James Bier
Dr. Jim Bier is an Associate Professor in the Arts & Sciences Division of Mercy College of Ohio. He teaches microbiology every semester to nursing and allied health students, ecology and genetics to upper-class biology majors, a full year biology course for first-year biology majors, and biology for non-science majors. In the past, he has also taught a course on the science in science fiction. He was born and raised in Toledo, spent fourteen years away while attending Xavier University for his B.S, Indiana University for his Ph.D. in biology, and Michigan State University as a postdoctoral associate at the Center for Microbial Ecology. He returned to Toledo to teach at Mercy College in 1998. During his graduate and postdoctoral years, Dr. Bier studied the ecology and evolution of symbioses, such as fungi that live inside of plants, viruses that live inside of fungi, and plasmids that inhabit bacteria. At Mercy College, his most recent research has examined the effects of low-stakes testing on student performance. His interests outside of work include visiting natural areas, doing crossword and sudoku puzzles, playing games with his three children and wife, gardening, and converting a portion of his backyard into a wildlife habitat. Dr. Bier’s parents immigrated from northeastern Italy, and he grew up speaking Friulan, an Italian dialect, with his family and English with his friends.
