I am an instructor in the Biology Department here at Everett Community College.  For the most part, I teach Cellular Biology and Microbiology.  I am also involved in two projects, FIRSTII and NCOSP, whose goals are to improve science teaching and learning. These pages provide links to resources on the topics covered in my courses and to resources for other Biology instructors.

Ever since I first peered through a microscope at a drop of pond water as an undergraduate, I have been fascinated by the diversity and complexity of the microbial world.  I received my B.A. in Biology from Boston University, worked for a couple of years in a laboratory devoted to both microbes and teaching, then decided to go to graduate school to further my knowledge and to prepare to become a college instructor.

Most of my graduate studies were on the marine green alga Acetabularia acetabulum, also called The Mermaid's Wineglass.  Each individual Acetabularia is only a single cell, yet they can reach up to 4 cm at maturity -- large enough to pick up with your fingers!  For my research on wound healing in these giant cells, I received an M.S. in Botany from the University of Washington in 1993.  For my research on the onset of reproduction in this organism, I received a Ph.D. from U.W. in 1999. For more information on Acetabularia, click on the picture of the cell.

René Fester Kratz
Department of Biology
Everett Community College
2000 Tower Street
Everett, WA 98201 USA
rkratz@everettcc.edu