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Irma M. Santoro
Associate Professor, Biology
Reinhardt University
School of Math and Science
7300 Reinhardt Circle
Waleska, GA 30183
770-720-9220
[email protected]
Education
Ph.D. 1998 (Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, & Microbiology), University of
Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH.
Doctoral Thesis: “The Alternative Isoforms of the APC Tumor Suppressor: Their
Structure and Function”
Postdoctoral Fellow 1998 – 2000, Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Baylor College of
Medicine, Houston TX
Postdoctoral Fellow 2004 – 2007, Fellowship in Research and Science Teaching (FIRST)
Emory University, Atlanta GA
Administrative Experience
Biology Program Coordinator, Reinhardt University, Waleska, GA; 2013-current
Responsibilities include: Providing academic oversight of program and leading
regular Program Meetings; supervising program curriculum revisions; website
maintenance; maintaining, upkeep and ordering of supplies and equipment for the
program; overseeing maintenance of equipment and facilities for the Science Center
and Dobbs Hall; managing and supervising undergraduate student workers;
developing program reports; developing course schedules for each semester;
advising and mentoring new faculty; assisting with admissions events and marketing
the program
Accomplishments: doubling of student enrollment in Biology and Pre-nursing;
assisted with building a 12,000 square foot new science center with five new state of
the art laboratories, four new classrooms with improved teaching technology, a
computer lab and renovation of the existing Dobbs Hall; supervised equipping the
new science center with new science equipment within budget; developed surveys
for graduating and transferring students within the major and increased retention
rates by 10%
Biology Secondary Education Coordinator, Biology Department and Price School of
Education, Reinhardt University, Waleska, GA; 2008-2014
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Responsibilities included: providing academic oversight of program; advising
Secondary Biology Education students; actively participated in recruitment and
retention committee and Cherokee County Leadership Forums; maintained records
and prepared annual end of the year reports; assisted with admissions events and
marketing of the program
Accomplishments: Assisted with successful Policy Standard Commission (PSC)
accreditation renewal
Graduate School Coordinator, Academic Professional in The School of Biology,
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA; 2007-2008
Responsibilities included: providing academic oversight of program and maintained
student records; assisted in maintaining graduate program budgets; assisted with
grant applications in support of graduate education; website development and
maintenance
Accomplishments: establishing a student advising database, streamlined advising
and developed an effective training program to train teaching assistants
Leadership Experience
Chair, New Science Center Committee, 2012-2013
Chair, Hanover Grants Committee, 2011 – 2012
Chair, Faculty Development Committee, 2009 - 2010
President of Graduate Student Association for Department of Molecular Genetics,
Biochemistry & Microbiology, 1992-1993
Laboratory Manager, Case Western Reserve University; Cleveland, OH; 1989-1991
Teaching Experience
Reinhardt University (2008-present)
General Biology I (Biology 107)
General Biology II (Biology 108)
Genetics (Biology 320)
Cell Biology and Physiology (Biology 340)
Immunobiology (Biology 410)
Biochemistry (Biology 440)
Environmental Cancer Seminar (Biology 300)
Academic Professional, Department of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology
Cell Biology (2007)
Teaching Fellow, Emory University Graduate School
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Principles of Basic Biomedical and Biological Sciences I (2006)
Introductory Biology Laboratory (2005)
Instructor, Biology Department, Spelman College
Biology of Women Lecture and Laboratory (2006)
Science Education Leadership Fellow, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Baylor College of
Medicine, 1999-2000
- Scientific mentor to elementary educators to enhance science education in elementary
schools and science awareness in the community for the Houston Independent school
district; Taught science classes and instructed elementary educators how to perform lab
techniques and experiments
Instructor, Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology University of
Cincinnati College of Medicine
Laboratory Techniques Course (1997)
Other Employment
Web-Based Technical Training Course Scriptor and Editor; 2002-2004
General Electric, Energy Division, GA
 Designed and edited, web-based training courses on medical and health and
safety topics for employees to gain continuing education credits
Scientific Database Curation Consultant; 2001 - 2002
Cognia Inc. New York, NY
Proteome Inc. Division of Incyte Genomics, MA
 Reviewed and translated experimental findings from scientific research
articles into a standardized information language for inclusion into proprietary
genomics databases
 Involved database mining, and knowledge acquisition; expertise in extracting
pertinent information and writing summaries of lengthy scientific manuscripts
Laboratory Manager, Case Western Reserve University; Cleveland, OH; 1989-1991
Department of Physiology & Biophysics

Managed and organized laboratory, trained personnel, maintained budget

Projects included identification and characterization of novel protein products
that interacted with muscle specific promoter elements

Techniques acquired: promoter analyses, transcription factor purification and
primary tissue culture
Laboratory Assistant, Euclid Chemical, Cleveland, OH; 1988-1989

Principle project involved testing the strengths of new cement compounds
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Research Assistant, John Carroll University, Biology Department; Cleveland, OH;
1985-1988

Assisted principal investigator with research project focusing on studying
stomach ulcer formation in a rat model for diabetes mellitus
Honors and Awards
Reinhardt Soccer Teacher of the Week Award, September 2011
United Methodist Exemplary Teaching Award, Reinhardt University, 2010-2011
Beta, Beta, Beta, National Biological Honors Society, Faculty Member, 2008 – Present
FIRST (Fellowship in Research and Teaching) Fellowship, NIGMS funded through the
division of Minority Opportunities in Research, NIH, 2004-2007
Science Education Leadership Fellow, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Baylor College of
Medicine, 1999
Student of the Year Award in the Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry &
Microbiology, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, 1994
Professional Service
Service to the University
Faculty Senate Parliamentarian, 2013-2014
RU Green Committee, 2013 - Present
Curriculum Committee, 2011 – Present
Hanover Grants Committee, Chair, 2011 - 2012
Faculty Development Committee, 2008 – 2011; Chair, 2009-2010
Faculty Colloquium Organizer, 2009 – 2011, 2014-2015
Year of Committee, 2010-2011
Convocation of Artists and Scholars Committee, Organizing Math and Science
presentations, 2009 – Present
Panel member, Student Success Center Sponsored Graduate School Workshop, 2009,
2010
Sustainability Committee 2008 - 2010
Service to School of Math and Sciences
Sociology Search Committee, 2011, 2012
Mathematics Search Committee, 2009
New Science Building Equipment Committee, 2010 - Present
Service to Department of Biology
Biology Search Committee, 2013
Biology Major Field Test Organizer, 2011 - Present
Biology Web Master 2011 - Present
Biology Search Committee, Chair 2009
General Biology I Laboratory Manual, 2009 - 2012
Beta, Beta, Beta Interim Advisor, 2009
Service to Price School of Education
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Recruitment and Retention Committee, 2010 - 2014
Early Childhood Education Faculty Search Committee, 2009
Dispositions Protocol Committee, Secretary, 2009
Dean of Price School of Education Search Committee, 2009
Service to Community
Environmental Committee Chair, Simpson Middle School, Cobb County, Georgia 2010 –
2013
Senior Project Judge, Cherokee High School, 2012
Presented on careers in Biotechnology and Cell and Molecular Biology Research on
Career Day at Simpson Middle School, Cobb County Georgia, May 12, 2010
Career Day Presentation on Careers in Molecular Biology, East Cobb
Middle School, May 16, 2007
Organized and presented at first Science Day, Rocky Mount Elementary, Cobb
County Georgia, March 29, 2007
Founding member of Curieosity, a science club for elementary school girls, 2005
Other Service
Graduate Student Representative to Committee on Graduate Education, University of
Cincinnati, College of Medicine, 1994
Search Committee for Vice President for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies,
University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, 1993
President of Graduate Student Association for Department of Molecular Genetics,
Biochemistry & Microbiology, 1992-1993
Professional Organizations
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Association of Southeastern Biologists
Beta Beta Beta
Presentations and Abstracts (*Indicates posters presented by mentored undergraduate students)
SEEDS - Southeast Educational Data Symposium Roundtable Discussion Leader on
success with adaptive learning technologies, Atlanta, Georgia February 20, 2015.
Santoro I: Using Historical, Non-fiction Literature as One of the Main Texts to Ignite
Interest, Cultivate Critical-Thinking Skills and Confront Ethical and Moral Issues Related
to Science in a Biology Classroom. Association of Southeastern Biologists Annual
Meeting, Athens, Georgia, 2012.
*Wauford R and Santoro I: Are Combined Synthetic Food Dyes Mutagenic. Association
of Southeastern Biologists Annual Meeting, Athens, Georgia, 2012.
Santoro I, Satre D, Wauford R: Using a mutagenicity assay and Saccharomyces
cerevisiae to assess the mutagenic potential of aquatic pollutants. Association of
Southeastern Biologists Annual Meeting, Huntsville, Alabama, April 14, 2011.
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Santoro I: Understanding Mutation Avoidance in the budding yeast S. cerevisiae a
Model for Human Carcinogenesis. Faculty Colloquium Reinhardt University, November
4, 2010.
*Hawkins A and Santoro I: Maize Pan 1 as PAK protein. Association of Southeastern
Biologists Annual Meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, April 9, 2010
Santoro I: Three Interactive Technology Tools to Promote Interaction, Engagement and
Reinforce Learning in the Undergraduate Classroom. IRACDA 2007 National Conference,
San Diego, California, June 10-12, 2007
Santoro I: To mutate or die, that is the question… Regulation of damage tolerance in the
budding yeast S. cerevisiae. Benedictine University, February 1, 2007
Santoro I: Regulation of genome stability in the budding yeast S. cerevisiae. Biology
Department Seminar Series, Emory University, January 23, 2007
Santoro I, Jinks-Robertson S: Effects of Post-Translational Modifications of Proliferating
Cell Nuclear Antigen on DNA Damage Tolerance. Gordon Research Conference on
Mutagenesis, Salve Regina University, Newport, RI, August 6-11, 2006
*Fishman I, Santoro I, Jinks-Robertson S: Do all 3 subunits of PCNA require
ubiquitylation for translesion synthesis? SURE Undergraduate Research Symposium,
Emory University, August 2006
Santoro I, Jinks-Robertson S: Effects of Post-Translational Modifications of Proliferating
Cell Nuclear Antigen on DNA Damage Tolerance. IRACDA Conference 2006, Kansas
City, Missouri, June 14-17, 2006
Kirby AE, Santoro I, Edlund A: Integration of case studies in a biology lab for non-science
majors. Annual Conference on Case Study Teaching in Science. Buffalo, NY, October
2005
*Hampton A, Santoro I, Jinks-Robertson S: The effects of PCNA post-translational
modification on the activity of Pol zeta, a low fidelity translesion synthesis polymerase.
SURE Undergraduate Research Symposium, Emory University, August 2005
Santoro I, Minesinger B, Jinks-Robertson S: Effects of Ubiquitin and Sumo Modifications
of PCNA on Spontaneous Lesion Bypass. IRACDA Conference 2005, Tucson, AZ, June
22-25
Santoro IM, Luo G, Vogel, H and Bradley A: Interaction Between Germline Mutations in
BLM and APC Predisposes to Increased Intestinal Malignancy. The 2000 Annual Meeting
of the American Association for Cancer Research, San Francisco, CA, April 1-5, 2000
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Santoro IM, Pyles RB, Groden J and Parysek LM: Unique Protein Isoforms of the APC
Tumor Suppressor are Present in Post-Mitotic Cells. The 17th Annual Graduate Student
Research Forum, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 1997
Santoro IM, Pyles RB, Groden J and Parysek LM: Unique APC Protein Isoforms are
Identified in Post-Mitotic Cells. Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology,
Growth Control, Keystone, CO, January 4-10, 1997
Santoro IM and Groden J: Alternative Splicing of the Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC)
Gene and its Association with Terminal Differentiation. The 16th Annual Graduate Student
Research Forum, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 1996
Santoro IM and Groden J: Alternative Splicing of the APC Gene and its Association with
Terminal Differentiation. American Association for Cancer Research, Cancer
Susceptibility Genes and Molecular Carcinogenesis, Keystone, CO, February 19-25, 1996
Santoro IM and Groden J: Alternative Splicing of the APC Gene, a Putative Tumor
Suppressor. The 14th Annual Graduate Student Research Forum, University of Cincinnati
College of Medicine, 1994
Santoro IM and Flechtner V: The Statistical Analysis of the Cloning Efficiency with
Respect to Size of Lambda Hind III Fragments. The 98th Annual Meeting of the Ohio
Academy of Science, Parma, OH, April, 1989
Publications
Brandão, L. N., Ferguson, R., Santoro, I., Jinks-Robertson, S., & Sclafani, R. A. (2014).
The Role of Dbf4-Dependent Protein Kinase in DNA Polymerase ζ-Dependent
Mutagenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genetics, 114:, 2014.
D’Costa A. R., Santoro, I. The effect of UV radiation on the survival of yeast and its
implication to a real-life situation. Proceedings of the 29th Workshop/Conference of the
Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE). Tested Studies for Laboratory
Teaching. 30: 371-382, 2009
Santoro I, Jinks-Robertson S. Effects of Post-Translational Modifications of
Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen on Spontaneous DNA Damage Tolerance. (In
Preparation, 2014)
Carson DJ, Santoro IM, Groden J. Isoforms of the APC tumor suppressor and their
ability to inhibit cell growth and tumorigenicity. Oncogene. Sep 16;23(42):7144-8, 2004
Liou GI, Samuel S, Matragoon S, Goss KH, Santoro I, Groden J, Hunt RC, Wang F,
Miller SS, Caldwell RB, Rustgi AK, Singh H, Marcus DM. Alternative splicing of the
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APC gene in the neural retina and retinal pigment epithelium. Mol Vis. Jun 14;10:383-91,
2004.
Steigerwald K, Santoro IM, et al. A distinct splice form of APC is highly expressed in
neurons but not commonly mutated in neuroepithelial tumours. J Med Genet.
Apr;38(4):257-62, 2001.
Luo G, *Santoro IM, McDaniel LD, Nishijima I, Mills M, Youssoufian H, Vogel, H,
Schultz RA, Bradley A. Cancer predisposition caused by elevated mitotic recombination in
Bloom mice. Nature Genetics, 26: 424-429, 2000. (*Both authors contributed equally to
this work)
Pyles RB, Santoro IM, Groden J and Parysek LM. Novel protein isoforms of the APC
tumor suppressor in neural tissue. Oncogene, 16: 77-82, 1998.
Santoro IM and Groden J. Alternative splicing of the APC gene and its association with
terminal differentiation. Cancer Research 57: 488-494, 1997.
Gaulberto A, Lowry J, Santoro IM and Walsh K. Parameters that influence the extent of
site occupancy by a candidate telomere end-binding protein. Journal of Biological
Chemistry, 270: 4509-4517, 1995.
Santoro IM & Walsh K. Natural and synthetic DNA elements with the CArG motif differ
in expression and protein-binding properties. Molecular and Cellular Biology, 11: 62966305, 1991.
Santoro IM, Yi T and Walsh K. Identification of single-stranded-DNA-binding proteins
that interact with muscle gene elements. Molecular and Cellular Biology, 11: 1944-1953,
1991.
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