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Document Type

Article

Abstract

In this paper, data from student projects completed in their HONR 1000N: Genetics and Genealogy course, taught during winter 2010, are presented. Students traced their deep ancestry through mitochondrial and Y-chromosome DNA analysis, as well as more recent ancestry, using genealogical databases and family histories. Frequently, students were challenged or pleasantly surprised by the information they gleaned. Genetic and genealogical research can provide clues to one’s identity and ethnic background, as well as potential medical conditions.

Author Bio(s)

Jim Doan, Ph.D., holds a B.A. in Literature from UC—Santa Cruz, an M.A. in Folklore and Mythology from UCLA, an M.A. in Celtic Languages and Literatures, and a Ph.D. in Folklore and Celtic Studies from Harvard. Since 1988, he has taught courses in literature, the arts, folklore, and mythology at the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences Division of Humanities. He established the Stolzenberg-Doan Endowment Fund, which supports an International Studies lecture series at NSU, as well as scholarships to allow NSU students to undertake foreign studies. He is a vice president of the Doane Family Association, which encourages research on the historical and genetic origins of the Doan(e) family in the U.S. and Canada.

Emily Schmitt, Ph.D., has been a professor in the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences Division of Math, Science, and Technology since 2001, and serves as the college's coordinator of biological sciences. She earned her Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Miami, studying ecology, coral reef conservation, and genetics. She has had a strong interest in genealogy and applying tools of genetics to document family lineages and has supervised several undergraduate research projects in this area of study. She enjoys discovering details about her family heritage.

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