Spring 2015 Biology & Society Defenses
Congratulations to all the Biology & Society students who defended their research in the Spring of 2015!
PhD
"The Wide Adaptation of Green Revolution Wheat"
Date of defense: January 22, 2015
Degree: PhD
Track: Biology (Biology & Society), Ecology, Economics, and Ethics of the Environment
Committee Members: Ann Kinzig (chair), Hallie Eakin, Daniel Sarewitz, Jameson Wetmore, and Prem Narain Mathur
Read more about Baranski's research.
“Evolution under our feet: Anthony David Bradshaw (1926–2008) and the rise of ecological genetics”
Date of defense: April 13, 2015
Degree: PhD
Track: Biology (Biology & Society), History and Philosophy of Science
Committee Members: Manfred Laubichler (co-chair), Jane Maienschein (co-chair), James Collins, and Richard Creath
PhD Prospectus
“Researching Marine Organisms at the Trieste Zoological Station (1875-1915)”
Date of defense: April 14, 2015
Track: History and Philosophy of Science
Committee Members: Jane Maienschein (co-chair), Manfred Laubichler (co-chair), Gerd Mueller (University of Vienna), Richard Creath, and Karin Ellison
“Violating the Vail of Ignorance, experiments in the cognitive foundations of moral status”
Date of defense: April 28, 2015
Track: History and Philosophy of Science
Committee Members: Jason Robert (chair), Elly van Gelderen (co-chair), Richard Creath, David Vaughn Becker, and Bernard Kobes
Paige Madison
"Making Sense of Fossils: Feldhofer, Taung, and LB1 as Pieces of Scientific Evidence"
Date of defense: April 30, 2015
Track: History and Philosophy of Science
Committee Members: Jane Maienschein (co-chair), Bill Kimbel (co-chair), Manfred Laubichler, Richard Creath, and Ben Hurlbut
Master’s
"Development and Analysis of New 3D Tactile Materials for the Enhancement of STEM Education for the Blind and Visually Impaired"
Degree: MS
Committee Members: Page Baluch (chair), Jane Maienschein and Karin Ellison
“Flame retardant chemical contamination of seafood, ecologically sustainable fisheries, and significance for biodiversity conservation”
Date of defense: April 9, 2015
Degree: MS
Track: Ecology, Economics, and the Ethics of the Environment
Committee Members: Leah Gerber (chair), Joshua Abbott, and Beth Polidoro
“Substance-Exposed Newborns in Arizona: An Analysis of Medically, Ethically and Legally Appropriate Federal and State Responses”
Date of defense: April 3, 2015
Degree: MS
Track: Bioethics, Policy, and Law
Committee Members: Jane Maienschein (co-chair), Karin Ellison (co-chair), and Cristi Coursen
Featured Undergraduates
Shayla Hubbard
“Differing Community Perceptions”
Date of Honors Defense: March 26, 2015
Degree: Biology and Society, BS
Committee Members: Eric Hekler and Christopher Wharton
Anika Larson
“Teaching Biology in a Maximum-Security Prison Unit: Feedback, Notes and Recommendations from a Pilot Class”
Date of Honors Defense: April 8, 2015
Degree: B.S. Biological Sciences (Biology and Society) (also graduating from Barrett and getting a B.A. in Global Studies from the School of Politics and Global Studies)
Committee Members: Tsafrir Leket-Mor, Joe Lockard, and Sara Brownell