Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Students assist Dr. Neeta Connally with Lyme disease research


Chris Madden and Dr. Neeta Connally,  assistant professor of Biological and Environmental Sciences,  inspect the immature ticks they have just collected from Pole Bridge Nature Preserve in Newtown.
During Summer 2011, Michelle Dease and Karen Thompson collected immature blacklegged ticks by drag-sampling at the WCSU Westside Nature Preserve in Danbury.

Dr. Neeta Connally, assistant professor of Biological and Environmental Sciences, is collaborating with the CT Dept. of Public Health, the Yale Emerging Infections Program, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on a Lyme disease and other tickborne diseases prevention study that is being conducted in nine western CT towns.  As part of the study, during Summer 2011, biology students Michelle Dease (WCSU ‘11), Karen Thompson (WCSU ‘12) and Christopher Madden (WCSU ‘14) helped to conduct field sampling of blacklegged ticks.    The ticks were collected from various tick monitoring sites, as well as from the backyards of households that have been enrolled in the study.    Dease, Thompson, and Madden also helped to identify tick specimens found on study participants.

Monday, September 26, 2011

A&S celebrates Banned Books Week

The School of Arts and Sciences is celebrating Banned Books Week with a series of events.   Today, Dr. Rob Whittemore, professor of Anthropology, and scholar Elizabeth Beverly will present "How to Make a Picture 'Dirty': Lock it up in a Bookstore" from 1-2 p.m. in the Warner Hall Lobby.