Team:WLC-Milwaukee/Team

Team

Students

Jack Bechtel

Biochemistry and Marine Biology | '19

My name is Jack Bechtel and I am a Junior (3rd year) Biochemistry and Marine Biology double major. My primary role on the team is as the overall team administrator and Human Practices organizer, although I do manage to get into lab every once in a while. I am incredibly grateful to work with such an awesome group of dedicated, supportive, and sarcastic people that I am happy to call my friends.

Besides my involvement with iGEM, I also am a member of Campus Student Government, perform research in the Phillips Maize Genetics Lab, and work on a honey farm! As a certifiable human person my hobbies and interests include; sleeping, raising cephalopods, communicating via GIF, and irregularly playing Ping Pong.

Elise Sloey

Biochemistry | '18

I'm Elise Sloey, a senior biochemistry major at Wisconsin Lutheran College. This is my second year on the team and I work mostly with the laboratory side of things. I have always been driven to ask "why," and am very passionate about science and biomedical research. I plan to continue on to pharmacy school next fall where I will truly miss being a part of such an amazing iGEM team. Outside of the lab I try to get lost in nature, hiking and bicycling.

My greatest achievement in life is having the same Meyers-Briggs Personality type as Michelle Obama.

Harrison Fleming

Biology | '18

I am a senior cell and molecular biology major with a minor in chemistry and this is my third and final year on our team! During this year’s project I assisted Jack with administrative duties as well as performing minor laboratory protocols as needed. I also helped build the presentations for our different events and presented at the “Let’s Talk about That: GMOs” event. After graduation I hope to go onto either a position in the pharmaceutical industry or work in a medical research laboratory. In my free time I enjoy watching Netflix, playing cello, and playing rousing games of ping pong against Troy.

Ching-Tzu Yu

Biology | '18

My name is Ching-Tzu Yu (Jeanie) and I am senior biology major at WLC. This is my second year on the team and I help out with the laboratory work of the team. I am from Taiwan and also had a chance to go to the Asia Pacific conference for the iGem team this summer in Taiwan. My plan is to continue my education at graduate school for cell and molecular biology. I enjoy doing research and working in labs. In my free time, I like to read and explore and walk around the neighborhood.

Troy Moench

Mathematics and Computer Science | '18

My name is Troy Moench and I am currently a senior with majors in Mathematics and Computer Science. I was in charge of the design and implementation of the iGEM wiki for the second year in a row. I decided to join iGEM after hearing that the team was in need of a programmer for the wiki. While I don’t have a background in biology, I am excited to be part of a scientific research project. In my sparse free time, I enjoy playing rousing games of ping pong against Harrison, computer programming, and spending time with my friends.

Melissa Helmer

Biology | '18

My name is Melissa Helmer and I am a Senior Biology-Health Science major with a minor in Chemistry. I have been a part of iGEM for the past 2 years, generally working in the lab. Being a part of iGEM has provided me with many valuable lab and presentation skills that I will be able utilize in my professional career. This past summer I had to opportunity to work in a Bovine IVF lab and hope to continue my career there after graduating in May.

Laura Sanford

Chemistry | '21

My name is Laura Sanford and I’m a freshman Chemistry major at WLC. For iGEM, I wrote articles on water pollution and water testing in developing countries, and I also spent a small amount of time in the lab. Next year, I hope to gain more experience in the lab. In summer, I held an internship at The Masterson Company in a Quality Assurance lab, but now I currently work in the Chemistry stockroom at WLC. I enjoy practicing flute and piano, challenging whoever will play me to a game of foosball, and hanging out with my friends and family.

Greta Sievert

Media Design | '18

My name is Greta Sievert and I am a senior Media Design student. I am contributing graphics and other design work to WLC’s iGem team. My goal after graduation is to work as a graphic designer in either Milwaukee or Denver, Colorado, my hometown. Besides creating illustrations and graphics, I enjoy playing volleyball, reading, drawing, and spending time with friends.

Emily Palm

Biology and Psychology | '20

My name is Emily Palm and I am a Sophomore pursing a double major in biology and psychology with a double minor in chemistry and mathematics. My goal is to go to grad school and become a neuroscience researcher. This is my first year on the iGEM team and I have enjoyed the lab experience and comradery that this team has given me. In my free time I love doing anything in the outdoors, especially hiking, camping, and kayaking. When I’m not outdoors I enjoy baking, and being with friends and family.

Sylas Boniek

Biology | '21

My name is Sylas Boniek and I am currently a freshman at Wisconsin Lutheran College and I plan to major in Biology. I hope to go on after college and continue learning about Zoology. This is my first year in iGEM and I am enjoying it. Everyone on the team is very welcoming and knowledgable, they are also very eager to help teach the concepts. I am excited to get more involved in iGEM and learn more as I go. Outside of iGEM I enjoy spending time with my friends and animals, I also enjoy exercising, and the occasional video game.

Instructors

Dr. James Henkel

Assistant Professor of Biology

Dr. James Henkel is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Wisconsin Lutheran College, serving the college with a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from the Medical College of Wisconsin, and a Masters in Clinical Microbiology from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. His area of interest is in Microbial Pathogenesis, specifically Chlamydia trachomatis small GTPase recruitment, bacterial toxin mechanisms of action, and microbial metabolism. As an advisor for the iGEM club, both he and Dr. Werner greatly enjoy working with so many bright and enthusiastic students. Dr. Henkel enjoys biochemistry, reading, hiking, and biochemistry.

Dr. John Werner

Assoiciate Professor of Biology

Dr. John Werner is an Associate Professor of Biology at Wisconsin Lutheran College. He received his Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Arizona State University and performed postdoctoral research at Princeton University. His responsibilities at WLC involve teaching several courses for the Biology and Biochemistry Departments including Microbiology, Genetics, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and performing independent research. Dr. Werner's research focuses on mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in bacteria and developing methods for characterizing and beneficially using bacteriophages.