The Department of Biology welcomes 2 new faculty members to our department for the 2008 – 2009 Academic Year.

Dr. Christopher Vitek, Assistant Professor of Entomology, joins us from the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory where he had worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. Dr. Vitek’s area of research is how age and environmental factors influence mosquitoes and diseases they transmit, such as West Nile Virus. Dr. Vitek received his PhD from Clark University in Massachusetts and his Bachelor’s degree from Drew University in New Jersey. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the Entomological Society of America and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. He has presented his work both nationally and internationally, has several publications to his credit, and has been awarded 2 grants to fund his research.

Dr. Robert Zarnowski, Assistant Professor of Mycology, joins us from the University of Wisconsin – Madison where he worked as an Assistant Scientist and Postdoctoral Research Associate. Dr. Zarnowski’s area of research focuses on the biology of Histoplasma capsulatum and Aspergillis sp. Dr. Zarnowski received his PhD from the University of Environmental and Life Sciences in Poland, and received his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Wroclaw in Poland. He is a member of the American Society for Microbiology and serves as a reviewer for several scientific journals. Dr. Zarnowski has numerous publications to his credit and has presented his research at national and international meetings.

We welcome Dr. Vitek and Dr. Zarnowski to our department and wish them great success!