Colleagues: New Faculty

John E. Carlson, associate professor of molecular genetics in the School of Forest Resources, earned a B.S. in biochemistry from the University of Pittsburgh. He received an M.S. in agronomy and a Ph.D. in genetics from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He worked as a postdoctoral research associate at Kansas State University and then as a research scientist at Allelix, Inc., a biotechnology company in Mississauga, On-tario. In 1988, he became assistant professor of forest genetics at the University of British Columbia. He was promoted to associate professor in 1994. His research interests include genetic mapping and genetic engineering in trees. His work at Penn State will focus on oaks and Christmas trees. He will teach a course on tree genetics.

Pamela H. Correll, assistant professor of veterinary science, received a B.S. in nutrition science from Penn State and earned her Ph.D. in genetics from George Washington University while working as a researcher at the National Institutes of Health. Before coming to Penn State, she worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. She is investigating the genetic regulation of inflammation and blood cell development. She plans to teach a course in immunology.

Darren L. Frechette, assistant professor of agricultural economics, earned B.S. degrees in math and economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in economics from North Carolina State University. His research focuses on agricultural marketing and price analysis.

Andrew J. Henderson, assistant professor of veterinary science, has a B.S. and an M.A. in biology and a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences, all from the University of California-Riverside. He worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University before coming to Penn State. His research centers on how genes regulate the development of blood cells. He also is investigating which genetic signals regulate the expression of HIV cells. He is interested in offering a course on molecular immunology.

Sally E. Johnson, assistant professor of poultry science, specializes in the regulatory processes of embryonic chick skeletal muscle development. She earned her B.S. and M.S. in animal sciences from Michigan State University and her Ph.D. in nutritional sciences from the University of Arizona. Before coming to Penn State, she was an assistant research scientist at Purdue University.

Seogchan Kang, assistant professor of plant pathology, earned his B.S. and M.S. in chemistry from Seoul National University in Seoul, Korea and his Ph.D. in physiological chemistry from the University of Wisconsin. Before coming to Penn State, he coordinated the Neurospora Genome Project at the University of New Mexico. He specializes in the molecular genetics of plant-microbe interactions.

William J. Lamont Jr., associate professor of vegetable crops, will develop and lead an extension program on the culture and management of potatoes and other selected vegetables. His research will complement the extension effort. He earned a B.S. in horticulture from Delaware Valley College, a B.S. in economics and business from Lebanon Valley College, and an M.S and Ph.D. in vegetable crops from Cornell University.

Thomas H. Martin, assistant professor of aquatic ecology, earned a B.S. in biology from Lincoln Memorial University, an M.S. in biology from East Tennessee State University, and a Ph.D. in zoology from North Carolina State University. He comes to Penn State from Clarion University of Pennsylvania, where he was an assistant professor of biology. Before that, he worked as an assistant researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Center for Limnology. His research focuses on fish and invertebrate populations, community ecology, and the effect of woody debris on streams. He teaches courses on the impact of pollutants on aquatic systems and case studies in ecosystem management. He also has taught a graduate course on river ecology.

Marc E. McDill, assistant professor of forest resources, has a B.S. in forest management from the University of Minnesota, an M.S. in forest economics from North Carolina State University, and a Ph.D. in forest economics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He was an assistant professor at Louisiana State University. His awards include the 1996 Outstanding Service Award from the Louisiana Society of American Foresters and the Presidential Fellowship from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. His research interests include forest management decision-making for private landowners, timber supply issues, and computer technology for forest management decision-making and forest growth and yield. He will teach forest resource management and forest ecosystem management.

Martin R. McGann, assistant professor of landscape contracting, earned a B.S. in landscape architecture from Penn State and an M.S. in regional planning from the Harrisburg campus of Penn State's Capital College. He has extensive professional experience as a landscape architect, most recently working for Sweetland Engineering in State College on a variety of building projects. He also worked for Sleepy Hollow Restorations in Tarrytown, N.Y., where he supervised the landscapes of four historic sites, including the home of Washington Irving. He also was a landscape architect for the New York Botanical Garden. He will teach landscape contracting.

Richard C. Stehouwer, assistant professor of environmental soil science, conducts an extension and research program on beneficial uses for industrial and urban by-products, soil reclamation, and land utilization. He earned a B.S. in biology and German from Calvin College, an M.S. in agronomy from Cornell University, and a Ph.D. in soil chemistry and fertility from The Ohio State University.

Jack P. Vanden Heuvel, assistant professor of veterinary science, earned a B.S. in pharmacology/toxicology and a Ph.D. in environmental toxicology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Vanden Heuvel worked as an assistant professor at Purdue University before coming to Penn State. He also worked as a visiting scholar and postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. His research focuses on how carcinogenic chemicals can alter gene expression. He would like to organize and teach a course on molecular toxicology.

David G. Wagner, assistant professor of agricultural engineering, will serve as extension specialist in charge of precision agriculture technologies. He earned a B.S. in civil engineering from Ohio Northern University, an M.S. in sanitary engineering from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in agricultural engineering from Colorado State University. Before coming to Penn State, he was a research associate at Colorado State University in precision agriculture using remote sensing and geographic information system techniques.

Pat R. Whittington, assistant professor of agricultural and extension education, serves as assistant to the dean for the Office for Undergraduate Education. He earned his Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of Idaho in 1997. He also holds an M.S. in educational administration and agricultural education from the University of Idaho and a B.S. in agricultural economics from The Ohio State University. He oversees the College's commencement ceremonies and the scholarship/awards and scholars programs.