Biology

Dr. Amelia Atwell

Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology

Dr. Atwell’s teaching interests are in ecology and ecotoxicology. She holds a B.S. from Dalton State College, an M.A. from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a Ph.D. from Arkansas State University. Her research interests are in stream ecology, specifically in benthic macroinvertebrates, or aquatic insects, and how water quality and land use impact stream composition. Atwell enjoys running and hiking. She also dabbles in photography.

Dr. Stefanie Baker

Professor of Biology and Associate Chair

Dr. Stefanie Baker received her B.S. in Microbiology from Clemson University, her M.S. in Microbiology from North Carolina State University, and her Ph.D. in Genetics from Clemson University. For master’s work, she worked with Dr. Kelly Tatchell investigating protein phosphatase type I in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and her Ph.D. work with Dr. Jessup Shively involved characterization of carboxysomes in the chemoautotrophic bacterium Halothiobacillus neapolitanus. She conducted a post-doctoral research project with Dr. Susan Barefoot at Clemson University in the Food Science Department investigating bacteriocins from Propionibacterium jensenii, a bacterium known its role in production of Swiss cheese.

Dr. Baker’s passion is undergraduate education and since 2000, she has focused on working with undergraduates in the classroom and laboratory. From 2000 – 2008, she taught at Erskine College where she received several teaching awards, one of which was the Younts Excellence in Teaching Award. Dr. Baker joined the Biology Faculty at Wofford College in 2008 where she teaches Genetics, Biochemistry, and Microbiology. In 2020, she received the Roger Milliken Excellence in Science Teaching Award. In 2019, she took a sabbatical leave to investigate the role of viral proteins in activation of dendritic cells of the human immune system with Dr. Randal Gregg at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Dr. Stacey Hettes

Professor of Biology

Hettes’ teaching interests are in neuroscience, human physiology, cell biology and writing. She holds a B.S. from King’s College and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Riverside. Her scholarly interests include behavioral science and women in leadership. Hettes enjoys making pottery, swimming and dogs.

Dr. Geoffrey Mitchell

Associate Professor of Biology and Associate Chair of Biology

Dr. Geoffrey Mitchell uses the course-based undergraduate research, or CURE, model to engage students in small research projects as part of their course study. He holds a B.S. in biology from Furman University and a Ph.D. in cancer biology from the University of Arizona. Mitchell’s scholarly interests are in the cellular processes that underlie coral bleaching. He enjoys Wofford’s small class sizes and leads a scuba course each year during Interim. Mitchell, a father of four, spends his free time pursuing his passion for climbing.

Dr. Robert Moss

Larry H. McCalla Professor of Biology

Dr. Robert Moss holds a degree in biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania and in cell and developmental biology from Harvard University. He teaches courses in genetics, immunology, public health and evolutionary biology. His research interests include pedagogy, cancer and developmental biology. He enjoys the opportunity to work closely with students and getting to know them during their time at Wofford.