Stephen Mackessy
Professor
- Ph.D.: Washington State University
- B.A., M.A.: University of California Santa Barbara
- Postdoctoral Work: Colorado State University
Contact information
- Email: stephen.mackessy@unco.edu
- Phone: (970) 351-2429
- Fax: (970) 351-2335
- Office: Ross Hall 2540
- Office hours: by appointment
- Laboratory web page: http://studweb01.unco.edu/faculty/smackessy/
Research interests
The general focus of much of my research is on venomous snakes and their venoms; however, particular research projects involve very different aspects of the biology of these remarkable animals, ranging from functional biochemistry to population molecular genetics to natural history/ecology. It is my opinion that an interdisciplinary approach to research can offer the best possibility of understanding an organism and mechanisms of its interactions with its environment, and so my research and that of my students utilizes this multifaceted approach. Below are elaborations of specific projects in progress.
Composition of snake venoms: functional biochemistry and biological roles of specific venom components
Biologically active components of the venom, hemolymph and ova extract from the black widow spider ( Latrodectus tredecimguttatus )
Natural history and ecology of the desert massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus edwardsii) in Colorado
Amphibian and reptile surveys - plains of eastern Colorado
Academic awards and professional honors
- 2006-2007 -- Excellence in Scholarship Award, College of Natural and Health Sciences, UNC
- 1999 -- UNC Distinguished Scholar Award
- 1998 -- Mortar Board Superior Teaching Award
- 1996 -- Alpha Sigma Alpha Certification of Recognition for Outstanding Service to Students
- 1995 -- Mortar Board Superior Teaching Award