معرفی
Michael L. Boller serves as Associate Professor and Program Director of Sustainability in the Department of Biology at St. John Fisher University. He teaches diverse courses including Environmental Issues (BIOL 101C), Research-Based Writing (BIOL 199C), Plant Biology Laboratory (BIOL 213L), Evolution (BIOL 405), and Ecology (BIOL 408/408L).
His educational background:
- Ph.D. from University of Rhode Island
- M.S. from University at Buffalo
- B.S. from University at Buffalo
Dr. Boller's research integrates ecology, engineering, and physics to investigate aquatic organisms in moving water. His primary focus is on biomechanical adaptations, particularly how macroalgae and freshwater plants reconfigure to survive hydrodynamic forces. Current projects examine flexural stiffness development in Western New York macrophytes, testing the hypothesis that mechanical properties decrease as plants grow from boundary-layer sprouts to free-stream colonizers.
Analysis of his 2002-2010 publications reveals consistent themes in hydrodynamic performance and structural adaptations. His work spans intertidal macroalgae and gorgonian corals, emphasizing reconfiguration mechanisms, drag reduction strategies, and morphology-flow interactions through combined field and laboratory approaches.
No scientific awards are mentioned in available records.
Dr. Boller actively mentors undergraduate researchers, currently collaborating on freshwater macrophyte mechanical properties using a custom plant testing machine. He seeks additional students for aquatic ecology projects, emphasizing hands-on research in his specialized laboratory facilities.
His research laboratory features a plant material testing machine and recirculating flume for hydrodynamic experiments, supporting ongoing investigations into structural adaptations of aquatic plants in variable flow environments.
