CURRICULUM VITAE

John S. Choinski, Jr.

Professor

Department of Biology

University of Central Arkansas

Conway, AR 72035

(501) 450-5918

Education:

 

B.S. Botany, University of Florida, June, 1974

 

M.S. Botany, University of Florida, June, 1975

 

Ph.D. Botany, Arizona State University, August, 1978

Supervisory Professor: Dr. R.N. Trelease

Dissertation Title: "Glyoxysomal enzyme regulation during cotton seed formation and early germination."

Professional Experience:

 

Professor, University of Central Arkansas, 1993- current

 

Visiting Senior Lecturer in Plant Physiology, University of Zimbabwe, 1989-1991

 

Associate Professor, University of Central Arkansas, 1987-1993

 

Assistant Professor, University of Central Arkansas, 1984-1987

 

Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Wyoming, 1979-1984

 

Research Associate, Oregon State University, 1978-1979

 

Research Assistant, Arizona State University, 1976-78

Membership in Professional Organizations:

 

Botanical Society of America

Teaching Experience:

 

Undergraduate: General Biology1,2, Plant Physiology1,2,3, Plant Ecophysiology2, Cell Biology1,2, Seeds; Physiology and Production1, General Botany2, Economic Botany2,3, Organisms in Extreme Environments2

 

Graduate: Regulation of Plant Growth and Differentiation1, Regulatory Physiology2, Plant Physiology1,2, Plant Ecophysiology2, Organisms in Extreme Environments2

(courses taught at the University of Wyoming from 1980-19841; University of Central Arkansas from 1984-current2, University of Zimbabwe from 1989- 19903)

Research Interests:

 

Effect of environment on photosynthesis and leaf development in plants

 

Isolation of bioactive compounds from plants

Grants Received:

 

The effect of the plant growth retardant, AMO-1618 on gibberellin content in Ricinus communis L. seeds. Funded by UCA Research Council: $9,446

 

Instrumentation to upgrade undergraduate cellular and molecular biology laboratories. Funded by NSF- College Science Instrumentation Program (8551073): $78,216

 

The isolation and identification of gibberellins in extracts of castor bean. Funded by UCA Research Council: $17,032

 

A study of Zimbabwean oilseed bearing trees. Funded by UZ research board: Z$11,160

 

Physiological ecology of marine grasses. Funded by UZ research board: Z$2,394

 

Thermotolerance as a criterion for seed selection in shortleaf and loblolly pine. Funded by UCA Research Council: $15,000

 

Anthocyanins and photosynthesis in southern red oak. Funded by UCA Research Council: $7,385

 

Microcomputer-aided gathering and analysis of oxygen electrode data. Funded by UCA Research Council: $5,315

 

The integration of computer-linked data acquisition and analysis systems into undergraduate cell biology and physiology laboratories. Funded by NSF-ILI (DUE- 9650139): $77,150

 

Renovation of Lewis Science Center's Research Facilities. Funded by NSF Academic Research Facilities Program (Steve Addison, PI; J. Choinski provided portion of proposal to fund plant growth chamber facility): $351,280

 

Extraction and analysis of antimicrobial compounds from known medicinal plants. Funded by UCA Research Council: $8,400

 

Screening of Arkansas plants for antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. Funded by UCA Research Council: $8,560

 

Do anthocyanins protect young leaves from UV-B light? Funded by UCA Research Council: $6,892

 

The effect of UV-B light on leaf anthocyanin synthesis. Student proposals funded by NASA Arkansas Space Grant Consortium (with Clay Hendricks): $3,920

 

Investigation of photosynthesis and foliar pigment synthesis in Eucalyptus species. Proposal funded by the Faculty of Science Visiting International Scientist Program, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia: A$3000 (5 months July – December, 2001)

 

Diurnal changes in oak leaf anthocyanins; The effect of sampling site on oak leaf anthocyanins. Student proposals funded by NASA Arkansas Space Grant Consortium (with Julie Hall and Tracie Boyd): $5,350

 

Acquisition of a laser scanning confocal microscope for natural science research and teaching. Funded by NSF Major Research Instrumentation Program (Steve Runge PI, Jon Ruehle, Jim Murray, Barbara Clancy, co-PI's; J. Choinski, Senior Investigator): $225,155

 

Development of a WWW page for the Jewel Moore Nature Reserve. Funded by the UCA Foundation: $1,800

 

Effect of habitat on anthocyanin expression in Black Jack Oak. Funded by UCA Research Council: $5,816

 

Evaluation of secondary metabolites of two native honeysuckle flowers for antimicrobial properties. Funded by UCA Research Council: $8,300

 

Leaf expansion, leaf temperature and thermal regulation of photosynthesis. Funded by USDA CREES: $90,014

 

Enhanced instrumentation for high temperature tolerance screening in cotton. Funded by Cotton Incorporated: $2625/yr (for three years)

 

Identification of key genes involved in heat tolerance during cotton leaf expansion. Funded by P3 Center Next-Gen Pilot Award ASSET II EPSCoR: $3380

 

FAD gene expression during cotton leaf expansion. Funded by UCA Sponsored Programs Fund: $3408

 

Equipment grant (LEEF Bud package to purchase LI-COR 6400XT infra-red gas analyzer): $24,274 toward purchase.

 

Abstracts and Conference Presentations:

 

1. Choinski, J.S., Jr. and R.N. Trelease. 1977. Ontogeny of glyoxysomes in cotton cotyledons during seed formation and early germination. Plant Physiology 59: 79S.

 

2. Choinski, J.S., Jr. and R.N. Trelease. 1977. Glyoxysomal ontogeny in cotton ovules. Journal Arizona Academy of Science 12: 37S.

 

3. Choinski, J.S., Jr. and R.N. Trelease. 1978. Malate synthase in cotton embryos. Plant Physiology 61: 35S.

 

4. Choinski, J.S., Jr. and T.C. Moore. 1979. Photoinduction of ent-kaurene synthesis in pea shoots. Tenth International Plant Growth Substance Conference Abstracts, p 11.

 

5. Tarpley, L., Troyer, G.D. and J.S. Choinski, Jr. 1981. Enzymatic and ultrastructural analysis of castor bean cotyledon development. Journal of Colorado-Wyoming Academy of Science. 13: 17S.

 

6. Troyer, G.D., Choinski, J.S., Jr. and T.S. Moore. 1981. The regulation of phospholipid synthesis in castor bean endosperm. Journal of Colorado-Wyoming Academy of Science. 13: 18S.

 

7. Choinski, J.S., Jr. 1981. Gibberellins and the development of glyoxylate cycle enzyme activity in castor bean endosperm. Plant Physiology 67: 149S.

 

8. Tarpley, L. and J.S. Choinski, Jr. 1985. Effect of the axis and endogenous sucrose on enzyme development in castor bean endosperm and cotyledons. Plant Physiology 77: 74S.

 

9. Choinski, J.S., Jr. and T.S. Moore, Jr. 1986. Evidence for the control of castor bean endosperm cholinephosphotransferase by calmodulin. Plant Physiology 80: 131S.

 

10. Hansen, E.B., Jr., Getek, T.A., Choinski, J.S., Taylor, J. and W.A. Korfmacher. 1990. Detection and identification of some free acid gibberellins and their methyl esters by thermospray MS and combined HPLC/TSMS and tandem MS. Proceedings of the 38th Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics, Tucson, Arizona, pp 1059-1060.

 

11. Choinski, J.S., Jr. 1990. Aspects of seed viability in Trichilia. Plant Physiology 93: 135S

 

12. Choinski, J.S., Jr. and J.M. Tuohy 1990. Stress and seed germination in African Savanna trees. Physiologia Plantarum 79: A114.

 

13. Choinski, J.S., Jr. and J.M. Tuohy. 1991. Photosynthesis and water relations in flushing and green leaves of Brachystegia. Plant Physiology 96: 132S.

 

14. Choinski, J.S., Jr. 1992. Effect of water stress on seedling growth of the lowland African savanna tree, Colophospermum mopane. Presentation to Arkansas Academy of Science, 76th meeting, April 4, 1992.

 

15. Choinski, J.S., Jr. and J.M. Johnson. 1993. Short term stress-induced root growth in mopane. Plant Physiology 102: 151S.

 

16. Montomery, B.L. and J.S. Choinski, Jr. 1996. Anthocyanins, UV-B and photosynthesis in Quercus falcata L. Plant Physiology 111:76S

 

17. Choinski, J.S. Jr and R. Wise. Photosynthesis, anthocyanins and leaf development in oaks. Presentation to the Botanical Society of America annual meeting in Baltimore, MD, August 2-8, 1998. (Amer. J. Botany 85: 90S)

 

18. Hirrel, M., Choinski, J.S., Jr., Runge, S. and M. Moran. The use of computer workstations in general biology laboratories. Presentation to the Botanical Society of America annual meeting in Baltimore, MD, August 2-8, 1998. (Amer. J. Botany 85: 180S)

 

19. Toyang, N., Choinski, J.S., Jr., Draves, P. and D. Smith. Antimicrobial activity of Khaya antotheca A. Juss (Meliaceae). Presentation to the Botanical Society of America annual meeting in Baltimore, MD, August 2-8, 1998. (Amer. J. Botany 85: 94S)

 

20. Hirrel, Marc C. and J.S. Choinski. The use of investigative biology exercises in freshman labs improves the retention of biology majors in advanced courses. Presentation to the Botanical Society of America annual meeting in Portland, OR, August 6-10, 2000. (Amer. J. Botany 87: 189S)

 

21. Hendrix, C. and J.S. Choinski, Jr. The effect of UV-B light on leaf anthocyanin synthesis. Presentation to the Tenth Annual Arkansas Space Grant Symposium held in Jonesboro, Arkansas, April 26, 2002

 

22. Choinski, J.S., Jr., Eamus, D. and P. Ralph. Changes in photosynthesis during leaf expansion in Eucalyptus sieberi. Abstract to the Ecological Society of America meeting held in Tucson, Arizona, August 3-7, 2002.

 

23. Snider, J. and J.S. Choinski, Jr.  Developmental differences in leaf temperature, gas exchange, and photosynthetic temperature optima in Sumac. Presentation to the Arkansas Academy of Sciences Meeting, Dardanelle, AR, April 13-14, 2007.

 

24.  Choinski, J.S. Jr., Garimella, U., Harris, T., Lee, S. and R. Nayak.  Evaluation of Secondary Metabolites of Invasive and Native Honeysuckle Flowers for Antimicrobial Properties.  Presentation to the Arkansas Academy of Sciences Meeting, Dardanelle, AR, April 13-14, 2007.

 

25.  Snider, J. and J.S. Choinski, Jr. Gas exchange and leaf temperature changes in Smooth (Rhus glabra L.) and Winged (Rhus copallina L.) Sumac. Presentation to the Botanical Society of America annual meeting in Chicago, IL, July 7-11, 2007. (Amer. J. Botany TBA).

 

26. Snider, J. and J.S. Choinski, Jr. Differences in chlorophyll fluorescence temperature optima of young and mature leaflets of Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra L.) Presentation to the Botanical Society of America annual meeting in Chicago, IL, July 7-11, 2007. (Amer. J. Botany TBA).

 

27. Lee, S., Garimella, U., Choinski, J.S., Jr. and R. Nayak R. Native species of medicinal plants have higher potency than introduced species. Presentation to the 2008 Society of Ethnobiology Annual Conference, University of Arkansas, April 16-19.

 

28. Waggoner, A., Choinski, J. and U. Garimella. An assessment of Arkansas antimicrobial flora: methodological considerations for medical ethnobotany. Presentation to the 2008 Society of Ethnobiology Annual Conference, University of Arkansas, April 16-19.

 

29. Choinski, J.S., Jr. Photosynthesis and heat resistance in immature leaves of Weinmannia racemosa. Presentation to the 2009 Botany & Mycology conference, Snowbird, UT, July 25-29.

 

30. Chastain, D. and Choinski, J.S., Jr. Effect of leaf temperature on photosynthesis during cotton leaf expansion. Presentation to the AR P3 Symposium & AR NSF EPSCOR Annual Meeting, Heber Springs, July 26-28, 2011.

 

31. Brinker, D., Chastain, D. and Choinski, J.S., Jr. Mathematical modeling of cotton leaf photosynthesis. Presentation to the 2012 Arkansas Academy of Science meeting, Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia, April 13-14, 2012.

 

32. Chastain, D., Hall, T., Brinker, D. and Choinski, J.S., Jr. Early stages of cotton leaf expansion: a biological set point? Presentation to the AR P3 & ACMAP meeting, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, May 22-23, 2012.

 

33. Chastain, D., Hall, T. and Choinski, J.S., Jr. High leaf temperatures may induce elevated thermotolerance in young cotton leaves. Presentation to the 2012 Botanical Society of America conference, Columbus, OH, July 7-11, 2012

 

34. Brinker, D., Chastain, D. and Choinski, J.S., Jr. Mathematical modeling of photosynthesis as a teaching tool.  Presentation to the 2012 Botanical Society of America conference, Columbus, OH, July 7-11, 2012

 

35. Chastain, D., Hall, T. and Choinski, J.S., Jr. Leaf age class differences in fPSII thermotolerance and lipid composition in field-grown Gossypium hirsutum are correlated with changes in vapor pressure deficit.  Presentation to the Beltwide Cotton Conference, San Antonio, TX, Jan 7-10, 2013

 

36. Hall, T., Chastain, D., Owiti, H. and Choinski, J.S., Jr. Enhanced photosynthetic thermotolerance of young Gossypium hirsutum (cotton) leaves is associated with high levels of total lipid and thylakoid membrane lipid fatty acid saturation. Presented to the joint Southern Section of American Society for Plant Biology/Arkansas P3 meeting, Little Rock, AR, April 6-9, 2013

 

Selected Invited Presentations:

 

1. Choinski, J.S. Jr. Comparative photosynthesis in flushing and green leaves of Brachystegia. Invited presentation to Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, October 25, 1990.

 

2. Choinski, J.S., Jr. Investigation of leaf anthocyanin synthesis and photosynthesis in oaks. Invited presentation to Dept. of Plant Physiology, Pannon Agricultural University, Keszthely, Hungary, October 25, 1994

 

3. Choinski, J.S. Jr. Anthocyanins and photosynthesis in tropical and temperate trees. Invited presentation to faculty of Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, July 25, 1996.

 

4. Choinski, J.S., Jr. Leaf expansion, leaf temperature and photosynthesis in kamahi. Presentation to plant research group of Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand, March, 2009.

 

Other Sponsored International Trips:

 

1. Visited the University College of North Wales, U.K. for 14 days (January 1990) to do collaborative research with Dr. Janet Johnson. The result of the visit was the preparation of two manuscripts with Dr. Johnson (eventually published, see “refereed publications” for citations)

 

2. Visited the Forestry Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland for 10 days (March, 1998). The purpose of this visit was to meet with members of the Institute and discuss collaborative research projects.

 

3. Visited University of Buea, Bamenda University of Science and Technology, Heifer Project International and the University of Yaounde in Cameroon  (December 1998). The purpose of the trip was to meet with various scientists regarding collaborative research on the physiology of Cameroonian medicinal plants. I have interacted with a Cameroonian national living in the USA, Ngeh Toyang (a former UCA student, who is presently employed by the National Center for the Development of Natural Products, University of Mississippi) about future research grants (see list of refereed publications for joint articles) 

 

4. Visited and did sabbatical research at the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia (July-December 2001). The purpose of the trip was to undertake an investigation of events occurring during leaf expansion in Eucalypt species growing in Royal National Park, N.S.W.

 

5. Visited and did sabbatical research at the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand (October 2008-April 2009). The purpose of the trip was to investigate the relationship between leaf development, leaf temperature and photosynthesis in southern hemisphere trees. Most of the work took place in Otari-Wilton’s Bush (a nature reserve in Wellington) and the Tararua Forest Park, a large tract of public land about 50k from the campus.

Refereed Publications:

 

1. Choinski, J.S. and J.T. Mullins. 1977. Ultrastructural and enzymatic evidence for the presence of microbodies in the fungus, Achlya. American Journal of Botany 64: 593-599.

 

2. Choinski, J.S., Jr. and R.N. Trelease. 1978. Control of enzyme activities in cotton cotyledons during maturation and germination. II. Glyoxysomal enzyme development in embryos. Plant Physiology 62: 141-145.

 

3. Miernyk, J.A., Trelease, R.N. and J.S. Choinski, Jr. 1979. Malate synthase activities in cotton and other ungerminated oilseeds: a survey. Plant Physiology 63: 1068-1071.

 

4. Choinski, J.S., Jr. and T.C. Moore. 1980. Relationship between chloroplast development and ent-kaurene biosynthesis in peas. Plant Physiology 65: 1031-1035.

 

5. Trelease, R.N., Miernyk, J.A., Choinski, J.S., Jr. and S.J. Bortman. 1980. Enzyme synthesis in developing cotton embryos. In: Proceedings Beltwide Cotton Products Research Conference, Cotton Physiology - A Treatise, Section II, Boll Development, pp. 355-366. Mauney, J.R., ed, National Cotton Council Publ., Memphis, Tennessee.

 

6. Choinski, J.S., Jr., Trelease, R.N. and D.C. Doman. 1981. Control of enzyme activities in cotton cotyledons during maturation and germination. III. In vitro development in the presence of abscisic acid. Planta 152: 428-435.

 

7. Choinski, J.S., Jr. 1982. Effect of AMO-1618 on glyoxysomal activity and sterol synthesis in castor bean endosperm. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation. 1: 227- 242.

 

8. Tarpley, L. and J.S. Choinski, Jr. 1986. The effect of the embryo axis and exogenous sucrose on glyoxysomal enzyme development in Ricinus communis L. (castor bean) endosperm and cotyledons. Physiologia Plantarum 68: 419-425.

 

9. Trelease, R.N., Miernyk, J.A., Choinski, J.S., Jr. and S.J. Bortman. 1986. Synthesis and compartmentation of enzymes during cottonseed maturation. In: Mauney, J.R., McD. Stewart, J. (eds) Cotton Physiology, The Cotton Foundation Reference Book Series, The Cotton Foundation Publisher, Memphis, pp. 441-462.

 

10. Choinski, J.S., Jr. 1987. The use of castor bean endosperm as a plant alternative to rat liver in cell fractionation studies conducted in undergraduate cell biology laboratories. Midwest Bioscience 13: 30-33.

 

11. Tuohy, J.M. and J.S. Choinski, Jr. 1990. Comparative photosynthesis in developing leaves of Brachystegia spiciformis Benth. Journal of Experimental Botany 41: 919-923.

 

12. Choinski, J.S., Jr. 1990. Aspects of post-germinative growth and viability in seeds of the tropical tree, Trichilia dregeana Sonder. Annals of Botany 66: 437-442.

 

13. Choinski, J.S., Jr. and J.M. Tuohy. 1991. Effect of water potential and temperature on the germination of four species of African Savanna trees. Annals of Botany 68: 227-233.

 

14. Tuohy, J.M. and J.S. Choinski, Jr. 1991. Water relations and photosynthesis in the mistletoe Tieghemia and its host tree Diplorhynchus. Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Parasitic Weeds, Nairobi, Kenya (eds J.K. Ransom, L.J. Musselman, A.D. Worsham & C. Parker), pp 232-236, Nairobi, CYMMYT.

 

15. Choinski, J.S., Jr. 1992. Experimental Cell and Molecular Biology. Wm. C. Brown Company Publishers, Dubuque, IA

 

16. Hansen, E.B., Abian, J., Getek, T.A., Choinski, J.S., Jr. & Korfmacher, W. 1992. High performance liquid chromatography/thermospray mass spectrometry of gibberellins. J. of Chromatography 603: 157-164.

 

17. Chikono, C. and J.S. Choinski, Jr. 1992. Thermotolerance characteristics of seeds from geographically isolated populations of the African tree, Combretum apiculatum Sonder. African Journal of Ecology 29: 65-73.

 

18. Tuohy, J.M., Choinski, J.S., Jr., Heyes, J.A. and S.O. Bandeira. 1993. Factors affecting photosynthesis in the Mozambican seagrasses, Cymodocea serrulata and Thalassodendron ciliatum. Photosynthetica 28(2): 307- 312.

 

19. Choinski, J.S., Jr. and J.W. Patterson. 1993. A simple and inexpensive method for studying the kinetics of the enzyme catalase. J. of Biological Education 27(1):7-9.

 

20. Choinski, J.S., Jr. and J.M. Johnson. 1993. Changes in photosynthesis and water status in developing leaves of Brachystegia spiciformis Benth. Tree Physiology 13: 17- 27.

 

21. Johnson, J.M. and J.S. Choinski, Jr. 1993. Photosynthesis in the Tapinanthus vittatus-Diplorhynchus condylocarpon mistletoe-host relationship. Annals of Botany 72: 117- 122.

 

22. Choinski, J.S., Jr and J.M. Johnson. 1993. The mysteries of Zimbabwe's flushing trees.  Biology Digest 19:10-15.

 

23. Johnson, J.M. and J.S. Choinski, Jr. 1993. The spring flush in Zimbabwe's Miombo woodland. Zimbabwe Science News 27:3-6.

 

24. Choinski, J.S., Jr. 1997. Experimental Cell and Molecular Biology. Second Edition. Wm. C. Brown Company Publishers, Dubuque, IA

 

25. Choinski, J.S., Jr. 1999. Laboratory studies of thermotolerance acquisition during seed imbibition and germination. Amer. Biol. Teacher. 61:534-537

 

26. Choinski, J.S., Jr. and R.R. Wise. 1999. Leaf growth and development related to gas exchange in Quercus marilandica Meunchh. J. of Plant Physiol. 154:302-309.

 

27. Abourashad, E, Toyang, N.J., Choinski, J.S., Jr. and I. Khan. 1999. Two new flavone glycosides from Paullinia pinnata. J. of Natural Products 62:1179-1181

 

28. Choinski, J.S., Jr., Ralph, P. and D. Eamus. 2003. Changes in photosynthesis during leaf expansion in Corymbia gummifera. Australian Journal of Botany 51:111-118.

 

29. Snider, J.L., Choinski, J.S., Jr. and R.R. Wise. 2009. Juvenile Rhus glabra leaves have higher temperatures and lower gas exchange rates than mature leaves when compared in the field during periods of high irradiance. Journal of Plant Physiology 166: 686-696.

 

30. Snider, J.L., J.S. Choinski, Jr. and W. Slaton. 2010. Differences in photosynthetic temperature optima of leaf developmental stages in Rhus glabra L. Botany 80:286-289.

 

31. Choinski, J.S., Jr. and K.S. Gould.  2010. Immature leaves of Weinmannia racemosa are more heat tolerant than mature leaves based on differences in chlorophyll a fluorescence, fatty acid composition and solute leakage. N. Zeal. J. Bot. 48: 163-177

 

32. Choinski, J.S., Jr. Core Principles in Cellular and Molecular Biology.~500pp. (textbook in preparation).

 

33. Hall, TD, Chastain, D.R., Horn, P.J., Chapman K.D. and J.S. Choinski, Jr. Changes during leaf expansion of FPSII temperature optima in Gossypium hirsutum are associated with the degree of fatty acid lipid saturation. J. of Plant Physiology (in press)