NCCC News
December 2007: Biological sciences going strong at NCCC
For 40 years, North Country Community College has very much been a center for scientific studies, constantly helping its students prepare for careers in an increasingly science-oriented world. North Country's full time Biological Sciences faculty is comprised of Dr. Peter Biesemeyer at the Malone campus; Dr. Anne Lincoln, Dr. Rich Martin, Dr. Judith Steinberg, and Susan Moss in Saranac Lake. The Ticonderoga campus is staffed by two adjunct instructors.
“We are very fortunate at North Country to have the tremendous background our Biology faculty does,” said North Country Community College President Gail Rogers Rice, Ph.D. “Their exemplary education and broad experience bring a diverse wealth of knowledge into the classrooms and laboratories, further underscoring North Country’s continued dedication to the best possible instruction in this academic area.”
Peter Biesemeyer
Ph.D., Professor of Biology
- Began at North Country: Fall, 1985.
- Background: Faculty member of joined biology department of Manhattan College/College of Mount St. Vincent.
- The best part about being an North Country instructor: “The students and the people I work with.”
- Favorite course to teach is Microbiology.
Question: North Country science courses are invaluable for, and often geared toward, a number of degrees offered here (at NCCC) – how do you feel about that?
Answer: “It’s bonus, because those courses are taken by the allied health majors and they’re the best!”
Additional comments: “Wish I could cite the reference but, for what it’s worth, I believe there was a study by SUNY Central which showed that North Country Math-Science transfers to SUNY four-years did as well or better than native students in terms of academic performance and graduation rates.”
Anne Kendall Lincoln
Doctor ofVeterinaryMedicine (D.V.M.), Associate Professor of Biology
- Began at North Country: 1995.
- Background: Associate’s Degree from Champlain College, Bachelors Degree from University of Vermont, and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University.
- Favorite course to teach is “any type of biology related to medicine.”
Additional comments: “I am currently within one semester of finishing a Master’s degree in Forensic Toxicology from the University of Florida. My husband and I have a farm in Willsboro where we grow pasture-fed beef , organic potatoes, and produce maple syrup.”
Judith Steinberg
Ph.D., Professor of Biology
- Began at North Country: 2004.
- Background: Science Teacher at two Catholic high schools, going back to 1977.
- The best part about being an NCCC instructor, “The diversity of courses I get to teach, and the caring, dedicated faculty.”
- Her favorite course to teach is Adirondack Biology (“It is a ‘work in progress’ as I learn more about this area.”)
- “I enjoy working with students who are majoring in Math / Science and those students who are taking science to fulfill non-core requirements. It is fun giving them a peek into what all science includes.”
Questions: North Country has announced a proposed Environmental Science program and degree, with hopeful approval by Fall 2008. What will be the North Country approach to ENV SCI? What will make it a stand-out from any others in the SUNY system?
Answers: “Our ENV SCI program will either be a terminal 2-year degree or transferable to a 4-year program. Other SUNY schools have Environmental Science and Environmental Studies programs, but ours is located in the Adirondacks with its three biomes available for study.”
Who will be instructing these courses? Susan Moss and myself.
Richard Martin
Doctor of Pediatric Medicine (DPM); BS, Education; BA, Biology
- Began at North Country: 2004.
- Background: “I taught at Hudson Valley Community College, Berkshire Community College, and Russell Sage College. I’ve taught 21 different types of science courses – and was also a podiatrist in South Dakota and Southern California.”
- Favorite course taught here at North Country: Anatomy and Physiology
Question: Given a local history that involves medical science and health, how do you see your educational efforts reaching into the future?
Answer: “I enjoy working with the healthcare students. I have worked with Nursing, Radiologic Technology, Massage Therapy, and Chemical Dependency students. I enjoy both the feeling that I’m helping them and the knowledge that they will in turn use that knowledge to help other members of the community. So, I know that my job makes a positive contribution to society.”
Additional comments: Am currently writing a book on life history; (local artist and North Country instructor) Carol Vossler is doing the illustrations.
Susan Moss
M.S.T., Zoology; M.S., Zoology; B.A., Biology
- Began at North Country: 2007.
- Earlier experience: Associate Professor of Biology, Madisonville Community College, Madisonville, KY; degrees received from Universities of Florida and Oklahoma.
- Favorite course taught at North Country: “I most enjoy courses that cover a wide range of biological topics, such as general biology, and courses that focus on the natural world, such as environmental science.”
Question: The courses you teach are invaluable for, and geared toward, a number of degrees offered here at NCCC – how do you feel about that?
Answer: “I think that’s great because biology is something that everyone should know something about. Everyone graduating college should have a basic understanding of how the human body functions, how ecosystems function, and how humans are impacting the planet. They should also understand the foundations of what we know and how we learn things in biology: evolution and the scientific method.”
What she likes most about being an instructor here: “I like that it is a small school. I can focus on teaching and helping my students understand the material. The beautiful setting is certainly an added bonus. I’m a Florida native, however, so I’m a little worried about surviving my first Saranac Lake winter. Assuming I don’t freeze solid, I’m looking forward to enjoying a lot of fun years at North Country.”
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