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Curriculum Vitae

 

Dr. Willhite's Homepage

 

 

David Grant Willhite

May 2005

Personal Data

Business Address: Tennessee Wesleyan College

P.O. Box 40

Athens, TN 37303

Home Address: 162 County Rd. 578

Englewood, TN 37329

Phone: (423) 746-5236 (W) (423) 507-0086 (H)

Email: willhite@twcnet.edu

Date of Birth: June 22, 1973

Place: Knoxville, TN

 

Academic Preparation

Ph.D. in Biology, University of Cincinnati, 2001

Concentrations: Comparative immunology, cell biology, protein biochemistry

Advisor: Dr. Richard D. Karp

B. A. in Biology, Carson-Newman College, Jefferson City, TN, 1995

Minor in Sociology

 

Teaching Experience

Assistant Professor of Biology, Tennessee Wesleyan College , January 2002-present

Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Microbiology

 

Teaching Assistant, University of Cincinnati, 1996-2001

Freshman (Cell biology, genetics, and ecology) and Sophomore (cell biology) laboratories,

 

Head Teaching Assistant, University of Cincinnati, 1997-2000

Freshman laboratory

 

Instructor, Cincinnati School of Medical Massage, 1999-2001

Anatomy and Physiology

 

Courses Taught/Developed

Tennessee Wesleyan College

Introductory Cell Biology, B 111

General Microbiology, B 265

Principles of Genetics, B 270

Immunology, B 355

Introduction to Bioinformatics, B 421

Cellular and Molecular Biology, B 463

Seminar in Biology, B 471

 

Cincinnati School of Medical Massage

Anatomy and Physiology

 

Research Experience

Enhancing Research in Appalachia (ERIA) Summer Research Project 2004

Directed undergraduate research into the localization of the yeast GPCR, Ste2p to rafts. Mentored two students in protein isolation, concentration determination, Western blotting, etc.

 

Enhancing Research in Appalachia (ERIA) Summer Research Project 2003

Directed undergraduate research into the effect of lipid environment on the yeast GPCR, Ste2p. Mentored two students in protein isolation, concentration determination, enzymatic digestion, Western blotting, etc.

 

ERIA Summer Research Project 2002

Directed undergraduate research into the effect of lipid environment on the yeast GPCR, Ste2p. Mentored two students in Western blotting, protein concentration determination, affinity chromatography, etc.

 

Graduate research

Determination of protein factor involved in the adaptive immune response to soluble antigen in the American cockroach.

 

Current Research Interests

Directing undergraduate research into the effects of lipid-protein interactions on the function of a yeast G-protein coupled receptor (in collaboration with Dr. Stephen Wright, Carson-Newman College and Dr. Terry Bunde, Maryville College).

 

Publications

Editor, Freshman Biology manual

Miller, Iain. (1999) Biology 113/Biology 183 Supplementary Manual. Hayden-McNeil.

 

In preparation:

Wright S, Willhite G, Cannon K, Thomas H, Coughran J, Dalton M, Benton D,

Nichting P, Service S, and Bunde T Effects of a combination of mating

pheromone and azoles on growth arrest in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

 

Willhite G, Bunde T, and Wright S. A biochemistry lab series utilizing techniques for

isolation and characterization of detergent insoluble membrane fractions (rafts) in

Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

 

Willhite DG, Duwel-Eby L, and Karp RD. Demonstration of antigen binding activity by native

hemolymph proteins and MALDI identification of reduced proteins associated with the

adaptive immune response in the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana

 

Research Techniques

Electrophoretic analysis, 2-D electrophoresis, western blotting, affinity chromatography, MALDI mass

spectrometry, enzyme analysis, glycoprotein analysis

 

Presentations: (* = presenter; # = TWC student)

Ergosterol as a raft component and its role in the activity of a yeast GPCR

SE Wright*, T Bunde, G Willhite. SCB 44th Annual Meeting; December 4-8, 2004

 

The role of ergosterol and long-chain fatty acids of phytosphingolipids as membrane raft components

in yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. T Bunde*, G Willhite, S Wright TAS 114 th Annual Meeting,

Nov. 19, 2004

 

Localization of Ste2p, a G protein-coupled receptor, to lipid microdomains in Saccharomyces

cerevisiae. M Murphy*#, J Smith*#, G. Willhite TAS 114 th Annual Meeting, Nov. 19, 2004

 

Ergosterol depletion leads to reduced Ste2p activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. N. Billings*#, A.

Dalton*#, G. Willhite TAS Regional Meeting, Apr. 23, 2004

 

Guest Lectures

Determining the role of the lipid environment in the function of a G protein-coupled receptor, Ste2p, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. G. Willhite TWC Alpha Chi Lecture Spring 2004

Bioterrorism. History of Terrorism (H 461r) taught by D. Duncan. Oct. 22, 2003 .

 

Grants Received

Lee B. Ledford Scholarship for Students in Appalachia , Determination of lipid-protein interactions using a GPCR in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), March 2004

 

Sigma-Xi Grant in Aid of Research, Development of a phospholipase A 2 inhibition assay as a tool to determine the mechanism of adaptive immunity in Periplaneta americana (the American cockroach), January 2001

 

University Research Council Award, University of Cincinnati, Isolation of an antigen binding factor in the American cockroach by preparative electrophoresis and affinity chromatography, June 1999

 

Professional Organizations

Appalachian College Association Science Group, 2002-present

Tennessee Academy of Science, 2004-present

 

Honors and Awards

Lockmiller Outstanding Teacher Award, Tennessee Wesleyan College, 2003-2004

Faculty Incentive Award, Tennessee Wesleyan College, 2003-2004

Biology Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, University of Cincinnati, 2000


 

 

Tennessee Wesleyan College, PO Box 40, Athens, TN  37371-0040
1-800-PICK-TWC ~ (423) 745-7504