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This web page cannot have resulted without the generous and dedicated support of others.

First, I thank former YSU Provost, Dr. Martin Abraham, for granting me a Faculty Improvement Leave to complete this effort.  Without this award, the accompanying web page and the revised curriculum it encompasses may still have come to pass.  However, Dr. Abraham’s confidence in me and this project brought it to fruition in an expeditious manner that shall enhance the educational experience of YSU’s students – and perhaps others outside YSU.  In addition, his investment in this project shall provide YSU’s students significant cost savings in not having to purchase a published laboratory manual.  I am grateful for Dr. Abraham’s whole-hearted support and I should hope our students are as well.

I also thank my friend, colleague, and Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, Dr. Gary Walker, for enthusiastically providing not just his help in this endeavor, but for seeing to it that the necessary fiscal resources were provided.  His willingness to invest in this project shall make the microbiology laboratory experience for our students nor only a resounding success, but also a touchstone by which all other courses may be measured.  I am deeply appreciative of all he has done for this effort in addition to what he does each day for our Department and University.

In addition, the fine-tuning of the exercises contained within this laboratory course could not have occurred without the assistance of others who taught them to our students.  I am thankful for the efforts of Ms. Liu Sui, Mr. Zack Andrew, Mr. Brett Lomman, Ms. Jameaka Cross, Ms. Steficah Maosa, and Ms. Kelsey Ford.  I especially wish to thank Brett Lomman for his excellent assistance in preparing cultures and reagents as well as performing a number of tasks that enhanced different laboratory exercises.

Furthermore, I thank Mr. Ed Budde for helping facilitate the acquisition of numerous essential materials, often going beyond my requests for help to ensure that the most appropriate items were obtained quickly and economically.  I also thank Mr. Joe Bielicki for seeing to it that the teaching laboratory was in order and stocked despite that chaos associated with performing new and revised procedures.

The “guinea” pigs in this project deserve extreme kudos as well – those being the students enrolled in BIOL 3702L over the past academic year.  They beta-tested various aspects of revised and new exercises, mostly without complaint and sometimes in fascination.  I have appreciated their input, their diligence, and their patience in this effort.  I truly hope they and their future peers find the enhanced laboratory to be a positive and gainful experience.

Finally, to my wife, Karen – why you put up with me and my eccentric idiosyncrasies is beyond comprehension.  For that and more reasons that I can possibly point to, I am forever humbled by your undying love and unremitting support.  You’re the best!!!  FAAD!

Chet Cooper

Youngstown, Ohio