Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Faculty
Core faculty
Collin O'Leary
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry
Teaches courses in biology and chemistry. He earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Iowa State University. His research focuses on identifying and characterizing structured RNA elements within messenger (m)RNAs that influence transcript stability and translation. His prior investigations have centered on mRNAs within viral and human host-cell environments. His future research will explore the structure and function of mRNAs within the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast).
Catherine Volle
Associate Professor of Biochemistry
Teaches introductory and advanced courses in biology and chemistry with an emphasis in biochemistry. She and her students use chemical techniques to investigate biological problems. They investigate new and exciting ways to kill bacteria and how viral proteins can disrupt non-canonical DNA structures. Ph.D., molecular and cellular biology and biochemistry, Brown University.
Affiliated faculty in Biology
Sophie Gillette
Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology
Taught biology at Lake Forest College in 2021-22 and, just before that, was a postdoctoral scholar in Genomic Engineering at Tempus Labs, Inc. in Chicago and in Genetic Medicine at the University of Chicago. She holds a doctoral degree in genetics from the University of Iowa and a bachelor’s degree in biology and mathematics from Cornell, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa.
Nicole Green
Assistant Professor of Biology
Teaches courses in biology. Has conducted research in the role of nuclear actin in germline stem cells of the Drosophila ovary, and the coordination of muscle maintenance and innate immunity through integrated tissue physiology in Drosophila. She earned her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Kansas State University.
Joshua Otten
Assistant Professor of Biology
Teaches courses in biology. He has completed extensive research studying the survival rates and long-term effects of turtles rehabilitated after an oil spill, monitoring threatened and endangered species on the Big Sand Mount Nature Preserve, and examining the habitat preferences of the endangered wood turtle. He earned his Ph.D. in biology from the University of Toledo.
Isaac Winkler
Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology
Isaac teaches various courses in organismal biology. He studies the evolutionary relationships of insect groups to learn about how biodiversity arises. Ph.D., University of Maryland, B.S. Brigham Young University.
Affiliated faculty in chemistry
Charley Liberko
Professor of Chemistry
Teaches courses in organic chemistry and Chemical Principles I and II. Ph.D., philosophy, organic chemistry, University of Minnesota.
Cindy Strong
Professor of Chemistry
Teaches Chemical Principles I and II, Accelerated General Chemistry, and Analytical Chemistry. Ph.D., chemistry, California Institute of Technology.
Craig Teague
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Teaches Chemical Principles I and II, Accelerated General Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, and the BMB elective Physical Chemistry. Ph.D., chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Bing Yuan
Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Teaches courses in chemistry. Has conducted research in the response of the global biosphere to climate change using stable-isotope analysis, investigating the reaction of air pollutants in the human body, and identifying the decomposition reaction mechanics and chemical kinetics of rapidly heated diethyl methylphosphonate and triethyl phosphate. Dr. Yuan earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Arizona.