Biology – Faculty and Staff

Personal website

Education

Ph.D. Zoology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. 2004.

M.Sc. Zoology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. 2001.

B.S. Biology, State University of New York at Oswego, NY. Cum Laude, 1992.

A.A.S. Veterinary Technology, State University of New York at Canton, NY. Magna Cum Laude, 1990.

Biography

I received my Associate's degree in Veterinary Science Technology at SUNY Canton, NY., Bachelor of Science degree at SUNY Oswego, and my M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Florida, Department of Zoology. Now I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Francis Marion University .

My research interests include reproductive anatomy and physiology, and also conservation and monitoring of reptile and amphibian populations. You can find more details regarding my research interests, teaching, and service on my webpage and my Curriculum Vitae.

If you are interested in undergraduate research within the Department of Biology, please go to the PURE Program page. To find more information about the Pre-Veterinary Program and advising, or the Pre-Vet Club, please go to the Pre-Veterinary Program page. For my Biology advisees, please go to my Academic Advising page.

Courses Taught:

• Biology of Sex (Biol 213)
• Gender Studies (GS 200)
• Human Anatomy (Biol 205)
• Human Biology (Biol 104)
• Human Physiology (Biol 236)
• Senior Seminar (Biol 499)

Education

Ph.D. (1999, Genetics) - N.C. State University.

B.S. (1992, Biological Sciences) - Clemson University.

Courses Taught:

• BIOL 105: Introduction to Life Science
• BIOL 220: Introduction to Molecular Biology
• BIOL 302: Developmental Biology
• BIOL 401: Genetics
• BIOL 499: Senior Seminar

Personal website

Education

Ph.D. 1990 (Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences), Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas

M.A. 1985 (Biology), Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa

B.S. 1982 (Zoology, chemistry minor), Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois

Courses Taught:

• Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (Bio 305)
• Herpetology (Bio 312)
• Evolutionary Biology (Bio 409)
• Genetics (Bio 401)

Research Interests: 

My research interests include the conservation biology, ecology, and systematics of amphibians and reptiles.  Currently I am working with Ecuadorian biologists to document the herpetofauna of the Volcan Sumaco region of central Ecuador.  I have worked with undergraduate students concerning the population biology and spatial ecology of local snake species.  The Reptiles of South Carolina book has been submitted and is out for peer review.

Dr. Jason Doll is an Assistant Professor of Fisheries. His area of research is quantitative fisheries ecology. He currently has active projects evaluating fisheries induced evolution in Lake Michigan yellow perch; population dynamics of striped bass in the Great Pee Dee River; age and growth of long-nose gar and catfish in the Great Pee Dee River; modeling microcystin toxin in a highly eutrophic system in Ohio; and freshwater mussel population dynamics in western North Carolina. Dr. Doll has published 35 peer reviewed manuscript in scientific journals including Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, Fisheries Research, Journal of Great Lakes Research, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Science of the Total Environment, and PLoS One.

Dr. Doll is active in the American Fisheries Society where he is the Chair of the Electronic Services Advisory Board and co-chairs the Center for Fisheries Technology and Collaboration. Dr. Doll maintains certification through the American Fisheries Society as a “Certified Fisheries Professional”.

Dr. Doll is also involved in the “fishR Core Team”, a team of fisheries scientists that develop and maintain several popular statistical packages used by fisheries managers across the globe.

Prior to joining FMU, Dr. Doll was a post-doctoral research associate at the Quantitative Fisheries Center at Michigan State University and received his Ph.D. in Environmental Science from Ball State University.

Learn more about Dr. Doll’s lab and research.

Education

Ph.D. Civil & Environmental Engineering - Princeton University

M.S. Geosciences - University of Wisconsin (Madison)

B.A. Environmental Science - University of Virginia

Courses Taught:

ENVR 101 Introduction to Environmental Science

ENVR 201 Water Quality and Water Resource Management

Research Interests:

I am interested in hydrological prediction, groundwater-surface water interactions, environmental sensing, and the ecohydrology of Carolina <span class="outlook-search-highlight" data-markjs="true">B</span>ays. If you’re a student interested in any of these areas, please come by my office to talk.

My dissertation research looked at the functioning of water distribution systems in central Kenya. I have also worked on projects related to agricultural yield forecasting, groundwater mapping, and colloidal transport. Prior to my career in academia, I worked as a project manager for the US Forest Service Office of International Programs and as a Peace Corps volunteer in Burkina Faso.

Dr. Peter King was named Provost at FMU July 2016. Dr. King is the past chair of the Biology department, and was the Associate Provost for Enrollment Management. He is a professor of Biology and a former James K. Konduros Professor of Leadership.  Dr. King retired June 30, 2023.  

Dr. King was awarded the Order of the Palmetto by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster. The Order of the Palmetto is the State of South Carolina’s highest civilian honor, and it is presented to citizens of the state for extraordinary lifetime service and achievements.

As Provost, Dr. King has been instrumental in the creation of numerous academic programs including doctoral programs in nursing practice, occupational therapy, and clinical psychology; master degrees in psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and speech-language pathology; and bachelor degrees in engineering, environmental science, and forestry studies.

Dr. King grew up in Sydney, Australia, the youngest of five children. He attended the New South Wales Institute of Technology, in Sydney, and graduated with a Bachelor of Business in 1980.  After several years in in business, King returned to the University of Armidale and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Class I Honours in 1992, majoring in Animal Biology.  In 1992 he moved to Raleigh, N.C. attending North Carolina State University and graduated in 1996 with a Ph.D. in Zoology.  Shortly after graduation he accepted a tenure-track position as an assistant professor in the department of biology at FMU.

Dr. King’s research interests focus on the ecology of turtles, and he authored and reviewed numerous scholarly articles related to the topic. In 2007, and again in 2009 King was named the Harry M. Lightsey, Jr. visiting scholar at Hobcaw Barony by The Belle Baruch Foundation. Dr. King lives in Florence with his wife Annie.  

Education:

Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology University of Florida, College of Medicine Gainesville, FL

B.S. in Biology, Minor in Chemistry Francis Marion University Florence, SC  

Courses Taught:

• BIOL 215 – Microbiology for Healthcare Professionals (for Pre-Nursing majors)
• BIOL 311 – Microbiology (for Biology majors)
• UNIV 100 – University Life
• HNRS 200 – Honors Science Symposium  

Research Interests:

I have two major research interests - one in Cell & Molecular Biology and one in Microbiology.

Within Cell & Molecular Biology, I am interested in adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors used for gene therapy and the interactions between the vector components and host cell machinery. Currently, I am analyzing the transduction efficiency of several serotypes of AAV in various mammalian cell lines. Techniques include cell culture, fluorescence microscopy, DNA extraction, qPCR, and more.

Within Microbiology, I am interested in characterizing the microbial profile of commercial probiotics, such as kefir, and understanding the relationship between the human microbiome and overall health. Techniques include culturing microbes on agar plates, streaking for isolation, microbial enumeration, Gram staining, DNA extraction, PCR, Sanger sequencing, and more.

Personal website

Education 

B.S. Biology, State University of New York, Center at Binghamton, 1989

M.S. Marine Biology, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 1991

Post Graduate Studies at James Cook University of North Queensland, Australia, 1992

Courses Taught:

• Special Topics in Biology for School Teachers (Bio 615)
• Environmental Biology (103)
• Environmental Biology Laboratory (103L)
• Organismal Biology (106)
• Organismal Biology Laboratory (106L)
• Life Science Laboratory (115L)
• Introduction to Life Science (105)
• Human Biology Laboratory (104L)
• Introductory Marine Biology (204)
• Environmental Science (ENV 201)
• Introduction to Gender Studies (GNDR 200)
• Education 497: Place Based Education (EDUC 497)

Personal website

Courses Taught:

• BIOL 105
• BIOL 215
• BIOL 311
• BIOL 497
• BIOL 499

Personal website

Research Focus: Aquatic Ecology

Courses Taught:

• Biology 103: Environmental Biology
• Biology 105: Introduction to Life Science
• Biology 202: Vertebrate Zoology
• Biology 308: Aquatic Ecology
• Biology 402: Terrestrial Ecology
• Biology 411: Ecology
• Biology 413: Biological Research Methods

Research Interests: I am interested in behavioral, population and community ecology, as well as conservation biology. If you’re a student interested in working on any of the projects or areas listed below, come talk to me!

My thesis work focused on the effects of avian predators on the behavior, population dynamics and community ecology of stream fish. Other projects have included alarm calling in yellow-bellied marmots; various water quality projects; GPS/GIS work in Yap, Federated States of Micronesia; physiological responses of fish to avian predators; community-based research projects; monitoring frog populations as a regional coordinator of the North American Amphibian Monitoring Project; zooplankton biodiversity in South Carolina lakes, and biodiversity of aquatic systems in Ecuador.

Dr. Janay Vacharasin is an Assistant Professor at Francis Marion University. She earned her degrees from the University of South Carolina and graduated with several honors. She has been featured on top Autism journals, podcasts, serves as a journal editor, incorporates interactive teaching methods, has done several presentations/publications, and is involved with several national, local, and worldwide organizations. To become involved with the Vacharasin Lab, please check out the laboratory website or send her an email at janay.vacharasin@fmarion.edu.

Education

Ph.D. Biological Sciences - University of South Carolina (Columbia)

B.S. Biological Sciences - University of South Carolina (Columbia)

Courses Taught:

BIOL 104 - Human Biology

BIOL 105 - Biological Sciences I

BIOL 205 - Human Anatomy

Research and Service Interests:

Pee Dee Moms Demand action, involved in SC NIH idea programs, FMU McNair center, conferences, recruiting, Society for Neuroscience, supporting Biology related clubs, African American Faculty and Staff Coalition, BlackinX groups (one of the leaders), serving on various committees, FMU science symposium,  and more.

Personal website

Education

Ph.D. Biomedical Sciences University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia, SC

B.S. Neuroscience Furman University Greenville, SC

Courses Taught:

• Biology 406 General Physiology
• Biology 104 Human Biology for non-majors
• Biology 205 Human Anatomy
• Biology 499 Senior Seminar
• Biology 309 Introduction to Neuroscience

Research Interests:

My primary research interest is in better understanding interpersonal interactions and the role of empathy in these interactions. To better understand these behaviors I use a rat model of pro-social behavior. Using a pro-social task we measure various behaviors related to empathy. The task uses a restrainer placed into a larger arena. The restrainer contains one rat (trapped rat) and the arena contains one rat (free rat). The free rat has the ability to open the restrainer door to release the trapped rat. Release of the trapped rat is measured as an empathy-like behavior. Using this task we can assess how various factors, such as maternal care, affect empathy-like behavior.

I also have concurrent human research being conducted. This research is also focused on interpersonal interactions and is conducted primarily on college students through the use of survey analysis.

Personal website

Education

University of Maryland- College Park Ph. D. Biology, 2009 Research at The Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Biology, Smithsonian Institution Westminster College

B.S. Biology, 2000 Music Double Major University of the Virgin Islands Semester Abroad, fall of junior year

Courses Taught:

• BIO 105
• BIO 115
• BIO 106
• BIO 103
• BIO 104

Research Interests:

I am fascinated by what I see around me. I like to understand why one species looks like or does this, while another species looks or does something different. I am interested in how natural selection pressures (such as diseases) may influence the evolution of a trait, such as the immune system, within a host species. I am also interested in how sexual selection (i.e. mate choice) influences the evolution of traits. In some instances, natural and sexual selection affect the same trait. Take for instance the immune system. You would expect that host’s immune systems evolve to best protect the host. You might also hypothesize that females would choose males with a “good” immune system, so those genes are passed to her offspring. Testing these hypotheses in wild systems is of great interest to me, and can help explain how the evolution of disease, immunity, and mate choice are intertwined.