Elizabeth McCain
Education
- Ph.D., University of Texas
- Post-doctoral research, Duke University
- M.S., University of South Carolina
- B.S., New College
Teaching Interests
My motivation for teaching is my love of the natural world and a desire to share this passion with others. In the classroom or lab environment I obviously share information and ideas with students, but I also provide the students’ many opportunities to learn how to think about static information in a more analytical and synthetic manner with in-class work. I also create opportunities for the students to “own” a portion of the course, by having them carry out self-designed experiments or present to others a topic that is not part of the course material. This is best illustrated in my CUE, Scanning Electron Microscopy, where the students put all their science training to the test. Each student comes up with a novel biological question that can be investigated with the electron microscope. After a semester of designing the research and gathering and analyzing the data, the students present their findings, and passion for their research experience, to the Muhlenberg community in a poster session.
Research and Scholarship
My scholarly interests lie in understanding how a fertilized egg leads to something as beautiful and complex as an embryo, larvae, or adult. I am particularly interested in the development of marine invertebrates (e.g. worms and sea urchins) and have asked questions such as how cells acquire their final fate, how embryos respond to environmental toxins or stressors and the relationship between development and regeneration of body parts. In collaboration with Professors Amy Hark and Bruce Wightman, students and I have also investigated the role of specific epigenetic and genetic factors in the development of plants and worms, respectfully. One of my greatest joys is working with students on research questions generated by the students. I advocate for giving students the opportunity to uncover their passion for the natural work, developing their own research questions and, with my help, devising experiments to answer those questions in the laboratory. That experience is often the most powerful outcome of their undergraduate science education.
- Biology Independent Study/Research: Toxicity of Bisphenol
- Biology Internship: Elmwood Park Zoo
- Biology Internship: New England Aquarium
- Developmental Biology
- From Ecosystems to Organisms
Hark, A.T. and E.R. McCain. 2019. The Histone Acetyltransferase GCN5 and the Transcriptional Coactivator ADA2b Affect Trichome Initiation in Arabidopsis thaliana. microPublication Biology. https://doi.org/10.17912/micropub.biology.000176
Kotak, J.*, A. Kendig*, K. Cann*, J. Shaffer*, A.T. Hark, and E.R. McCain. 2019. Disruption of the Histone Acetyltransferase GCN5 and the Transcriptional Coactivator ADA2b Affect Trichome Density in Arabidopsis thaliana. microPublication Biology. https://doi.org/10.17912/micropub.biology.000174
Trachtman, N.*, P. Sockler*, H. Caiola*, E.R. McCain, and A.T. Hark. 2019. Expression of the DELLA Repressor GAI and its Regulators SPY and SEC are Impacted by Disruption of Chromatin Modifiers. microPublication Biology. https://doi.org/10.17912/micropub.biology.000175
Kotak J*, Saisana M, Gegas V, Pechlivani M, Kaldis A, Papoutsoglou P, Makris A, Burns J*, Kendig AL*, Sheikh M*, Kuschner CE*, Whitney G, Caiola H, Doonan JH, Vlachonasios KE, McCain ER, Hark AH. 2018. The histone acetyltransferase GCN5 and the transcriptional coactivator ADA2b affect leaf development and trichome morphogenesis in Arabidopsis. Planta. 248:613-628.
Verghese E*, Schocken J*, Jacob S, Wimer AM*, Royce R*, Nesmith J*, Baer GM*, Clever S, McCain ER, Lakowski B, Wightman B. 2011. The tailless ortholog nhr-67 functions in the development of the C. elegans ventral uterus. Developmental Biology.356: 516-528.
Cohen R*, Schocken J*, Kaldis A, Vlachonasios KE, Hark AT, and McCain ER. 2009. The histone acetyltransferase GCN5 affects the inflorescence meristem and stamen development in Arabidopsis. Planta 230: 1207-1221.
McCain ER. 2008. Poecilogony as a tool for understanding speciation: Early development of Streblospio benedicti and Streblospio gynobranchiata (Polychaeta:Spionidae). Invertebrate Reproduction & Development.51(2): 91-101.
McCain ER, Grimnes K, Trussell C. 2007. When drug sales and science collide. National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science. http://www.sciencecases.org/vioxx_sales/vioxx_sales_notes.asp
McCain ER and McLaughin J. 2007. Chicken embryonic heart lab. Library of Educational Annotated Developmental Biology Resources. http://www.apsarchive.org/search/FactSheet.asp?ID=1081&RetTo=advanced&RecNo=1.
*Denotes Muhlenberg College student
- Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Teaching Award
- Bridge Builder's Awards, Muhlenberg College
Gleason L*, McQuade M*, McCain ER. 2018. The effects of BPA on sea urchin development. Sigma Xi Research Symposium, St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA, April 2018.
Hovan, M*, McCain ER. 2016. Sublethal effects of Bisphenol A on sea urchin embryonic
skeleton development. LVEES Symposium, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, April 2016.
**First Place Oral Presentation.
Kotak J*, Hark A, McCain ER. 2012, Gene expression assessment in gcn5 mutant trichomes. UMBC 15th Undergraduate Research Symposium, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, October 2012.
*Denotes Muhlenberg College student
Biology
Contact: elizabethmccain@muhlenberg.edu