Randall DeJong, Assistant Professor, Biology
616-526-7625
rdejong@calvin.edu
Office: DeVries Hall 109
Weekly Schedule
(Knightvision login required)
Education
B.S. in Biology, Calvin College, 1994
M.S. in Zoology, Michigan State University, 1997
Ph.D., University of New Mexico, 2003
Research and Professional Interests
Professor DeJong’s research focuses on the biology of invertebrates, especially parasites and their hosts, from ecological, evolutionary, and genetic perspectives. He has long-standing interests in molluscs (snails, mussels, etc.) and in schistosomes, a group of parasites that cause disease in people in many developing countries, and are found in birds and mammals all over the world. He is also interested in the ecological roles of invertebrates in aquatic ecosystems and their response to global climate change.
Professional Experience
Before coming to Calvin, Professor DeJong was a research scientist at the National Institutes of Health near Washington D.C. There he investigated, at the genetic level, the relationship between malaria parasites and the mosquitoes that transmit them. During his Ph.D. studies, Dr. DeJong participated in the first global genetic study of the parasite Schistosoma mansoni. He has published more than 20 papers in the area of parasitology, and has teaching experience at several institutions of higher learning.
Life outside of Calvin
Professor DeJong enjoys reading, attending concerts, working in the yard, hiking and camping, and thinking about God’s will for our lives. He and his wife, Jennifer Knox DeJong, recently
became parents of Elias, born in 2008.
See a partial list of Dr. DeJong's publications
