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ZOFIA E. GAGNON

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Zofia E. Gagnon received her BS and MS degrees in biology/botany from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland. She received her PhD in plant physiology from Wroclaw University in Wroclaw, Poland.

Dr. Gagnon came to Marist College in 1995 as an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and in 2001 was granted tenure and promoted to Associate Professor. She has taught several courses including General Biology, Environmental Issues, Botany and Nutrition. Her favorite course is Environmental Toxicology which covers the effects of toxins on humans and the environment. Most of Professor Gagnon’s research at Marist College focuses on toxicology. Dr. Gagnon often involves researchers from other Marist College departments and other institutions, such as New York Medical College, in her research; however, she is most noted for involving undergraduate students. Dr. Gagnon delegates a good deal of responsibility to her student researchers, and several became quite skilled in several laboratory techniques through their undergraduate research experience. Professor Gagnon’s students have a reputation for being well-trained and are often sought after by other universities for graduate studies. The Dean of the School of Science describes Professor Gagnon as “a leader in undergraduate research.” To see a description of the research projects Dr. Gagnon has led or in which she has been involved click on the Research Projects link.

Another link, Student Researchers, contains the names of students who, in the past, have worked with Dr. Gagnon, a short description of the research they conducted at Marist and an update on what they are doing now. Some contain a link to the student’s website for even more information.

Dr. Gagnon is also the Director of the Marist College Greenhouse. Besides providing an aesthetic getaway, the greenhouse is used by some of the School of Science faculty to conduct research.

After receiving her PhD in 1986, Dr. Gagnon worked as a Research Scientist at Wroclaw University where she authored several papers. Click on the Resume link to see Professor Gagnon’s resume which includes a list of the more than 40 papers she coauthored. Dr. Gagnon left Poland in 1987 to accept a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Queen Mary College, University of London in London, England. Her postdoctoral study focused on the effect of environmental stresses on the growth and morphogenesis, development and adaptations of aquatic bryophytes.

In 1988 Dr. Gagnon received a Research Fellowship from the Michigan Technological University Biological Sciences Department to determine the contribution of Sphagnum moss to the acidification of wetlands and acid production, both through cation exchange and through organic acids. This work was published in the paper "The pH lowering ability of Sphagnum magellanicum Brid."

In December of 1988 Dr. Gagnon was offered a permanent position at Michigan Technological University in the School of Forestry and Wood Products as a Research Scientist. For seven years she managed a large field experiment, supervising both graduate and undergraduate students. This research, funded by the US Department of Agriculture and the EPA, used open top chambers to measure the effect of elevated tropospheric ozone and elevated carbon dioxide on forest tree species such as white pine and trembling aspen. During her last two years at Michigan Tech, the research also examined the interaction between insects and air pollutants. These efforts focused on the dynamics of plant sensitivity and gypsy moth performance in an elevated ozone and carbon dioxide environment.