Biology & Biochemistry Faculty & Staff
The biology and biochemistry faculty are committed to excellence in teaching and scholarship with a Christian worldview. They represent a diversity of graduate training, experiences, and perspectives in the sciences.
Because of the demanding and highly competitive nature of science, we provide special guidance in course choices, research projects, field experience, future education and career choices.
Faculty

John M. Schmitt, PhD
Director, School of Natural Sciences
Professor of Biology
Research Interests
- Cell growth and signaling, cancer biology

R. Carlisle Chambers, PhD
Professor of Chemistry
Research Interests
- Novel chemical systems for applications in nanotechnology and medicine

Marissa Dickison, MS
Assistant Professor of Biology
Science Outreach Director
Research Interests
- Molecular neuroscience
- Biology education

Micah Donor, PhD
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry
Research Interest
- Development and application of native mass spectrometry methods for structural biology

Jeffrey M. Duerr, PhD
Professor of Biology
Research Interests
- Membrane transport proteins
- Cellular respiration

Assistant Professor of Biology
Research Interests
- Arthropod vector control
- Insect chemosensory systems

Amanda Robert, MS
Assistant Professor of Biology
Research Interests
- Human function, biology concepts, and environmental science

Matthew Stump, PhD
Chair, Department of Biological and Molecular Sciences
Professor of Biology
Research Interests
- Long QT syndrome, a life-threatening cardiac disorder

Aaron Sullivan, PhD
Professor of Biology
Research Interests
- Animal behavior
- Animal ecology
- Biodiversity

Jeff Vargason, PhD
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Research Interests
- Protein-nucleic acid interactions
- Protein and nucleic acid structure determination
- RNA silencing suppression mechanisms
Staff
Faculty Emeriti
- Paul Chamberlain, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry (pchamber@georgefox.edu)
- Dwight Kimberly, Professor Emeritus of Biology; Science Outreach Community Liaison (dkimberly@georgefox.edu)
- Don Powers, Professor Emeritus of Biology (dpowers@georgefox.edu)
- Kathy Weiss, Professor Emeritus of Biology (kweiss@georgefox.edu)