Professor Jack Bernard and his wife Flo, both of whom taught in the biology department for many years, have generously established a fund to support undergraduate research in biology. These funds will be used to provide stipends for summer research, funding for student travel to meetings, and, as needed, supplies and equipment necessary for students to carry out their projects. Alumni who believe the research experience was a particularly important part of their academic career at Ithaca College can also contribute to this fund. We hope the fund will grow so as to make a significant impact on future Ithaca College students carrying out research in the biology department. Our heartfelt thanks go to Jack and Flo for their generous donation, which will add to our ability to carry out research projects with undergraduate collaborators. Thanks so much, Jack and Flo!
Jack Bernard retired in 2000 after more than three decades of teaching in the Department of Biology. He served as department chairman from 1973 to 1982 and from 1997 to 1999. His research focused on life history, production, and nutrient cycling in wetland plants, especially the genus Carex. He was awarded several grants from various sources. His last NSF grant funded a three-year project to study the effect of pollution such as acid rain on clonal plant development in the United States and the Czech Republic. Jack also served as the Ithaca College representative to the NCAA.
Florence (Flo) Bernard retired at the end of the fall semester, 1997. Flo held a position in the department as an instructor for many years. She taught laboratories in both Fundamentals and Principles of Biology and also taught the non--majors course Essentials of Biology. Flo was much more than an instructor: She was an integral part of the department, contributing to our teaching effectiveness and our overall departmental character in many ways. She maintained an extensive set of slides for use in the teaching labs and was the co-author, with Steve Thompson, of the lab manuals used for many years in both of our introductory biology courses.