GREENVILLE, Pa.—Assistant Professor of Biology Christopher Fonner, Ph.D., and Grant Milne ’19 are investigating the effects of a fungal pathogen known as kitchen fungus on amphibian behaviors as a part of the Greenville Neuromodulation Center Faculty/Student Research Institute at Thiel College, a leading liberal arts college in northwest Pennsylvania.
This summer’s work is the continuation of salamander and fungus research that Fonner has been doing for the past two summers. The research will likely be presented at the Western Pa. Graduate Biology Symposium and could also lead to publication, Fonner said.
Milne located and collected bacterial samples from red-backed salamanders in the woods in and around Thiel College.
“If there are bacterial species on the amphibian skins that are beneficial to the amphibians, then this could aid the conservation efforts in protecting not only amphibians around Thiel but also potentially amphibians across the country,” Fonner said.
“This is the perfect experience for what I want to do,” said Milne, a conservation biology major from Portville, N.Y. He is a 2016 graduate of Portville Central High School.
Fonner received his bachelors in biology from Gannon University in 2009 and his doctorate in biology from Duquesne University in 2015. He began teaching at Thiel in 2015 and serves as the department chair.
About the GNC Faculty/Student Research Institute
In 2015, Thiel College alumni Fred Haer ’65 and his wife, Jill (Shackett) ’66, launched the institute by pledging $400,000. It is open to all Thiel College faculty members and focuses on connecting science and the liberal arts. More than a dozen original research projects have been conducted as part of the GNC and have ranged from traditional research to a one-man stage production.
About Thiel College
Thiel College is an independent college founded in the Lutheran tradition. Located in Greenville, Pa., the College offers 60 majors and minors, 24 varsity sports, and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio. The College is also home to a new Master of Science in speech-language pathology and 2Master of Business Administration. Both master’s degree programs offer innovative and accelerated five-year paths which allow students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. The speech-language pathology program also has an accelerated 15-month graduate-level program. The M.B.A. program also has a 12-month post-graduate program.A dedicated faculty paired with dynamic research and internship opportunities produce numerous graduate school and job placements. Coeducational from its beginnings, the College remains committed to combining tradition with innovation as it celebrates 150 years.