Discussing the natural history of Thamnophis
elegans terrestris in his herpetology course

Research foci are broad with concentration on Evolutionary Biololgy at the integration of Genomics and Plate Tectonics. My reseach is largly Asian-based having been the first western biologist to work in western China and Soviet Central Asia, as well as the first western biologist to work in Iran following the Islamic Revolution. I use unique novel samples to derive phylogenetic trees and understand the patterns of complete mitochondrial evolution. This results in better understanding mt-genomic evolution of genes, gene copies, presumed aberrations in encoded transfer RNAs, and alteration of replication origins. In addition, I have worked with Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) libraries among vertebrates.

My life has been an interesting one. I have a BA in theater, my MS is in Agronomy, and I have earned my Doctor of Arts in Biology. I've been a crop geneticist, a scholar of Native American religion, a commercial cut flower grower and most importantly a teacher. I've taught Human Anatomy and Physiology and Biology for almost twenty years. At Idaho State University, I taught a senior and graduate level anatomy course, and I have also taught a Gross Anatomy Lab at Palmer Chiropractic College in San Jose. As I teach many kinds of biology courses, I consider myself to be a generalist in the biological sciences, including many Natural History courses. As part of the Genomics program, I have been instrumental in developing the pedagogy for our courses and have handling much of the administrative end of developing this new program. Every day new opportunities arise in Genomics and we have much to achieve in the way of original student research. I am happy to be part of developing this program that promises to meet the needs of the Genomics industry while training our students to be top technicians and researchers. I am both humbled and honored to work with such an amazing group of scientists, the like of which has probably never been seen at a community college. We are entering a golden age of Genomics. I consider myself most fortunate to be part of it.

Dr. Brian Rowning combines unique expertise in molecular, cell, developmental and cancer biology with advanced imaging skills. He is active in the Genomics, Microscopy and Histotechnology programs, and is excited about the possibilities for transforming biomedical education, strengthening regional scientific and technological capabilities, and expanding student employment opportunities. He has worked as a Scientist at LBNL and UC Berkeley, and did postdoctoral research at LBNL and U.W. Seattle/HHMI. He has published in leading scientific journals on the roles of cytoskeletal mechanisms and critical signaling pathways in cellular dynamics, body pattern formation and cancer. His research interests include comparative signaling pathways in body plan formation and disease, organelle characterization and function, the neurobiology of behavior and evolutionary genomics, and the interface between genomics and imaging technologies for assays and engineering of cells and tissues.