Joshua Clark (MS in Biology) is an alumnus of the College of Coastal Georgia, graduating in 2004 with an Associates of Science. It was during this time that Mr. Clark collaborated with Georgia College of Milledgeville, Georgia to unearth Pleistocene-aged (20,000 years BCE) fossils at a site – later named Clark Quarry – within Brunswick, Georgia. This site contained the remains of giant bison, mammoths, and giant tortoises, among other ancient fauna. After graduating, he transferred to Georgia College in Milledgeville to continue his work in paleontology, where he obtained a Master’s degree in biology. His work focused mainly on the Pleistocene herpetofaunta (reptiles and amphibians) discovered at Clark Quarry, and an understanding of the Pleistocene climate of Coastal Georgia during the last Ice Age. Today, Mr. Clark has returned to his alma mater, the College of Coastal Georgia, where he currently teaches introductory courses within both biology and geology.

Dr. Jennifer Hatchel earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology from Miami University, Oxford, OH. Prior to that, she received her Masters in Biology from Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN, and her Bachelor’s in Biology at the University of Tennessee-Martin, where she graduated magna cum laude. Dr. Hatchel has taught Principles of Biology I and II with labs, Human Anatomy & Physiology I and II with labs, Foundations of Microbiology with lab, Pathophysiology, Immunology, Microbial Diversity, and Topics in Biological Sciences (Infectious Diseases, Environmental Microbiology). Her research interests include the antimicrobial properties of Manuka honey. She has supervised independent research with undergraduate students investigating the effects of Manuka honey on Salmonella enteritidis, and recently, a student started investigating the effects of Manuka honey combined with lemon and ethanol against Streptococcus pyogenes. Dr. Hatchel hopes to continue these experiments in the future. She is also interested in looking at microbial populations in local rivers and seeing how that affects water quality. One student was working on preliminary experiments at Crooked River State Park, but they were only able to collect a few sets of data. Dr. Hatchel hopes to continue this work in the future as well.

Dr. Holly Nance earned her PhD in Biological Sciences from Clemson University, focusing on population genetics and the application of these data for conservation management. Since teaching at Coastal for the past five years, she continue to mentor undergraduate students applying molecular tools to study epigenetics, eDNA, and seafood mislabeling. She encourages her research students to develop their own questions and projects related to conservation genetics. More recently, Nance mentored students in a bioinformatics course as part of the SEA PHAGES (Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science) Program. In this course, students annotate the genome of a novel bacteriophage discovered by Coastal students, determining the position and function of purported genes. Nance also teaches Cell and Molecular Biology, Genetics and introductory biology courses. Her goal is to help students learn practical skills they can apply in any molecular biology lab, and gain experience with genomic and proteomic software and databases.

Dr. Robertson is a botanist who conducts research in plant ecology, with primary interests in phenology and plant distribution responses to climate change. She teaches both lower- and upper-division courses in biology with a focus on the botanical courses. She also mentors Coastal Ecology students, serves as the curator of the College of Coastal Georgia’s herbarium and greenhouse, and is an advising scientist for TIDES (Texas Integrated Diving & Ecological Studies) Laboratory, which is a multi-institutional undergraduate research program that focuses on student-driven marine research projects on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System in the Caribbean. Dr. Robertson received her B.S. in biology from Angelo State University, her M.S. in biology/plant ecology from Sul Ross State University, and her Ph.D. in biology/plant physiology from Texas Tech University.

Dr. Stasek teaches a variety of courses including Zoology, Vertebrate Natural History, Ecology Field Studies, and Parasitology. He mentors Coastal Ecology students and conducts research in the fields of zoology, natural history, fisheries, and biodiversity. He has collaborated with the University of Georgia Marine Extension Office, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, and the Jekyll Island Authority. Dr. Stasek received his B.S. in Biology from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, OH and M.S. and Ph.D. from Miami University in Oxford, OH.

Hello everyone! My name is Dr. Dantera Tangpisuthipongsa. I usually go by Professor Dan or Dr. Dan. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology from Emory University, and later a Doctorate of Medicine from Medical College of Georgia. After a year of internship, I found myself enjoying teaching and training future healthcare professionals to be my new calling. I spent my free time catching up on my sleep, tending to my garden, and binging on streaming services.

I mainly teach Anatomy and Physiology I & II along with their lab component, and Pathophysiology, which I highly recommend to any student who wants to get a head start in nursing or medical school. My academic interest focuses on biomedical sciences and learning activities that provide a strong foundation for students who are interested in pursuing a healthcare career.