Take Me To Post Comment Form Dr. Gregory Nishiyama, popular Professor of Biology at COC will be making a presentation to the community at the Hart Park Bunkhouse on March 15 at 8:30 AM. The presentation is called, “The Joys and Horrors of Conducting Research, and will feature a slide show of his work with Sea Sponges and local Chaparral. This event is being sponsored by the Community Hiking Club and several Placerita Volunteers. Dr. Nishiyama was born and raised in Orange County, California. He obtained a Bachelors of Science degree in biology at the University of California, Irvine. There he gained his first research experience in the field of microevolution. At this same institution, he earned a minor degree in philosophy. While at UCI, Gregory also simultaneously attended the California State University, Fullerton as chemistry major. During his final year at UCI he received a grant from the American Lung Association to co-conduct a study investigating the effectiveness of anti-smoking and cancer education programs. After completing these degrees, he was accepted into a Masters program at CSUF. His research initially focused on the biomechanics of sponges. While working on his thesis, Gregory also conducted extensive research work on the vertical migration and ecology of rocky inter-tidal marine invertebrates at temperate latitudes. He also briefly worked in the field of conservation biology with a multi-disciplined group charged with conducting the first GAP analysis of Orange County, CA to determine the influence of county construction activities (toll road, buildings, etc.) on wildlife. The Nature Conservancy later used this work as the only scientific study at the time showing the potential negative effect new toll roads would have if constructed in Orange County. While at CSUF, Gregory was also employed at the University of Riverside’s South Coast Field Station, conducting research on moth pheromones. At UCR he also helped to develop a non-pesticide technique to eliminate moth pests from fruit groves. He later transferred to the University of Southern California and completed a Masters degree in the mathematical modeling of temperate marine inter-tidal habitats. A few years later, he received a Ph.D. degree in chemical ecology also at USC. His dissertation research focused on the release of toxic allelochemicals by sponges and their influence on coral reef community structure. Gregory has also discovered new sponge species, two of which he described and named. Along with finding new sponges, he has conducted surveys searching for new antibiotics in sponges. Gregory has extensive experience working in the coral reef habitat and has conducted research in the tropics in the Philippines, Australia, Mexico, and Brazil. He had also conducted research in the Mediterranean Sea as well as worked with both plants and animals in terrestrial habitats in Alaska, Nevada, Arizona, California and Canada. Gregory has presented his work at both local and international scientific conferences and has publications in refereed journals. More recently, Dr. Nishiyama has been interested in rapid survey methods of both marine and terrestrial habitats as well as modeling community systems. He has conducted quantitative research in many habitats including deserts, chaparral, tropical rain forests, inter-tidal rocky shores, marshes, lakes, rivers and coral reefs. His most recent research trip was to the Amazon jungle to test new mathematical models used to investigate inter-specific competition. Closer to home, Dr. Nishiyama is currently studying a chemical aggregation factor he co-discovered which is released by a marine snail from the rocky inter-tidal of California. He is also interested in visual cues stimulate these snails. Dr. Nishiyama’s indices and mathematical models have been used in many countries by other researchers to rapidly survey environments. He is currently writing a book on the quantitative assessment of animal and plant associations. Several of his mathematical indices and models can be found in scientific books, including a recent textbook on marine quantitative biology. Gregory has taught at Glendale Community College and is currently teaching at the College of the Canyons. He is also the Biology Club Advisor at COC. Gregory has received several teaching awards at different institutions. He has taught many subjects in biology including the following; general biology, environmental science, zoology, organismal biology, cell and molecular biology, human genetics, molecular genetics, marine biology, oceanography, and field biology. When not working, Gregory enjoys hiking and camping with his wife, Cynthia, and his three dogs as well as photography and reading. His talk will focus on the joys and the difficulties, including the dangers of conducting scientific research. He will include some of his work with sponges, but also his work in the tropical rain forests, local chaparral, and local deserts. If you are interested in eco-systems and how they work, you will love this program. This program will be followed by a hike in our local proposed wilderness of Magic Mountain. We will caravan to the trail head in the National Forest above Sand Canyon. Dr. Nishiyama will attend the hike as well, and will be available for questions. The hike is about 10 miles, but you can do as little or as much of it as you like, and you can return to your vehicle at any time. Please bring water if you are going to hike with us, and wear sturdy boots. For more information, or if you have questions, you may contact Dianne Erskine-Hellrigel at zuliebear@aol.com.