Meet Us
Department Leadership
Susanne Lindgren
Chair & Professor

- Location: TSC 3000
- Phone: (916) 278-6535
- biosci-chair@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Microbiology, Prevalence and Pathogenic Mechanisms of Salmonella and E.coli, Vaccine Development, and Biosource Tracking of Bacterial Contaminents in Water
Robert Crawford
Graduate Coordinator & Professor

- Location: TSC 4011
- Phone: (916) 278-6438
- robert.crawford@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: Tales From the Microbe-Host Interface
Andrew (Drew) Reams
Assistant Chair & Professor
- Location: TSC 4007
- Phone: (916) 278-7678
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Genetics, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Cancer Genetics, Experimental Evolution
Faculty
Robin Altman
Associate Professor (ON SABBATICAL 2024-25)

- Location: TSC 3009
- Phone: (916) 278-2138
- altman@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Cardiovascular Physiology, Blood-Brain Barrier, Alzheimer's Disease, Cognitive Dysfunction
Evangeline Ballerini
Assistant Professor

- Location: TSC 4015
- Phone: (916) 278-4067
- ballerini@csus.edu
- Website
Jim Baxter
Professor (FERP)

- Location: TSC 5005
- Phone: (916) 278-4047
- jbaxter@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Plant-Mycorrhizal Interactions, Community Ecology, Biodiversity
Ron Coleman
Professor

- Location: TSC 3023
- Phone: (916) 278-4063
- rcoleman@csus.edu
- Pronouns: he/him/his
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Evolutionary Ecology, Behavior, Fishes, Amphibians, Reptiles, Fisheries, Conservation
Clint Collins
Assistant Professor

- Location: TSC 4019
- Phone: (916) 278-5836
- clint.collins@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: functional morphology of vertebrates and movement ecology
Tim Davidson
Associate Professor

- Location: TSC 4003
- Phone: (916) 278-4785
- davidson@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Marine Ecology, Invasive Species, Environmental Science, Biological Conservation
Arik Davidyan
Assistant Professor

- Location: TSC 5009
- Phone: (916) 278-4068
- a.davidyan@csus.edu
- Pronouns: he/him
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Biology Education, Diversity Equity and Inclusion in STEM Education, Exercise and Stress Physiology, Science Communication
Anna Doty
Assistant Professor

- Location: TSC 5011
- Phone: (916) 278-5009
- anna.doty@csus.edu
- Pronouns: she/her
- Specialty & Interests: Ecophysiology, Ecology, Mammalogy, Conservation physiology
Jonathan Gilkerson
Assistant Professor

- Location: TSC 5013
- Phone: (916) 278-4452
- gilkerson@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: Plant Physiology, Arabidopsis thaliana, Physcomitrella patens, Cell Signaling, Abiotic and Biotic Stress
Lani Gleason
Associate Professor

- Location: TSC 4017
- lani.gleason@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Ecological & Evolutionary Genomics, Molecular Ecology, Ecophysiology, Marine Biology
Enid Gonzalez-Orta
Professor & SEE Director

- Location: TSC 3011
- Phone: (916) 278-7391
- gonzalezorta@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: microbial ecology and plant-bacterial interactions
Brett Holland
Professor

- Location: TSC 5015
- holland@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Experimental Evolution, Evolutionary Genetics, Sexual Selection, Social Behavior (BIO 20)
Christine Kirvan
Professor

- Location: TSC 3015
- Phone: (916) 278-6573
- ckirvan@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: Infectious Disease, Autoimmunity, and Molecular Mimicry
Jamie Kneitel
Professor (ON SABBATICAL 2024-25)

- Location: TSC 5003
- Phone: (916) 278-6535
- kneitel@csus.edu
- Website
- CV / Bio
- Specialty & Interests: Community Ecology, Seasonal Wetlands, Disturbance Ecology, Spatial Ecology, Conservation Biology
Marina LaForgia
Assistant Professor

- Location: TSC 3013
- Phone: (916) 278-6360
- marina.laforgia@csus.edu
- Pronouns: she/her
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: community ecology, plant ecology, seed banks, functional traits, temporal variability, climate change, invasive species, grasslands
Chris Lopez
Assistant Professor

- Location: TSC 4009
- Phone: (916) 278-4814
- c.lopez@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Microbiology; pathogenic bacteria; host-microbiota interactions; food microbiology
Jennifer Lundmark
Professor

- Location: TSC 3017
- Phone: (916) 278-6659
- lundmark@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Cardiovascular Physiology; Northmanology
Kelly McDonald
Professor & CSMS Director

- Location: SQU 320
- Phone: (916) 278-3558
- mcdonald@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Biology Education, Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Biotechnology and Bioinformatics
Joya Mukerji
Assistant Professor

- Location: TSC 3005
- Phone: (916) 278-4065
- joya.mukerji@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: Inclusive STEM Success, Biology Education, Molecular & Cellular Biology / Virology, CUREs (course-based undergraduate research experiences)
Kimberly Mulligan
Associate Professor

- Location: TSC 4021
- Phone: (916) 278-4064
- kimberly.mulligan@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Molecular and Cellular Biology, Cell to Cell Communication, Neurodevelopment and Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Hao Nguyen
Professor

- Location: TSC 3003
- Phone: (916) 278-6569
- hao.nguyen@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Cell and Molecular Biology; Colon Carcinogenesis
Erin Olsan
Assistant Professor

- Location: TSC 4005
- Phone: (916) 278-4069
- e.olsan@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Molecular and Cellular Biology, Microbiology, Host-Microbiota Interactions
Tom Peavy
Professor

- Location: TSC 5007
- Phone: (916) 278-7276
- trpeavy@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Molecular Genetics
Adam Rechs
Professor

- Location: TSC 5017
- Phone: (916) 278-6244
- rechs@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Neurophysiology, Digestive Physiology
Rosalee Sprowls
Professor (FERP)

- Specialty & Interests: Human Anatomy, Neuroscience, Electron Microscopy
Clayton Visger
Associate Professor (ON SABBATICAL SPRING 2025)

- Location: TSC 4013
- clayton.visger@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Evolution, Bioinformatics, Genomics, Ecological Modeling
Michael Wright
Associate Professor

- Location: TSC 3007
- Phone: (916) 278-4059
- m.wright@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Cellular Neuroscience, Motor Pattern Generation
Lecturers
Ruth Ballard

- Specialty & Interests: Human Molecular Genetics, DNA Forensics
Cathy Ishikawa

- Location: SQU 205
- ishikawa@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: Biology Education, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in STEM Education, Ecology
Staff
Anna Lopez
Administrative Support Coordinator II

- Location: TSC 3000
- Phone: (916) 278-6535
- anna.lopez@csus.edu
Laura Zamora
Administrative Support Coordinator I & Graduate Secretary

- Location: TSC 3000
- Phone: (916) 278-7675
- zamora@csus.edu
Michael (Squid) Almazan
Instructional Support Technician II

- Location: SQU 34
- Phone: (916) 278-6869
- almazan@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: Organismal Biology/Ecology
Samuel Curtis
Instructional Support Technician II - Vivarium

- Location: SQU 112
- Phone: (916) 278-7677
- webbcurtis@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: Organismal Biology & Live Collections
Mikey Davila
Instructional Support Technician II

- Location: SQU 218B
- Phone: (916) 278-6164
- michael.davila@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: Anatomy/Physiology
Michael Eisner
Instructional Support Assitant II - Stockroom

- Location: TSC 5033
- Phone: (916) 278-4196
- michael.eisner@csus.edu
Caity Fox
Instructional Support Technician II

- Location: TSC 4018A
- Phone: (916) 278-2234
- caity.fox@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: Cell/Molecular
Daniel Pfarr
Instructional Support Technician II - Greenhouse

- Location: Greenhouse
- Phone: (916) 278-7369
- daniel.pfarr@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: Botany
Vacant Vacant
Instructional Support Technician II

- Location: TSC 3016
- Phone: (916) 278-6215
- Specialty & Interests: Microbiology
Don Thompson
Instructional Support Technician II

- Location: TSC 5029A
- Phone: (916) 278-4625
- d.thompson@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: Genetics & Microscopy
Douglas Whited
Instructional Support Technician II - Stockroom

- Location: TSC 5033
- Phone: (916) 278-6104
- d.whited@csus.edu
Emeritus
William Avery
Professor (Retired)

- Specialty & Interests: Community Ecology, Marine Ecology, Invertebrates, and Paleontology
Lee Kavaljian

- Specialty & Interests: Botany
Tom Landerholm
Professor (In memoriam)

- Specialty & Interests: Cell and Developmental Biology