Rachel A. Hirst

Rachel A. Hirst

Professor of Biology, Science Transfer Coordinator

rhirst@stonehill.edu
508-565-1630

Biography

Prior to her career at Stonehill College, Dr. Rachel Hirst worked in the laboratory of Dr. Leslie Parent while earning a doctorate at Pennsylvania State University's Hershey Medical Center. During that time, she studied the role of Rous sarcoma virus Gag protein localization in genomic RNA packaging and dimerization. Following that experience, she was a postdoctoral associate in Dr. Claire Moore’s laboratory at Tufts University, where she examined the role of RNA 3’end processing in transcription termination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Hirst maintains two lines of research in her work at Stonehill. The first includes research involving both community college and Stonehill students studying microbial interactions between fungi and bacteria. The second involves Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) research focusing on ways to increase access to high impact practices (e.g., early research opportunities) and supporting student success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. 

Education

  • Postdoctoral Experience, Molecular Microbiology, Tufts University
  • Ph.D., Microbiology and Immunology, Pennsylvania State University
  • B.S., Biology, & B.A., Spanish, Stonehill College

Courses Taught

  • Biological Principles Lecture and Lab
  • Cell Biology Lecture and Lab
  • Microbiology Lecture and Lab
  • Organic Chemistry of the Cell
  • Strategies for Science Success

Research Interests

  • Microbial interactions
  • Student success in STEM

Areas of Expertise

Biology , Microbiology , Cellular Biology , Virology

Titles

Professor of Biology, Science Transfer Coordinator

Departments

Biology

Selected Publications & Awards

  • Rachel A. Hirst and Tracy Rosebrock. (2023). A Ticket to Nowhere—A Case Study on Lysosomal Storage Disorders. National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science (NCCSTS). 

  • Becky Wai-Ling Packard and Rachel Hirst. ‘STEM Student Success: Strategic Learning, Mentored Research, and Structural Change’. Editor Nicholas Bowman. How College Students Succeed. Stylus Publishing. April 2022.

  • Hirst R, Anderson K., Wai-Ling Packard B., Bleakley B., Lombardi P., Burkholder K. (2021) Faculty Learning at the Individual and Group Level: A Multi-Year Analysis of an Interdisciplinary Science Faculty Learning Community Focused on Inclusive Teaching and Mentoring. Journal of College Science Teaching. 50(6): 20-30. 

  • Hirst R, Bolduc G, Liotta L., and Wai-Ling Packard B. (2014) Building Capacity for Research and Prospective STEM Transfer Students at Community Colleges Through a Summer Research Partnership with a Four-year Institution. Journal of College Science Teaching. 43(4): 12-17.

  • Tyrrell, M.G., Peabody, D.C., Peabody, R.B., James-Pederson, M., Hirst, R.A., Allan-Perkins, E., Bickford, H., Shafrir, A.*, Doiron, R.J.*, Churchill, A.C*., Ramirez-Tapia, JC.*, Seidel, B*., Torres, L*., Fallavollita, K*., Hernon, T*., Wiswell, L.*, Wilson, S*., Mondo, E.*, Salisbury, K*., Peabody, C., Cabral, P*., Presti, L*., McKenna-Hoffman, L*., Flannery, M.*, Daly, K*., Haghighat, D*., and  Lukason, D*., (2020). Mosaic Individuals have the potential to evolve within a single generation. Scientific reports, 10(1), 1-13. (*Indicates Stonehill student co-author)
  • Caitlin Collins*, Caitlin Kowalski*, Jessica Zebrowski*, Yevgeniya Tulchinskaya**, Albert K. Tai, Magdalena James-Pederson, and Rachel Hirst. (2016) Draft Genome Sequence of Methylobacterium sp. Strain ARG-1 Isolated from the White-Rot Fungus, Armillaria gallica.  Genome Announcements. 4(3): 1-2. (*Indicates Stonehill College student co-author and **indicates MCC student co-author)
  • Garbitt-Hirst RA, Kenney SP, and Parent, LJ.  (2009) Genetic Evidence for a Connection between Rous Sarcoma Virus Gag Nuclear Trafficking and Genomic RNA Packaging. Journal of Virology. 83(13):  6790-7.
  • Garbitt RA, Bone KR, and Parent, LJ. (2004) Insertion of a Heterologous Nuclear Localization Signal into the Rous Sarcoma Virus Gag Protein interferes with virus assembly and replication. Journal of Virology. 78:13534-42.
  • Scheifele LZ, Garbitt RA, Rhoads JD, Parent LJ. (2002) Nuclear Entry and CRM1-dependent nuclear export of the Rous sarcoma virus Gag polyprotein. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA.  99(6): 3944-9.
  • Garbitt RA, Albert JA, Kessler MD, and Parent, LJ.  (2001) Trans-Acting Inhibition of Genomic RNA Dimerization by Rous Sarcoma Virus Matrix Mutants.  Journal of Virology. 75:260-268.
  • Liotta LJ, Capotosto RD, Garbitt RA, Horan BM, Kelly PJ, Koleros AP, Brouillette LM, Kuhn AM, Targontsidis S.  (2001) Synthesis of methyl alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-alpha-D-galactopyranoside and methyl alpha-D-xylo-hex-4-ulopyranosyl-(1-->4)-alpha-D-galactopyranoside. Carbohydrate Res. 331(3): 247-53. (Research completed as an undergraduate)

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