Faculty
Dr. Donald Baumann
Dr. Baumann serves as professor of biology and chemistry and has been at Cedarville since 1964. He received his B.S. (1960), M.S. (1962), and his Ph.D. (1964) from Iowa State University. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Institute of Biological Sciences, Creation Research Society, and Society for Industrial Microbiology. Dr. Baumann and his wife, Carol, have been married for 43 years. In his spare time, Dr. Baumann enjoys growing vegetables and fruit trees.
Mr. Mark Gathany
Mark Gathany serves as an assistant professor of biology and environmental science. He earned his Ph.D. in ecology from Colorado State University, an M.S. in environmental studies from Ohio University, and a B.S. from Grace College. He enjoys teaching Ecosystem Science and Principles of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) each fall and General Ecology each Spring. He and his research students investigate all things "ecological" ranging from biogeochemistry to animal population surveys. He is also interested in how society views nature and its resources, and he looks to examine those perspectives in himself and his students. To that end, Mark also serves as the faculty advisor to the student organization Pro Terra Forma - "for the beauty of the earth" - which seeks to encourage environmental stewardship around the campus and community. He currently holds memberships in the American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Ecological Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America. He and his wife, Christina, have two sons. Please visit his website for more information!
Dr. Heather Kuruvilla
Dr. Kuruvilla serves as professor of biology and has been at Cedarville since 1997. She received her B.S. in biology from Houghton College (1992) and her Ph.D. in biological sciences from the State University of New York at Buffalo (1997). She is a member of the American Society for Cell Biology, where she presents data at their annual conference and serves on the Congressional Liaison Committee. Dr. Kuruvilla and her students continue to publish scientific articles and abstracts on aspects of chemorepellent signaling in Tetrahymena. Dr. Kuruvilla and her husband, Saju, have two daughters, Debbie and Julia. In addition to jumping on the trampoline with Debbie and Julia, Dr. K enjoys writing and playing music, reading, exercise, and watching professional football (Go, BILLS). Dr. Kuruvilla received a Cedarville University Faculty Teaching Effectiveness Award in 2004 and was named the Cedarville University Faculty Scholar of the Year during the 2006–2007 academic year. She has also received a number of other teaching awards, including the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award (2005), Ohio Magazine's Excellence in Education Award (2003) and Who's Who Among America's Teachers (2003–2004, 2004–2005).
Dr. Lisa Schaffner
Dr. Schaffner serves as associate professor of biology and has been at Cedarville since 2000. She received her B.S. in Biology from Purdue University (1992) and her Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from The Ohio State University (2000). She is a member of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Her research interests focus on determining how signal transduction cascades are integrated into a biological response, specifically at the level of transcription. The lab is focused on trying to identify and characterize new protein interactions using a variety of genetic and biochemical techniques. Dr. Schaffner also has two children, Jacob and Anika. In her spare time she loves riding hunter/jumpers.
Dr. John Silvius
Dr. Silvius serves as Senior Professor of Biology and Center Associate for Environmental Ethics in the Center for Bioethics at Cedarville. He has been at Cedarville since 1979. John earned his B.A. from Malone College (1969), a Ph.D. in plant physiology from West Virginia University (1974), and completed postdoctoral experiences in the department of botany and the department of agronomy at the University of Illinois (1974–1976). He also serves as adjunct professor and Cedarville representative at the AuSable Institute of Environmental Studies. Before coming to Cedarville, Dr. Silvius was a plant physiologist for the USDA Agricultural Research Service. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Institute of Biological Sciences, Botanical Society of America, Creation Research Society, and Nature Conservancy. Dr. Silvius has been honored as Cedarville's Faculty Member of the Year and also as Faculty Scholar of the Year. His research interests include the effects of disturbance on forest communities and preservation of prairie remnants in southwest Ohio. He is an active member of his church, where he serves as a deacon and in the Awana program. He and his wife, Abby, have been married since 1969 and have a son, Brad; a daughter, Melinda; and three grandchildren.