Dr. Maureen Busta

Professor of Mathematics
Office: Baker-Hebron 102
E-mail: bustam@uiu.edu
Phone: (563) 425-5224

Dr. Maureen Busta, Professor of Mathematics has been teaching mathematics at Upper Iowa University for 13 years. Dr. Busta received her B.A. in Mathematics from Mt. Mercy College, and her Master's Degree and Doctorate from the University of Northern Iowa.

Dr. Busta enjoys working with students very much. Her interests include work with the Iowa Council of Teachers of Mathematics, having served as both the Treasurer and President of that organization.

Dr. Jeffrey Butikofer

Assistant Professor of Environmental Science
Office: Baker-Hebron 14
E-mail: butikoferj@uiu.edu
Phone: (563) 425-5265

Dr. Jeffrey Butikofer earned a B.S. in chemistry and mathematics from Upper Iowa University in 2000 and earned his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from the University of Wyoming in 2005.

After completing his doctoral work on the coordination chemistry of various electrophilic organometallic transition metal complexes, he joined the Faculty at Upper Iowa as an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science.

Currently, Dr. Butikofer teaches a wide variety of classes in the fields of environmental science, chemistry, and mathematics including environmental science, environmental chemistry, biochemistry, physical chemistry, organometallic chemistry, and college algebra.

His research interests include synthesis using high vacuum/Schlenk techniques and characterization by x-ray crystallography. In his spare time, Dr. Butikofer enjoys fishing the waters of North East Iowa and beyond in both the summer and winter.

Dr. Joseph Elarde

Assistant Professor of Information Technology
Office: Edgar Fine Arts 212
E-mail: elardej@uiu.edu
Phone: (563) 425-5835

Dr. Aaron Haines

Assistant Professor of Biology
Office: Baker-Hebron 105
E-mail: hainesa@uiu.edu
Phone: (563) 425-5222

Dr. Scott Figdore

Professor of Science
Office: Baker-Hebron 108
E-mail: figdores@uiu.edu
Phone: (563) 425-5223

Dr. Scott Figdore earned his B.S. in Horticulture from Pennsylvania State University in 1981 and his M.S. and Ph.D., with a major in Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics and a minor in statistics in 1986 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He completed his post-doctoral research in Plant Molecular Genetics, and then worked for four years as a Molecular Biologist in the seed corn industry before coming to Upper Iowa University in 1992.

Dr. Figdore is a tenured Professor of Science, and he teaches core and elective courses for the Biology, Applied Plant Science, and Conservation Management majors. He has supervised undergraduate research projects in genetics, molecular genetics, microbiology, and plant physiology. Dr. Figdore helps to maintain Upper Iowa's greenhouse, and he is actively involved in Upper Iowa's Science and Environment Club on campus.

Dr. Nigel George

Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Physics
Office: Baker-Hebron 13
E-mail: georgen@uiu.edu
Phone: (563) 425-5719

Dr. Rick Klann

Delano Professor of Science
Office: Baker-Hebron 206
E-mail: klannr@uiu.edu
Phone: (563) 425-5245

Dr. Rick Klann is the Delano Professor of Science at Upper Iowa University. He teaches upper-level courses in Biology.

In 1997 he was named the Iowa Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. His graduate education is in the field of parasitology, and he conducts research on parasites of fish and wildlife.

Since joining the faculty at Upper Iowa University in 1989, he has developed an interest in water quality and is funded by various private and governmental agencies to carry out water quality monitoring on small streams in Northeast Iowa. He also conducts research on the use of benthic macroinvertebrates as indicators of water quality in these streams.

Dr. Katherine McCarville

Assistant Professor of Geosciences
Office: Baker-Hebron 12
E-mail: mccarvillek@uiu.edu
Phone: (563) 425-5233

Dr. Katherine McCarville is the Assistant Professor of Geosciences at Upper Iowa University. Dr. McCarville earned her B.S. in geology at the University of California at Los Angeles, and her MSc in geology from the Colorado School of Mines, where she studied mineral deposits.

Dr. McCarville's doctoral work was completed at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in the area of vertebrate paleontology.

Her interests span the earth-and-environmental sciences, and often cross disciplinary boundaries. Dr. McCarville enjoys teaching a diverse set of courses in the earth sciences and recently taught a section of the first-year seminar (Wellness Strategies) at Upper Iowa. Recently, Dr. McCarville has been engaged in implementing a classroom-response system and assessing its effectiveness as a learning tool.

Dr. McCarville enjoys mentoring students, and has supervised student projects in trumpeter swan restoration, wildland fire education, fish species of the Grand Canyon, assessment of a local shooting range for lead contamination, and GIS-based studies of the distribution of algific talus slopes that serve as refugia for Pleistocene species. Her own current scientific interest is the biogeography of fossil and modern swans in North America.

Cheryl Northrup

Teaching Assistant in Mathematics
Office: Baker-Hebron 100
E-mail: northrupc@uiu.edu
Phone: (563) 425-5269

Dr. Erik Olson

Professor of Chemistry
Chair, Division of Science and Mathematics
Office: Baker-Hebron 201
E-mail: olsone@uiu.edu
Phone: (563) 425-5220

Dr. Erik Olson earned his B.A. in chemistry from Juniata College in 1987 and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Dartmouth College in 1993. After post-doctoral work at the University of Notre Dame from 1993-94, he joined the faculty at Upper Iowa University in 1994 as an assistant professor.

Currently, Dr. Olson holds the rank of Professor and serves as Chair of the Division of Math and Science. Dr. Olson teaches many courses within the chemistry major, including general chemistry, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, quantitative analysis, and advanced organic chemistry. Dr. Olson also teaches a chemistry course for non-science majors in support of the university's general education curriculum.

His research interests focus on organic synthesis, but he has supervised undergraduate research in a variety of areas, including biochemistry, organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and inorganic chemistry. Dr. Olson believes strongly that research and laboratory work are integral components of undergraduate learning.

Dr. Kerry Opel

Assistant Professor of Forensic Science
Office: Baker-Hebron 102
E-mail: opelk@uiu.edu
Phone: (563) 425-5220

Dr. Jennifer Stoffel

Assistant Professor of Biology
Office: Baker-Hebron
E-mail:
Phone: (563) 425-5847

Dr. Margaret Wimmer Johnson

Associate Professor of Nursing
Director of Nursing Education
Office: Edgar 208
E-mail: wimmerm@uiu.edu
Phone: (563) 425-5357