Pitt-Johnstown Biology Department

04/20/2026

This was an awesome STEM day organized by Dr. Christine Dahlin!

04/20/2026

Congrats to our new Inductees in Tri-Beta, our Biology Honor Society!

New members of Tri-Beta include Audra Fedor, Peyton Morrison, Anson Portzline, Taylar Zacharda and Yash Kamboj.

Tri-Beta Officers are President Cecilia Bean, VP Sam Franz, Treasurer Maura White, Secretary Kyri Hammers and Historian Jaide Dudek.

04/09/2026

Some of our amazing student and faculty presentations from SPACE!

03/24/2026

Animal Behavior students (and some Psych!) trecked to for behind the scenes meet and greets with a kinkajou, burrowing owl and ball python. They learned about animal enrichment, zookeeping and much more! Plus got to pet a very fuzzy kinkajou!

02/13/2026

Dr. Dahlin and a number of her former Biology students, including Bryce Killinger, Lily Richwine, Malanna Snipe, Brianna Guenther and Own Small have published research on the amazing vocabular of yellow-naped amazons. Check out their new research article and youtube video here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0GXepQ6xDc&feature=youtu.be

https://nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jav.03552

Parrots represent an excellent model in which to study complex vocal communication because they meet the prerequisites of the social complexity hypothesis and, like humans, have lifelong vocal learni...

01/21/2026

Check out Dr. Dahlin's interview on a local podcast discussing animal behavior and cat rescue:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4PeEdCQy5b2kYg8pHbteGn?si=lddidWwUSpGD4gFTZfltMA&fbclid=IwY2xjawPd6UFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeuudknAzORijMBwzr0Rg-MHKe5yfrlUzmoGa6hWkp_qwCaxfNk1v9zKkohpw_aem_bVt_L4qTgzfceaa-xUiCwQ&nd=1&dlsi=a5667e6e80bd4e93

Where Adventure Lives · Episode

11/11/2025

We are thrilled to announce we have a new doctor in the department! Longtime laboratory instructor Jennifer Manges is now DOCTOR MANGES! Dr. Manges just defended her EdD at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Education, with her dissertation titled "Innovating Nursing Education Through Virtual Simulation: Evaluating an Intervention to Strengthen Confidence in Communication Skills with Vaccine-Hesitant Patients".

We already had an asset in Dr. Manges but are so excited her new knowledge and skills will further enhance our department. Dr. Manges completed her EdD while continuing to teach her courses AND raising her kids; she is superhuman!

10/31/2025

Human Anatomy students carved "bone-break" pumpkins to celebrate Halloween, and hone their anatomy skills!

10/31/2025

Human Anatomy students carved "bone-break" pumpkins to celebrate Halloween, and hone their anatomy skills!

10/28/2025

Just a day in the Biology Department.

10/23/2025

Students learned to take care of abandoned kittens today and did everything from feeding, to stimulating bowel movements to bathing!

Dr. Dahlin Talks Animals