CURRICULUM VITA FOR VERNA MILLER CASE
Biology
Department
Tel:
704-894-2327
FAX:
704-894-2512
Email:
vecase@davidson.edu
Education
Doctor
of Philosophy in Zoology (Animal Behavior), The
Masters
of Science in Zoology (Animal Behavior), The
Bachelor
of Science in Zoology, The
Professional Teaching and
Research Experiences
Professor and Chair of Biology,
Visiting
Scholar, MIT/Harvard Medical Consortium, Reproductive technologies - Neonatal
intensive care, in vitro fertilization and prenatal diagnosis (1986-1987)
Associate
Professor of Biology,
Assistant
Professor of Biology,
Visiting
Scholar,
Instructor
of Biology,
Research
Fellow, The Pennsylvania State University, Developmental aspects of social organization
in gallinaceous birds (1970-1973)
Research
Assistant, The Pennsylvania Statue University, Developmental aspects of social
organization in gallinaceous birds (1973-1974)
Research
Assistant,
Honors
2004
Southern Conference Teaching Award
2004
Charles A. Dana Professor of Biology
1999
Matthews Travel Award
1998
Thomas Jefferson Award,
1970
NDEA Fellowship Award for Biology, The
Phi
Kappa Phi, Sigma Xi, Beta Beta Beta
American
Men and Women of Science
Outstanding
Young Women of
The
World's Who's Who of Women
Grants
·
Shell
Grant, 1978
·
Sloan
Foundation Special Leave Grant, 1986-1987
·
Mellon
Foundation Grant for Interdisciplinary Studies, 1986-1987
·
Sloan
Summer Grant, 1989
·
·
NSF-ILI
Grant, Co-PI, 1994-1996
·
Teaching
Improvement Grant, 1995
·
Howard
Hughes Medical Institute, Undergraduate Biomedical Sciences Education Program,
Program Director, 1996-2000
·
Howard
Hughes Medical Institute, Undergraduate Biomedical Science Education Program,
Program Director, 2004-2008
Undergraduate
Teaching and Collaborative Research with Students
·
Current
courses taught at
§
Animal
Behavior
§
Senior
Colloquium
§
Issues
in Reproductive Medicine Seminar
§
First
Year Writing Seminar
§
Study
of Treatment of Human Disease –
§
July
Experience (Summer Program for rising seniors in high school)
·
Examples
of recent collaborative research with students
§
Katie
Schill (2001) Conflicting
Interests: The Pregnant Woman’s Right to Autonomy and the State’s Interest in
Protection of the Unborn (Center for Interdisciplinary Study Thesis)
§
Wendy
Adams (2002) Power and Disturbance:
Changes in the Policy Process After the 19080 Eruptions of
§
Judie
Kaplan (2003) How Has Politics Affected
the HIV/ADIS Epidemic in
§
Emily
Mendenhall (2004) Contraception,
Community and Control:A Global Analysis of
Reproductive Autonomy (Center for Interdisciplinary Study Thesis)
§
Leisa Rosselo, Lucy
Kuykendall and Caroline Bennett (2000) “Mate Preference in zebra finches”
§
Tee
Bahnson, Craig Laws and Wes Self (2001) “Human
Behavior: A Sociobiological Perspective”
§
Charlie
Shaw (2001) “Public Health and the Black Community in the
§
Andre
Carlock and Ikenna Myers
(2001) “Syphillis and Public Health”
§
Michele
Lim (2002) “Creating Life from Death: The Dilemma of Posthumous Reproduction
Administrative
Duties and Accomplishments as Chair of the Biology Department
·
Biology
is the largest academic department at Davidson when considering the number of
majors, the number of faculty and support staff, the size of our facilities,
and the amount of our budget. In terms
of student numbers, biology was the largest or second largest major in the
senior class from 1996 to 2003.
·
From
1993 to 2003, 20 searches were conducted for regular and visiting faculty. Twelve of these were national searches. Eleven visiting faculty were hired since 1993
to replace on-leave faculty or to fill the Visiting Assistant Professor
position established in 1995-1996.
o
Eight
tenure track faculty were hired between 1994 and 2000:
§
Malcolm
Campbell was hired in 1994 as the 10th member of the department.
§
Mark
Stanback was hired in 1995 as the 11th member of the
department.
§
Karen
Bernd, Mike Dorcas and David Wessner
joined the department in 1998. Karen
Bernd was the first cell biologist hired in departmental history. The number of tenure track positions in the
department reached twelve in 1998.
§
Karen
Hales, Barbara Lom and Chris Paradise began their
positions in 2000.
o
A
full-time teaching associate was added to biology staff in 1994. This position was added to teach non-majors
biology.
o
A
part-time teaching assistant position was also created in 1994-1995 to assist
with the introductory courses for the biology major.
o
Amy
Becton joined biology’s staff in 1993 as the laboratory animal technician. She was certified as an AALAS Laboratory
Animal Technologist in 1996.
·
Life
Sciences Project
o
Wrote
the Science Case Statement in the spring of 1993 in consultation with the
chairs of the chemistry, math, physics and psychology.
o
Revised
the Case Statement in 1994-1995 for the Self Study Focus Group on Education
(Science emphasis) .
o
Programming
for new building and renovation with Ellenzweig and
Associates.
o
Submission
of an NSF grant for renovations, 1993-1994.
o
Renovation
of molecular biology research laboratory in
o
Project
shepherd for the Watson Life Sciences project (final programming and construction)
with Jenkins-Peer architects, 1996-1998.
o
Project
shepherd for the Dana Science Laboratories project (programming and renovation)
with Lord, Aeck and Sargent
architects, 1998-1999.
·
Grants
o
o
Howard
Hughes Medical Institute, Undergraduate Biomedical Sciences Education Program -
Verna Case, Program Director, 1996-2000
o
Continuation
of the COSEN consortium through 1998-1999 - Verna Case, Executive Committee
representative.
·
Curricular
and program changes
o
Increased
the operating budget for the department from $60,849 in 1992-93 to $196,750 for
2003-2004.
o
Oversaw
major revisions of the introductory biology curriculum, with the addition of
investigative laboratories and an increase in the number of introductory
biology courses offered, initiated in 1993-1994.
o
Led
the self-study of the biology department in conjunction with the Self Study
Focus Group on Education (Science emphasis), completed in 1995-1996.
o
Wrote
the Departments first
o
Completed
the Strategic Plan for biology in 1996.
o
Founded
the TriBeta Honor Society in Biology in 1994.
o
Inaugurated
the Tom Daggy Biology Award in 1994.
o
Began
a research internship program established with the
o
Published
the Student Handbook for Biology Majors in 1996-1997, updated
yearly since initial publication.
o
Initiated
annual equipment and chemical inventories.
o
Established
policies on laboratory safety and biohazards established along with a training
program for students in all laboratories.
o
Provided
regular servicing for all microscopes in the department on a yearly basis.
o
Instituted
regular departmental meetings and an annual retreat instituted since 1993.
o
Started
the BioCenter with information on graduate schools
and internship opportunities established on the 3rd floor of Dana Science.
o
Registered
the department as a CUR Tier II school, Directory
of Research in Biological Sciences at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (1994
and 1997 editions).
o
Created
a database for important records and information concerning the biology
department and its programs, including course enrollments, majors, alums,
student research, etc.
o
Prepared
and organized the Biology Department’s external review, 2001.
Professional Activities
·
Participant
in Sloan Foundation Workshop, Bioengineering and Biotechnology, MIT, 1985
·
Workshop
on Reproductive Technology at Mellon-funded Six College Faculty Program,
·
PEW
Midwest Cluster and AREA meeting,
"Biology Curriculum: A New
Approach at
·
Carolinas-Ohio
Science Education Network
Mentor, 1989-1992
Executive Committee member,
1991-1999
·
Institutional
Representative for the School for Field Studies, 1989 – 1999
·
Member
of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, Carolinas Medical Center,
1991-95
·
Organized
regular science chairs meetings and drafted a Case Statement for the Sciences
at Davidson, 1993
·
Reviewer
for Merck/AAAS Undergraduate Science Research Program Award, 1994
·
·
Mentor
for Science Research Internship Program - Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools - 1995-1996;
1999-2000
·
Host
for PKAL “Planning Facilities for Undergraduate Science and Mathematics” at
Davidson – 1999
·
Attended
PKAL/CUR Issues of Mid-Career Faculty at
·
Faculty
liason for Glaxo Welcome
Women in Science program, 1999 to present.
·
1998,
1999, 2000 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Panelist
·
2001,
2002 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Panel Chair
·
Presenter
at PKAL Planning Facilities for Undergraduate Science and Mathematics at
·
Presentation
at Project Kaleidoscope Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience, “Institutional
Animal Care and Use Committees”, 2001.
·
Presentation
entitled “Davidson College Summer Programs in
Departmental Reviews and
Site Visits
·
Departmental
Review,
·
PKAL/Keck
Consultant,
·
Site
Visit and Program review for the School For Field Studies Program in
·
Departmental
review -
·
Departmental
review - Biology Department,
·
PKAL/Keck
Consultant,
·
PKAL/Keck
Consultant,
·
Departmental
review –
·
NSF
Site Visit Team –
·
Departmental
review –
·
NSF-REU
Site Visit – Richard Stockton College Wetlands Institute,
·
Departmental
review –
·
Departmental
review –
·
Departmental
review –
·
PKAL/Keck
Consultant,
Consultant activities
·
·
Consultant
on the Design Team of Lord, Aeck and Sargent Architectural Firm
College Committees (past
10 years)
·
Animal
Care and Use Committee, Chair, since 1987
·
Summer
Service Internship Committee, Chair, 1992-1997
·
Hunter-Hamilton
Love of Teaching Award Selection Committee, 1992-1996; Chair, 1992
·
Premedical
Committee, 1985-1990; 1994-1997, since 1998
·
Medical
Humanities Advisory Committee, since 1989
·
Neuroscience
Advisory Committee, 1991-2002
·
Executive
Committee, 1991-1994
·
Professional
Affairs Committee, 1995-1998
·
·
Self-study
Committee on Science, 1995-1996
·
Presidential
Search Committee, 1996-1997
·
Career
Services Faculty Advisory Group, since 1995
·
Search
committee for the Director of Career Services, 1997-1998
·
Task
Force on Advising, 1995
·
Task
Force on Service, Co-chair, 1997
·
Task
Force on July Experience, 1998
·
Institutional
Advancement Committee - Board of Trustees, 1997-1998
·
Search
committee for the Vice President for Business and Finance, 2003
Community Activities
·
Faculty
advisor for Davidson Ballroom Dance Club, since 2002
·
Member
of the Arts and Science Council Science Advisory Group, beginning in 2001
·
Board
of Directors of Planned Parenthood of Greater Charlotte, 1980-85, Secretary
1983-1985
·
Board
of Directors of the Carolina Raptor Center, 1981-1995
Vice-President 1981-1984
President, 1984-1986, 1987-1988
Chair Development Committee, 1988-1989
Chair Membership Committee, 1991-1992
Long-range Planning Committee, 1994-1995
Current Memberships
·
Phi
Kappa Phi
·
Beta
Beta Beta
·
Animal
Behavior Society
·
American
Society for the Advancement of Science
·
Council
on Undergraduate Research
·
National
Science Teachers Association
·
National
Association of Biology Teacher
Publications
Miller, Verna J. and
H.B. Graves.
1971. Sensitive periods for following and stay-near responses in Gallus chicks.
Amer Zool
11:636.
Miller, Verna J. and H.B. Graves. 1974. Interaction of
age, experience and social relationships in Gallus
chicks. Amer
Zool 13:1264.
Case,
V.J. and H.B. Graves. 1978. Functional vs. other types of imprinting and
sensitive periods in Gallus chicks. Behavioral Biol
23:433-45.
Sherrill,
D.M. and V.M. Case. 1980. Winter home ranges of 4 clans of red-cockaded
woodpeckers in the Carolina Sandhills.
Case,
V.M. 1986. Breeding cycle aggression
in zebra finches. Aggressive Behavior 12(5):337-48.
Case,
V.M. 2003.
Fetal surgery: A hotbed for maternal-fetal conflict issues. The Ethical View 3(1):6-7.
Publications of research
by students under my direction
Williams, A. and Bolen,
L. 1983. Step into your horses shoes. Chronicle of the Horse.