speciation, has been formalized. This course emphasizes microevolu—tion and population dynamics and alternates on a yearly basis with Botany 758,Plant Systematics. Other new courses include Botany 4065, Unity and Variety InBiology and Literature, Botany 4075, The Life Cycle—The Search for Order, andBotany 427, Molecular Genetics. In addition, two new “Tier LII” courses are onthe books for Spring Quarter. These are interdisciplinary courses for studentsat the senior level. Botany Is offering 469A, “Who Controls Science”, preparedby Ors. M. & N. Cohn, and 469G, “Alternative Agriculture”, prepared by JimCavender.

Of major interest is the reorganization of major requirements so thatstudents can hope to finish the program in four years and will have more flexibility in choices. These changes include adding computer science or statisticsas alternatives to part of the math requirement, and the grouping of majorcourses into three areas (cell biology, systematics—ecology, organismal).Students may now choose courses to take from each area depending upon theirneeds and interests.

Warren Wistendahl will be “retiring” as of the end of this academic year.In reality, he is going on one—third time and will still be with us WinterQuarter, when he will be teaching some of his more popular courses in ecology.As a result of his retirement and Dr. Miller’s passing, we are currently searching for a new faculty member and will shortly be interviewing candidates,specifically in the area of population biology and genetics. This will providethe Department with expertise in eukaryotic genetics, an area we have longneeded, which interfaces with ecology and evolutionary biology. It is hoped, aswell, that the new appointee will have training in some of the newer molecularapplications to genetics and evolutionary biology, such as DNA/DNA hybridizationand/or protein enzymes.

The Department received $38,000 from House Bill 789 for purchase of computers and other equipment. This has resulted in the addition of four new IBMPC’s which have gone into various laboratories. The office staff has now been“computerized” as well, which cuts down a bit on work loads. The cellular areahas a new lab in the basement of the greenhouse and several faculty arecurrently involved in obtaining funding to obtain equipment used in DNA/DNAhybridization, specifically and initially to study systematic problems in bothlower and higher plants.

Students and faculty have benefited this year from a variety of visitingspeakers in our annual Speakers Program. These have included alumni from theDepartment (Dan Nelson of Monsanto Agricultural Products in St. Louis, LesHickok of the University of Tennessee, Mark and Diane Littler of the SmithsonianInstitution, and Dan Dylewski of Virginia Polytechnic Institute), as well asNational Academy of Sciences member, Kenneth Raper of the University ofWisconsin, and a special visit by Carolus Linneaus, as performed by Tod Stuessyof Ohio State.

AWARDS, AWARDS, AWARDS

We have been blessed by a number of professional awards this year toundergraduates, current graduate students, and alumni. This speaks for itselfin terms of the quality of the program and will bring benefits to everyoneassociated.

“Young Botanist Awards” to outstanding graduating seniors from theBotanical Society of America were given to James A. Drake, Dean Della Penna,Gregory Rhinehart, and Lauri Lynn Kurth. Dean is continuing his graduate education at the University of California, Davis, and Greg has joined us in Dr.Cantino’s lab for his masters degree program. The four awards are significant

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not only from the qualifications of the students but also from the fact that theBotanical Society made only 15 such awards this past year.

Graduate students were honored at this past sunmier’s meeting of scientific societies at Colorado State University. Jon I-lamer, currently working forhis doctorate under the direction of Phil Cantino, received the Isabel CooksonPaleobotanical Award for his presentation “A small Medullosa from theAppalachian Basin,” from the Paleobotanical Section of the Botanical Society ofAmerica. Jon’s paper reported on a portion of his masters research under thedirection of Gar Rothwell.

Robert Martin won the Mycological Society Award for his presentation“Sexuality and resting body development in Olpidlopsis varians (Lagenidlales,Olpidiopsidiaceae),” at the annual meetings of the Mycological Society ofAmerica. This paper reported on a portion of Bob’s doctoral work done under thedirection of Charles Miller. Only a few “best presentation” awards are giveneach year at the annual society meetings. They are given on the basis of meritboth of content and presentation. With the large number of papers given fromfaculty and students representing universities across the country it is unusualfor two such awards to go to to members of a single department.

One of our distinguished alumni, Dr. Mark Littler of the SmithsonianInstitution, received the Darbaker Award at the annual meeting of the BotanicalSociety of America. The Darbaker Prize is made for meritorious work in thestudy of microscopic algae and is based primarily on papers published during thepast two years. Mark was given the award for his numerous studies (17 in 1982—83 alone) and on the demonstration through quantitative observational and experimental ecology, that primary productivity, position in the intertidal zone,life—history strategies, and resistance to herbivory are functions of the morphology of the algal thallus. Dr. Littler received his M.S. Degree in 1966 inbotany from Ohio University under the direction of Herb Graffius.

Faculty receiving awards include Norman Cohn, distinguished professor ofbotany. Dr. Cohn was elected a Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society inrecognition of his work in cell biology. In recent years he has been workingwith the cytochemistry of proteins and nucleic acids.

Mrs. Irene Roach, former director, Graduate Student Services, has joinedthe Trustee’s Academy and has established an endowment called the “Lee S. andIrene Roach Graduate Endowment.” This fund will be used to award a yearlyamount to a graduate student doing research in the molecular and cellularbiology program, in which the Botany Department participates. Alumni may contribute to this endowment, in care of the Ohio University Fund, Inc.

NEWS OF FORMER FACULTY

Buckle: Despite having been “officially retired” for several years, Artcontinues to encourage and inspire students to become botanists. He frequentlycan be found assisting both graduate students with their research projects, andundergraduates with the wonders of Ohio flora and edible wild plants. If onewatches the suniner schedule carefully, there is still a chance to attend one ofthe workshops he occasionally teaches.

H. T. Vermililon: Teacher and Professor of Botany, 1927—1970. Those of you whoattended Ohio University up to the early 1970’s will remember Mr. Vermillion,known to most of us as M.T. You may have been wondering what has happened toM.T. since you left Athens. tl.T. and his wife, Bertha, are still here livingjust a few miles west of Athens on Golf Course Road, where they have since 1949.M.T. was born in 1904 in Lawrence Co., Ohio, and went to a one room school forhis introduction to “reading, riting, and rithmattc.” He attended Waterloo HighSchool through his junior year, then had to transfer to Rio Grande High Schoolto finish his senior year as Waterloo stopped at the junior level. Then heattended Normal School for one year and received a teaching certificate in 1923.

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The next four years he spent at Ohio University. He earned the B.S. degree herein 1927. It was during this time that he met Bertha. M.T. was In charge of thepersonal library of W. A. Matheny. Matheny was then professor and chairman ofbotany and civic biology. M. T. was checking in books that students werereturning when he eyed a young student, Bertha. He made her wait until he hadchecked in the books from all the other students then accepted her books andasked if she would like to go on a field trip the next day. The rest Is historyand they were married in 1929, honeymooned at Niagara Falls, and now have threegrown children, eight grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. After graduating, M.T. remained In Athens and taught at O.U. In the late 1920’s he took afew years off to work on a masters degree In plant pathology at Ohio State, aprogram he completed in 1932. He also spent several years doIng postmasterswork at OSU. He returned to Athens and joined the staff of the department withW. A. Matheny (chairman) and A. W. Boetticher.

Mr. Vermillion Is best remembered for his work with students. He took timeoff to not only help with their scholastic problems but with personal ones aswell. He has a close and devoted family and that sense of family caring wasevident with his relationship with students.

From 1945 to 1960, M.T. directed 14 students to the completion of theirM.S. degrees. All was not serious study though. One day, he put a ceramicporcelin doorknob out with a number of fungal fruiting structures which studentsin his field mycology class were to identify. One of his students did in factkey the doorknob down to Calvatta, a puffball! Another time he was out collecting in the hills around Athens County end was run out of a region because hewas getting too close to a working still. I’m not sure things have changed toomuch since then!

The last few years of service In the department were as active as ever. Asabbatical in 1964 was spent in Florida studying nemotology. In 1969—70, hIslast full year of teaching on the Athens campus, he spent much time and effortworking on the plans for the departmental greenhouse which was completed afterhis retirement in 1970.

When asked if he went to any of the senior citizens’ activities his replywas no because he dldnt have time. lie and Bertha spend much of their timevisiting friends, especially those in the hospital or shut—tn. This Is animportant activity for them and I know that they put into these visIts the sameamount of enthusiasm that M.T. did during his many years of teaching botany atOhio University.

For those of you that might wish to drop him a line or two you can find himat: Golf Course Road, Route 1, Athens, OH 45701.

FACULTY NEWS

Philip Cantino: Dr. Cantino’s research continues to center on the phylogeny ofthe Labiatae (mints) and the general problem of how to infer phylogenetic relationships from the characteristics of living plants. Of his five publicationsIn 1984—85, two concern the chromosomal features, systematlcs and evolution ofthe family, two deal with the logic and methodology of phylogenetic inference,and one (In press) reports on an experimental study of the floral biology of theGuyandotte Beauty (Synandra hispidula), a rare and poorly known member of theLabiatae that grows in the Wayne National Forest near Athens.

He also maintains an active interest In the preservation of rare speciesand significant plant communities. Information obtained from his studies ofSynandra hispidula and those of a graduate student, Virginia Moran (working withDr. Ungar), will be of use by the U.S. Forest Service and other governmentalagencies in theIr efforts to protect and manage populations of this rare species. In addition, Dr. Cantino has been working wIth the Ohio Department ofNatural Resources and the Ohio chapter of The Nature Conservancy In an attemptto secure permanent protection for an unusual stand of old—growth forest located

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only three miles from campus. A vegetational survey by Dr. Cantino and three

graduate students (Brian McCarthy, now in the doctoral program at Rutgers

University; Chuck Hamer, now working for the Ohio Department of Natural

Resources; and Gary Kauffman, working with Dr. Cavender) revealed that the

forest includes many oaks and tulip trees between 2.5 and 3 feet in diameter

which are probably of pre—settlement age, and a diverse herbaceous understory

including six species of orchids and 19 species of ferns. If the forest can be

established as a preserve, It will provide an outstanding educational resource

within easy access of the University.

flj Cavender: Dr. Cavender gave a paper at the annual meetings of the American

Institute of Biological Sciences held at Colorado Springs this past sumer to

the Mycological Society of America on his current research on cellular slime

molds of India. Chuck Hamer finished his M.S. degree under his direction inDecember working on dictyostelids in agricultural soils. Chuck currently Isemployed by the O.D.N.R. as a taxonomist hunting rare plants in Lawrence County.

Scott Mans is finishing his M.S. degree work on dictyostelids of strip minedsoils and reclamed strip mined soils. He is also working for the BattelleMemorial Institute in Columbus. Jim and Art Blickle were featured In an article

In the Columbus Dispatch last July, detailing their once a year class In theMedicinal Plants of Ohio Workshop. The course is designed to teach people apractical approach and appreciation for plants. Students in the course wererepresentative of a broad spectrum, including regular 0. U. students, teachers,botanists, medical students, conservationists and field biologists. “We empha

size conservation, the main problem is loss of habitat. Weeds being cut down,swamps drained. This kind of thing Is probably worse than people who digginseng at the wrong time of year...”

Norman Cohn: Dr. Cohn continues to function as Graduate Chairman in the depart

ment in addition to his usual teaching and research. In his research he iscurrently attempting to obtain monoclonal antibodies to pea proteins using mousehybridomes in vitro and in vivo. He served on a NATO postdoctoral fellowshipboard to select this year’s recipients. He also participated in selections forthe US—France postdoctoral program. The fellowship board met In San Francisco

in December. He had a paper published In late 1984 on nuclear and nucleolarprotein during the cell cycle In differentiating Plsum sativum vascular tissue,in Histochemistry. Dr. Cohn was also invited to prepare a paper for the journal“Festshlft in Histochemistry” and will be presenting a paper in July of thisyear at the Third International Meeting of Botanical Microscopy In York,England.

Herb Graffius: Dr. Graffius continues with his excellent teaching and advising.This past October he appeared in an article in the Messenger dealing with thespectacular fall foliage and the causes of it, in the southeastern Ohio area.

Robert Lloyd: Dr. Lloyd continues to catch up on the literature, beingconstantly amazed at what’s come out in evolutionary biology the past few years.He has recently finished revising, refurbishing, etc. the “new” graduate course,Plant Speciation, just In time as it’s currently going on. He was invited toprepare a paper on population biology, resource allocation, and mating systemsIn ferns and spends a great deal of time working on hIs share of contributionsto the text on evolutionary biology of ferns. He will be giving two papers atthe AIBS meetings this sumer in Gainesville, Florida, to the Botanical Societyof America, both with graduate student Don Buckley. The first will be onpatterns of inheritance In the sensitive fern, Onoclea sensibilis, and thesecond on a new homosporous genetic system hypothesis. This coming sumer hewill be moving down from the attic to the third floor and will no longer have to

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cavort with geologists and geographers, those good folks who arranged such a“neat” January for us thIs year...

Graduate students Torn Warne and Don Buckley will finish their dissertations this spring. Torn is currently a research associate in the laboratory ofLes Hickok at the University of Tennessee and Don is a visiting assistantprofessor at Denison University in Granville. Next year, Don is heading toBoston for a two year postdoctoral appointment in the laboratory of Dr. K. Bawaat Boston University.

Robert Martin: Dr. Martin completed his doctorate with Dr. Miller this pastspring. He was invited by the Department to stay on for one year as a temporaryassistant professor to fill the teaching needs left vacant by Dr. Miller. Inthis, he has done an admirable job. He was featured in an article in the AthensNews entitled “Rare paparsite lost; pollution control begun.” This involved theOxbow ditch, the former path of the Hocking River, which turned orange lastNovember and December from runoff from the University’s coal reserves. Thisresulted In drastic changes in the water content of the ditch and the extinctionof a new type of parasite in snail eggs, which was unknown to science prior tothis time. He reported that “Except for mosquito larvae, nothing was leftliving in the water. I was doing research there, and now my area of researchhas been essentially sterilized.” The parasite is currently being kept alive inthe laboratory although no one knows how long it will last. Pollution controlhas begun but we have no idea what the results have been.

Gene Mapes: Gene is a visiting professor at the Museum of Paleontology,University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, this year. This is funded by the NationalScience Foundation and she is continuing her work on early conifers. She isworking with several other paleobotanists there who share an interest in thebiology and systernatics of both extinct as well as extant gymnosperms. Specifically, she is examining the proposed evolutionary connections among the earliestconifers and the progymnosperm Achaeopteris and the aneurophytes. In November,she examined fossil and modern araucal tan conifer remains in the collections ofDr. Ruth Stockey at the University of Alberta, and in February, she examineddevelopmental sequences of modern pine cones and buds with Dr. J. N. Owens atthe University of Victoria, British Columbia. Last suiwner at the annual AIBSmeetings in Colorado she and graduate student Melissa McComas presented a paperon the earliest known conifers from the Appalachian region, found nearYoungstown, Ohio.

Rothwel 1: Dr. Rothwel 1 reports that this has been an active year in fossilplant studies. There have been five active graduate students pursuing theirdegrees in the discipline and numerous presentations have been given at otheruniversities and at national and international meetings. Several papers on theevolution of vascular plants and on specific Paleozoic plants have appeared andthe programs are receiving support from the National Science Foundation. Hespent six months sabbatical leave as a visiting research associate In theDepartment of Geology at Chelsea College, University of London. Together withhis host, Or. Andrew Scott, he initiated a project to characterize some of themost ancient seed plants from volcanic sediments in southern Scotland. Thiswork was supported by grants from NSF and an Ohio University Faculty DevelopmentAward. The first results of the study will be presented this suniner at theannual meetings of the Botanical Society of America in Florida.

Graduate student Mary Louise “Cookie” Trtvett completed her M.S. degree andhas began studies for the doctorate. Her masters thesis will appear in thejournal Systematic Botany this spring. Jon Hamer has also nearly completed hisM.S. degree and Is pursuing his doctorate in plant systematics. Diane Erwincompleted an undergraduate research project on the evolution of fossil quill—worts (Isoetes) and has begun her masters degree work. Her work on quillworts

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recently appeared in the American Journal of Botany. Last fall, two newstudents arrived and began their masters studies in paleobotany. MelissaMcComas brought with her an exciting collection of primitive conifer fossilsfrom nothern Ohio. Janelle Pryor has begun a quantitative analysis of plantmaterial from the Duquesne Coal near Steubenville, as the beginning of a longterm project to study the paleoecology of the plants that were compressed toform coal deposits of eastern North America. This morning at 6:30 a.m. bothDiane and Jan were seen wandering the basement of Porter Hall apparently insearch of the entire crew who are on their way to Carbondale, Illinois, for aweekend of paleobotanizing.

Beginning in July, Dr. David Wight, who has just completed his doctorate inthe Museum of Paleontology at the University of Michigan, will join the laboratory as a postdoctoral research fellow to study the origin and early evolutionof seed plants.

Irwin Unqar: Dr. Ungar and his students are continuing their investigationsconcerning the effect of stressful environments on aspects of the populationecology and physiological ecology of plants. Recent graduates include DavidLoveland, Hamid Karimi, and Ajmal Khan. Hamid and Dave are currently employedby the Department of Environmental Services In Washington, D.C. Ajmal hasreturned to this country to do a postdoc with Dr. 0. J. Weber in the Departmentof Botany at Brigham Young University. Currently, Virginia Moran, IngridChorba, Kern Badger, and Jim Nellessen are working for graduate degrees in hislaboratory. Dr. Ungar continues his duties as department chairman, a timeconsuming and important position. In spite of this, he and his students managedto get out seven publications this past year on topics such as the influence ofsalinity on ionic concentration and water relations in Atriplex, growth andmineral nutrition in Spergularia, the effect of seed dimorphism on germinationand survival of Sal icornia, and the role of hormones in regulating the germination of polymorphic seeds and early seedling growth of Atriplex. This pastyear, Dr. Ungar published his paper on autecological studies with Atriplextriangularis given in the symposium on the biology of Atriplex and relatedchenopods, at Ogden, Utah.

Warren Wistendahl: Dr. Wtstendahl is retiring as of July 1 but will continue toteach one—third time for the next several years. We have asked him to prepare asummary of his life and experiences and he agreed to do so (although perhaps abit reluctantly since he plans on being around for many more yearsl). We arequite happy he did, however, and it follows:

“Although I am retiring, I will continue to be involved in teaching for one quarter each academic year for the next five years. Myplans for using all of that wonderful free time after retirement areintentionally flexible. At the onset I will enjoy mostly the privilegeof doing nothing if I wish without feeling guilty of wasting time. Ido expect to keep botanically active but do not want to make anycommitments at this time.

I find it awkward to write about myself but have been asked to doso. Well, to begin with my early work experiences starting at age 18were about as far from an academic career as you can imagine. Afterhigh school I was one of the fortunate to find work (through the helpof my father) and spent about a year or so working ‘on the boats’ as weused to say in Jersey City, N.J., where I was born. I worked brieflyas a messboy on a tug boat in New York Harbor and then as deckhand on adredge. I left the dredge in Providence, R.t., and returned home towork ‘on the docks’ as a freight handler. During recovery from anappendectomy which almost killed me, I took some machine shop coursesand got a ‘good job’ In a shop operating a vertical boring mill as partof America being an ‘Arsenal for Democracy.’ Then came ‘The day that

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will go down In infamy’ and I joined the navy. Henceforth followedMachinist Mate school and advancement through the ranks from apprenticeseaman to chief machinist mate within four years, four years mostly inthe South Pacific on board a destroyer, the USS Dunlap (DO 384).

Upon returning to the States with two years remaining of my sixyear hitch still to go and the war ended, Jean and I married. We had atwo—year ‘honeymoon’ In the Panama Canal Zone where I had beenreassigned——the destroyer had been deconnissioned. Our first child,Doug, was born there and at the end of my hitch we returned to NewJersey where I was admitted to Rutgers University. We decided that wewere too poor to pass up an education under the G.I. Bill. My originalplan was to major in agriculture, but later changed to ecology aftertaking a course with Dr. Murray F. Buell, who would later become mygraduate advisor. Our daughter, Jeanie, was born during my freshmanyear and Rob arrived in the last semester of my senior year to make usa family of five. Upon graduation, I planned to use the remainder ofmy G.I. Bill benefits to get a masters degree but was offered theopportunity of skipping the masters and going directly for the Ph.D.Three years later, in 1955 at the age of 35, I had a Ph.D. and a familyof three children——I was healthy, happy, and hungry for a job. Onecame quickly at Carthage College (Illinois). I advanced rapidly atCarthage and one year after receiving my Ph.D. was promoted to associate professor of biology and made head of the Department of Biology(a three person department). Carthage College was not for me, however,and I accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Botany at OhioUniversity in 1957. Yes, I took a demotion but the salary and opportunities were better.

The Department of Botany at O.U. consisted of five of us in 1957.Since then, others have been added, some when I served as chairman ofthe Department (1964—69, including Ors. Miller, Ungar, Jaffe, J.Graffiu, Cavender, Anway, Scogin——also during this period theUniversity changed from the semester to the quarter system, the graduate enrollment rose from 8 to about 24 students and the Ph.D. programwas approved, and money was made available to remodel Porter Hall andthe Botany Building with an additional $600,000 for the greenhouse).The friendly cooperative and academically stimulating environment within the department and the university has lead to my having what Iconsider to be a 5uccessful career.

My interest and participation in the work of The NatureConservancy made it possible for me to play a part in preserving DysartWoods, the 455 acre tract in Belmont County which has approximately 55acres of virgin forest. In 1966, O.U. agreed to take title to andprotect this National Natural Landmark. I have since served as director of the Dysart Woods Laboratory. I was rather active in a number ofNature Conservancy projects at the time and in 1971 received the OhioChapter Silver Oak Leaf Award.

The year 1973 seemed to be a good year for awards for me. TheGraduate Student Senate awarded me the honor of being the first recipient of the student sponsored Outstanding Graduate Faculty Award. Thesame year the Ohio University Alumni Association named me as HonoraryAlumnus for ...loyal and effective service...’

Jean received her undergradiate degree from Douglass College(Rutgers University) In 1942, ten jears before I received mine! Ourmeeting and courtship is too long story to tell here. Prior to ourmarriage, she worked for the 8oy:e Thompson Institute for PlantResearch (seed physiology), the New Jersey Seed Testing Laboratory,Ciba Pharmaceutical, and the Newark Museum. While in Athens, shereceived her masters degree in plant taxonomy under the direction of

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Dr. William Gambill and worked part—time in the Bartley Herbarium foreleven years. Jean has published and contributed to publications fromtime to time as well as being active with the Athens Garden Club(president, secretary, etc.) and with Friends of the Athens PublicLibrary (secretary). Her continuous help, encouragement, and optimistic outlook throughout the years has, indeed, made it possible for anex—deckhand to complete successfully another phase in his life.

Through a rather wide range of teaching I have come In contactwith thousands of students over the past 28 years. I have served onhundreds of graduate committees of all sorts and have been privilegedto be advisor and research director for 26 masters and four Ph.D.students who received their degrees. Dr. Buell told me once that itwas a professor’s job to bring about changes in his students. He washighly successful with me. I have observed that the reverse is alsotrue in that I have certainly changed as a consequence of having hadcontact with so many graduate and undergraduate students over theyears. There have been times during commencement ceremonies when Ihave reflected upon this and have felt the warm glow of satisfaction,knowing that I played some part in bringing about change in our graduates.”

The Botany Department will honor Dr. Wistendahi in celebration of his 28years of outstanding service in a dinner which will be held Thursday evening,May 16 at Baker Center. We look forward to many more years of friendship andcollaboration with him during his “retirement”.

UNDERGRADUATE NEWS

The Botany Department held its annual undergraduate awards presentation andspring picnic on 4 May 1985. The awards and recipients were:

Outstanding Botany Graduate: J. D. LaBesh

T.M. Wolf Award: Susan Calhoun (to a graduating senior in ecology,conservation, environmental or field biology)

C. P. Stocker Scholarships: Anna AnagnostopoulosAndrew Swanson

Botanical Society Awards: Carolee BullDavid SlifkinPatricia Bartol

Botanical Society Award and Botany Department Award as Outstanding Student inTheir Program:

Cell Biology - Marcos HartitzField Biology - Janet Foucart

Environmental Biology — Patrick Mullen

ALUMNI NEWS

First of all we wish to thank all of you who responded to our first newsletter. We have enjoyed reading about your personal and professionalaccomplishments and what’s going on out there after you left O.U. Alumni arelisted below by order of the years in which they received their degree from theBotany Department. Our apologies if we have left anything out, anyone out, orincluded anything we shouldn’t have.

1947: Ruth Hacker Mi] lhoff, BS. Ruth writes that she has been married 37 years

and is the mother of five children (two boys, three girls) but no grandchildren

as yet. She works full time as a medical secretary, in the Department of

Neurology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation at her second love “medicine.” “1 also

run a small florist business, on weekends (mostly wedding flowers). Business is

called ‘Buds and Branches.’ Here at the Clinic, I’m the ‘in-house’ plant

doctor.”

1948: Bertalan L. Szabo, MS. Bertalan has been quite busy. He writes that he

is currently chief naturalist for the Akron Metropolitan Park District,

“...employed with the District for twenty-seven years and still going strong.”

He is past president and charter member and founder of the Association of

Interpretive Naturalists, Inc.; is a member for 13 years now of the Ohio Natural

Areas and Preserves Council, and is O.N.A. & P. representative to the Old

Woman’s Creek Advisory Council. He is also past president of the Kirkland Bird

Club, is conservation chairman, Greater Akron Audubon Society, and compiler for

over ten years of the Christmas Bird Count, and is Manager of the F.A.

Seiberling Naturealm and Arboretum of the Metropolitan Park District. He has

received the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Conservation Achievement Award

and the Ohio Garden Clubs Conservation Award. While at O.U., he was a member of

the O.U. Botany Club and Agriculture Club and of the championship volleyball

team.

1949: Leo S. Raptis, BSA. “Reading the Newsletter was like visiting another

world after thirty-five years away from the campus. Increase in faculty from

three in my day (Drs. Blickle, Wallace, and Vermillion) to 13 today. Students

and faculty who are involved with research and publications are to be commended

and encouraged to continue along with continued emphasis on new controls of

present—day pests in today’s agricultural industry. I am certain that you have

also improved the Department in the way of new innovations, teaching techniques

and methods, teaching and research materials that have become available down

though the years.” Leo is currently living in Cambridge, Ohio, and is a former

vocational agriculture teacher.

1952: Andrew Fl. Matteo, BSA. Andrew is living in Wick] iffe, Ohio, and is self—

employed in commercial landscaping.

1957: Carole A. Morgan Brown, OSEd. Carole is adult education instructor and

part time instructor at Mansfield, O.S.U. She writes to “Please let us know of

the faculty from the fifties and early sixties, many of whom worked in the

building before Porter Hall.” Her husband works as a chemist at Landmark. She

is quite busy taking care of the house, yardwork, and raising four boys (the

oldest of which graduated last May 27). “Unfortunately I am not teaching

botany or zoology. Jobs in these professions are quite dear.. .so, I am now

teaching English, my undergraduate major. I teach freshman classes at the

branch, when needed, and teach English and reading to adults in the A.B.E.

program. At the moment I am tutoring a botany student in local flora, but both

she and I are frustrated by the way the course is being taught (a mathematical

formula for each flower, seen or unseen by the student). I can teach plant

families and how to identify and remember the F lor8 as well as terminology, but

the math formula to me makes as much sense s diagramming sentences in English——

worthless busy work. (Amen!). Meanwhile, although chronologically older, I

feel 18, still have no gray hair, and have ten-year old son plus three teen

agers to keep me on the run!” Carole ‘oves the California desert and enclosed a

copy of her thesis for our files, a thesis project which was her own idea (Ah,Dr. Lloyd also loves the desert, alas...).

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Willard W. Payne, MS. Dr. Payne has been arboretum director of the CaryArboretum of the New York Botanical Garden since 1977. He has recently accepteda position as director of The Garden Center of Greater Cleveland, effectiveAugust 1. The Garden Center is part of the University Circle Complex, includingnine organizations dedicated to scientific research, and is located between LakeErie and Case Western Reserve University. It houses an outstanding horticultural library and display facilities, and is surrounded by gardens withmedicinal, Japanese, and herbal themes. He hopes to pursue relationships withother Ohio universities and continue his research In plant systematics and otherrelated fields.

1962: James B. Eblin, 85. Jim is working as laboratory and storeroom supervisor in the Department of Chemistry at Ohio State University.

Joe E. Winstead, MS. Joe was one of several graduate students in botany fromMidwestern State University undergraduate program, directed by Art F. Beyer, aformer student of Art Blickle. He spent three years in the army (captain,infantry) after finishing his M.S. degree in botany and then finished his Ph.D.in plant ecology at the University of Texas, Austin, in 1968. He joined thebiology faculty at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, in 1968 and isnow professor of biology. He is currently president—elect of the KentuckyAcademy of Sciences. His daughter, Cynthia Jo, was born in Athens in December,1961, and was babysat by his fellow graduate students, including Charles Wingo,Bob Gray, Barbara LeBlanc. Barbara is now a graduate student in the performingarts at the University of Virginia. Joe was a student of Dr. Wistendahl and oneof his MS. students, Mike Held came to O.U. and finished his Ph.D. in botany in1980, with Dr. Wistendahl.

1964: Ralph S. Quatrano, MS. Dr. Quatrano is professor of botany in theDepartment of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis.He writes that he is just completing his second sabbatical leave in Cambridge,England, at the Plant Breeding Institute, Molecular Genetics Unit of theDepartment of Cytogenetics. He is continuing his studies on the molecularcontrols of wheat embryogenesis, more specifically, applying recombinant DNAtechniques to elucidate the role of ABA in regulating embryo maturation. Healso has an active program in determining how polarity is established in thezygote of Fucus. Ralph also recently gave a talk at the Plant Molecular BiologyGordon Conference about his ABA work at the invitation of the co—chairman,Robert Goldberg.. .“another O.U. Botany graduate from Norm Cohn’s lab!!”

1968: James Gabert, MS. James was plant pathologist for the OM. Scott andSons Co. in Marysville, Ohio. He and his wife, Cynthia, have three children,Cathy, age 14, Kristen, age 12, and Tephanie, age 11. He would like currentaddresses of alumni who graduated in the department with a MS degree in eitherJune or August of 1968 (i.e. David Enterline, William Hogan, Nathan Lafer, MarkMcClel land, James Mcfeeley, Daniel Marion, Jerry Sledge). Jim’s current addressis 804 Lakeview Drive, Marysville, OH 43040. Drop him a line!

Brad Harter, BS. Brad is forestry instructor just up the road at HockingTechnical College.

Edna Rose Jennings Robert, BS. Edna received a M.Ed in the area of guidancefrom O.U. in 1972. She is currently a high school guidance counselor inBlytheville, Arkansas. She writes that “Although I am not employed in the fieldof botany, my husband, Freddie Robert, and I have worked to landscape ourchurch, have worked to begin and maintain a rose garden at Blytheville HighSchool, and have been showing roses in Blytheville, Memphis, Tennessee, and

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Nashvflle. We, including our son Stuart (age 6), also have a large garden and

over 100 rose bushes.”

1969: Kenneth Kapley7 BS, and Rebecca Pate Kapley, BS Ed. (Biol.). The

Kapleys are currently living In Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Ken is employed as an

orthodontist after receiving his D.D.S. and M.S.D. and Becky is a part—time

faculty member at Cuyahoga Community College and-Cleveland State University.

They write that “This newsletter is a great idea! Becky and I have been unable

to get back to the school and it’s quite rewarding to find (out about the)

department’s direction, current literature, etc. It was especially good to

learn of the faculty’s activities (especially the Graffius’).” They suggest we

have an open house for alumni during an off weekend and reunite some lost

friends, without having to deal with homecoming or other crowds.

Lennie Muttick Sorenson, BS. Lennie sends her greetings. She is currently an

airline captain for Continental Air Micronesia with an address in Aiea, Hawaii.

She writes: “I’ll be flying out of Houston (Boeing 727’s) beginning August 1st—

will try to get to O.U. this September or so! Last year homecoming was on the

schedule ‘til the company went Chapter 11. I’ve been flying international

Captain to Japan, Manila, and the Trust Territories. The mainland should be a

‘culture shock’ in reverse.” Why, some of us here can remember Lennie as a

graduate student in Hawaii and then flying puddle jumpers, but then, the puddles

out there are a bit larger than they are hereabouts! Congratulations and aloha.

1973: Edward O’Rourke, MS. Ed is currently working at Cetus, a bloengineering

company and living in Emeryville, California. He has been involved with the

biochemical and biological characterization of interferons.

1974: Alan Carpe, MS. Alan is now senior sales representative for the

Biomedical Products Department of the E.I. Dupont Co., in Cincinnati.

Martin Kaps, OS. Martin received his P1.5. in horticulture (viticulture—

pomology) in 1976 and worked five years in cooperative extension service, in

Kansas and Ohio, as a horticultural agent and 4—H agent. He hopefully has

completed his Ph.D. in horticulture with emphasis in viticulture—pomology. His

research deals with source/sink relationships in hybrid grapevines, by manipula

tion of leaf and berry number. He is living in Wooster.

Ruth A. Stockey, MS. Ruth is currently living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

After completing her masters program at O.U. she went to Ohio State and earned

her Ph.D. in 1977. From there, she was employed in the Department of Geology,

Auburn University, for a year, and in 1978, became an assistant professor of

botany at the University of Alberta, replacing Wilson Stewart upon his retire

ment. In 1982, she was promoted to associate professor. In the past ten years,

she has traveled to Australia, New Caledonia, England, France, Sweden, U.S.S.R.,Finland, and Germany. She is currently on sabbatical in Japan and Antarctica,

continuing her studies on fossil plants.

1975: Paul Goldstein, MS. Paul received his Ph.D. and is now assistant profes

sor of genetics in the Department of Biology, University of North Carolina,

Charlotte. He was invited last year to the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and

Carlsberg Lab in Copenhagen, Denmark, to present his work on the genetics ofaging in nematodes.

Jean A. Bieberbach Strouse, BS. Jean is a field chemist for DowellSchiumberger of Kalkaska, Michigan. She is currently living in Fife Lake,Michigan.

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1976: 5. Burleson, BS. Paula is an Operations System Technologist and trainsoperators in how to run a gas centrifuge enrichment plant in Piketon, Ohio. Sheis living in Portsmouth and is still quite interested in paleobotany.

1977: David 8. Feldman, BS. David received a B.A. in chemistry and zoology in1978 from CU. and was named the outstanding chemistry undergraduate. In June,1981, he received his M.D. from Ohio State and was elected to the Alpha OmegaAlpha Medical Honorary Society. He married Vatme Felman (OW. geology grad.,1977) in June, 1978, and they now have a daughter, Roxanne, born in August,1983. He is currently a resident in psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital inBaltimore, Maryland.

Diane Jo Wozniak Pickens, BS. Diane is a chemist working on the analysis ofvolatile organics by GC/MS for the Environmental Protection Agency and is livingin Crofton, Maryland. Last year she began graduate studies at the University ofMaryland in environmental management with environmental chemistry and writesthat “Work plus school will be a challenge.”

1979: Smith, MS. Jay started as a park naturalist last June after returning from Africa, at the Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park District in Lima,Ohio.

1983: Terry Henkel, 85. Terry is a graduate student in the Department ofBotany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, working with Drs. Martha Christensen andBill Smith. He is studying ecological variation and interaction among co—occuring vescicular—arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi species in enhancing plantwater use in arid environments, in native habitats next to strip mined areas.

SEE YOU AT

1985 Commencement — 15 June 19851985 Homecoming — 19 October 1985

On the last page attached to the newsletter is a sheet for you to returnwith current news. We hope that the alumni news listed above is of interest andwill stimulate even a greater response this coming year. We will try in thiscoming year’s issue to track down some of the other former faculty from the‘50’s and ‘60’s and let you know what’s happened to them. In addition, it isprobable we will arrange a Saturday picnic day for current faculty and studentsand any alumni who may wish to come. September may be the best time for this,but please let us know what fits best with your schedule. Please do not forgetthe Miller scholarship fund and the Roach’s graduate endowment fund, if you areplanning on donating to the University. In addition, any donated funds can bedesignated for specific use by the Department if you so choose. Freshman applications this year were cut off at the end of March as the University had received over 6000 applicants for just over 3000 openings. This increasedinterest in O.U. certainly has resulted, in part, from the vastly increasedpositive public perception of the University.

The Botany Department has also recently prepared an audio-visual programthat describes the teaching and research activities of the department. Theprogram consists of 70 slides (2x2’s) with a synchronized audio cassette tape,and takes about 12 minutes to view. It is of special interest to high schoolseniors, college freshmen, and other students who may have an interest in theplant sciences. If any alumni are interested in viewing this program, you mayrequest the use of it by writing: Department of Botany, A—V program, PorterHall 305, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, or calling 614—594—5821.

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