THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, May 28, 1996 TAG: 9605280051
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARY BETH BUDNYK, CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: WILLIAMSBURG LENGTH: 71 lines
A sign on the wall of Margaret Saha's office reads: ``Sleep is for the weak.''
Saha, an assistant professor of biology at the College of William and Mary and a mother of five, survives on five hours of sleep a night - and caffeine.
Yet her research remains strong, so strong that President Clinton has taken notice.
Saha was one of four biologists and 30 scientists and engineers from across the country named as Presidential Faculty Fellows. The award, which recognizes young faculty members who demonstrate excellence in scientific research and teaching, is accompanied by a $500,000 grant.
Saha received the award for her work in developmental biology and neurobiology, and plans to use the grant to continue her study of a gene called XEGR.
She believes the gene may play a role in the formation of vascular tissue, such as veins and arteries, during embryonic development. The results of Saha's study could have implications for cancer research, because she believes XEGR might be involved in the growth of tumors.
Biology department chairman Eric Bradley said Saha might be able to determine how to cut off blood supply to a tumor, which would prevent it from multiplying.
Saha conducts her experiments using amphibian embryos because they are considerably larger and more plentiful than mammal embryos. An amphibian may produce more than 500 embryos during a mating period.
Saha will use the grant to purchase equipment and supplies and hire more research assistants. Now, 10 students and three technicians assist Saha. Over the summer, 13 students will work in her lab.
``She has involved many more students in her work than anyone else,'' Bradley said. ``She has the most active research lab in terms of student involvement in our department.''
Saha, who has doctorates in both biology and history, joined the William and Mary faculty in 1993. She credits her five children - Joey, 14; Nina, 12; Jessie, 8; Michael, 6; and Daniel, 1 - with furthering her interest in developmental biology.
To avoid getting overwhelmed, ``I try to combine work and children,'' she said. ``I often bring them to labs.''
Bradley has often seen Saha's children assisting her in the lab on evenings and weekends.
``Everybody's amazed at them,'' he said. ``They are very well-behaved, positive and bright in their own right.''
Saha said that Bradley and William and Mary biology professor Larry Wiseman were supportive without treating her differently from other faculty members.
Saha describes her teaching style as interactive. She believes students retain more when they participate in class discussions.
``I like to make it problem-oriented,'' she said. ``I don't just teach a lot of facts, because people forget facts. It's important to learn how to interpret things. I like to talk about current findings in the field and relate them to what we're studying in class.''
Senior Kristin Whitford has been in Saha's developmental biology and neurobiology classes, and she works in Saha's lab.
``She's been a role model to me,'' Whitford said. ``She's a woman who manages to balance having kids and teaching while remaining accessible to her students. . . .
``She always has time just to chat with students. She's very interested in what's going on in students' lives.'' ILLUSTRATION: BETH BERGMAN
The Virginian-Pilot
W&M's Margaret Saha has two doctorates, involves her students, and
is raising five children.
KEYWORDS: PROFILE by CNB