Vassar College Biology : Richard Hemmes

Richard Hemmes

Associate Professor of Biology

Olmsted Hall Room 222
Phone: 845-437-7419
Fax 845-437-7315

A.B. 1964. Biology, Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio
Ph.D. 1969 Zoology, Duke University, Durham, NC
Postdoctoral Fellow in Neurosciences, Duke University 1969-1971

Research Interests

I am interested in the behavioral adaptations of small mammals to parasites, specifically how their use of aromatic plants, nest-building behavior and social interactions affect the numbers of ectoparasites in their nests. I am conducting most of my experiments at field research sites in California, but there is a laboratory component to this work as well. My research organism is the dusky-footed wood rat, Neotoma fuscipes.

I also study seizures in an animal model of human epilepsy, specifically how specially formulated diets affect the incidence and severity of seizure activity in animals that are genetically predisposed to exhibit this activity. My research organism is the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus.

I welcome the involvement of students in all of my research activities.

Teaching Interests

I teach introductory BIOL 105 Disease and Pestilence, intermediate level BIOL/STS 206 Environmental Biology, and two advanced level courses BIOL 340 Experimental Animal Behavior and NEUR 301 Neuroscience and Behavior Senior Seminar (co-taught with a member of the Psychology Department). I have advised Senior Theses for STS, Environmental Studies and Independent majors.

Selected Publications

Hemmes, R.B. A. Alvarado and B. L. Hart 2002. Use of California bay foliage by wood rats for possible fumigation of nest-borne ectoparasites. Behavioral Ecology 13:381-385.
Hemmes, R.B. and R. Schoch. 1988. High dosage testosterone propionate induces copulatory behavior in the obese male Zucker rat. Physiol. Behav. 43:321-324.
Lyons, M.J., I. M. Faust, R. B. Hemmes, D. R. Buskirk, J. Hirsch and J. B. Zabriskie. 1982. A virally-induced obesity syndrome in mice. Science 216(2):82-84.
Schneider, B.S. I. M. Faust, R. B. Hemmes, and J. Hirsch. 1981. Effects of altered adipose tissue morphology on plasma insulin levels in the rat. Am. J. Physiol. 250:E358-E362.
Hemmes, R.B. S. Hubsch and H. M. Pack. 1978. High dosage of testosterone propionate increases litter production of the genetically obese male Zucker rat. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 159:424-427.