Claremont Plant Biology Faculty

David A. Becker (POM)   david.becker at pomona (dot) edu
Associate Professor of Biology and John P. & Magdalena R. Dexter Professor of Botany
I employ biochemical and biophysical methods to study extreme temperature effects on photosynthesis and plants' abilities to tolerate them. In two different projects, I use a local desert plant, creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), and transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) expressing a bacterial gene for cholesterol oxidase in the chloroplast.

J. Travis Columbus (CGU / RSA)   j.travis.columbus at cgu (dot) edu
CGU Associate Professor of Botany
My research involves the evolutionary biology and taxonomy of grasses (Gramineae), especially Chloridoideae, a subfamily of some 1400 warm-season, mostly subtropical and tropical species.

Norman C. Ellstrand (KGI / UCR)   norman.ellstrand at ucr (dot) edu
Professor of Genetics, University of California, Riverside & KGI Adjunct Faculty
My research concerns principally two interlocking interests: the significance of gene flow as an evolutionary force, and applied plant population genetics.

Elizabeth A. Friar (CGU / RSA)   elizabeth.friar at cgu (dot) edu
CGU Associate Professor of Botany
My research interests are in understanding the molecular evolutionary mechanisms and processes underlying differential adaptation to diverse ecological habitats and speciation.

Frances M. Hanzawa (POM)  frances.hanzawa at pomona (dot) edu
Associate Professor of Biology
I am broadly interested in interactions between plants and animals, and my research focuses in particular on the ecological and population genetic consequences of plant-pollinator interactions and seed dispersal. I am also interested in strategies for conservation and restoration of coastal sage scrub, which is the native vegetation in this area.

Lucinda A. McDade (CGU / RSA)   lucinda.mcdade at cgu (dot) edu
CGU Professor of Botany & Chair, CGU Botany Department
My research emphasis is on the phylogenetics of Acanthaceae, plant reproductive biology, as well as hybridization and phylogenetics

J. Mark Porter (CGU / RSA)   j.mark.porter at cgu (dot) edu
CGU Associate Professor of Botany
My research over the past several years has been divided among three principal areas: systematics of Polemoniaceae, systematics of Cactaceae (Cacteae: Echinocactinae), and floristics.

Linda M. Prince (CGU / RSA)   linda.prince at cgu (dot) edu
Research Assistant Professor of Botany
My research is focused on questions in a phylogenetic framework, to elucidate evolutionary relationships among plant groups with interesting geographic distributions or complicated morphologies. I have utilized two very different groups of flowering plants to address the questions above, members of the dicot tea family (Theaceae), and two families of the monocot ginger order: the prayer plant family (Marantaceae), and canna lilies (Cannaceae).

Animesh Ray (KGI)   Animesh_Ray at kgi (dot) edu
Professor, Director of the MBS-PhD Program
My research focuses on gene function, gene regulatory networks, DNA repair, gene targeting, DNA computing, and systems biology.

Kathrin Schrick (KGI)   Kathrin_Schrick at kgi (dot) edu
Research Assistant Professor
My research focuses on sterol biosynthesis genes, plant steroids, lipids, sterol signaling, and plant development.

Diane M. Thomson   dthomson at jsd.claremont (dot) edu
CMC Assistant Professor
My research explores the impact of invasive species on native plant and bee populations, as well as developing data models as tools for inquiry.

Mary E. Williams (HMC)   mary_williams at hmc (dot) edu
HMC Associate Professor of Biology
My research concentrates on intracellular signaling in plant development and stress response. Specifically, I study membrane-associated phosphoinositide signaling using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model.

Carol Wilson (CGU / RSA)  carol.wilson at cgu (dot) edu
Research Assistant Professor of Botany
My research is focused on the comparative morphology of Iridaceae (irises) and Loranthaceae (mistletoes).