Faculty Profile
William Soeffing, Ph.D.
Professor, Biology / Area Chair of Natural Sciences
Dr. Bill Soeffing completed a Bachelor’s of Science Degree (zoology and biology) and a Master’s of Science Degree (zoology - parasitology) at South Dakota State University, a Philosophy Doctorate Degree at the University of South Dakota School of Medicine (anatomy and structural biology), and has taught at four public and private colleges and universities. Now in his 42nd year at the University of Sioux Falls, Dr. Soeffing has been the chairperson of the Natural Science Division, chairperson of the Faculty Association, Board of Trustees member and has held membership in numerous Faculty Association subcommittees. He is a co-founder of the Research Advisory Committee and the Institutional Review Board for human and animal subject research. While he maintains many of his research interests in the association of normal development and diseases of the prostate gland, Dr. Soeffing’s current investigations extend into transduction signaling and quorum sensing. He has also mentored 160+ student research associates in non-contrived research projects/programs. Additionally, Dr. Soeffing has been involved in research projects varying in topics from anthropology/archaeology to space exploration/habitation. He is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a former South Dakota representative-delegate to the National Academy of Sciences.
Education
- Ph.D., Anatomy, Structural Biology, Molecular Biology, University of South Dakota School of Medicine, 1994
- M.S., Zoology, Parasitology, South Dakota State University, 1981
- B.S., Zoology, Biology, South Dakota State University, 1978
Courses Taught
- BIO102 - Human Biology
- BIO302 - Biology of Microorganisms
- BIO314 - Human Anatomy
- BIO315 - Human Physiology
- BIO490 - Neuroanatomy
- BIO490 - Biological and Medical Ethics
- BIO491 - Research
- CHE305 - Biochemistry
- CRJ320 - The Science & Law of Evidence
- CRJ328 - Evidence II
- NSC300 - Science Colloquium
- BIO300 - Science Literature Review
Professional Memberships
South Dakota Academy of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
South Dakota EPSCoR Diversity Council (NSF)
USA Cycling Collegiate Conference Director (North Central Collegiate Cycling Conference)
Sanford Research Institutional Biosafety Committee
Expertise
- Human Anatomy and Molecular Cellular Biology
Research
NSF EPSCoR Grant HER 9108773 Timms (PI)
Detection and characterization of androgen receptor proteins in prostate development.
Role: Co-Investigator
NIH Grant R15-DK42609 Timms (PI)
Detection and characterization of androgen receptor proteins in prostate development.
Role: Co-Investigator
NIH Grant R15-DK42609 Timms (PI)
Identification, evaluation, clarification and characterization of the androgen responsiveness of basal cell epithelium and effects on cytokeratin expression during development, regression and regeneration of the prostate.
Role: Co-Investigator
NASA La Chalupa-30 Mission Holland (PI)
NASA Space Biomedical Research Institute Medical Division conducted a 30-day space mission analog in a manned undersea habitat with a science and technical crew studying the effects of long term hyperbaric environment isolation and saturation diving conditions
Role: Mission Science Specialist and Aquanaut
NOAA-NURP Undersea Research Program Soeffing (PI)
Characterization of bacterial infections of the external auditory canal: etiology and pathology; and evaluation of common chemotherapeutics at 1.62 ATA in a shallow water habitat
Role: PI
National Geographic Society Grant 2915-84 Hannus (PI)
Archaeological investigation at the Lange/Ferguson Site: A Clovis Locality
Role: Paid Consultant
South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station Project H-887 Hugghins (PI)
Bighorn Sheep Lungworm Project--Study included observation of and drug therapy of bighorn sheep, in Custer State Park, Hermosa, SD; followed by intensive histopathological and ultrastructural analyses of necropsied tissues infected with Muellerius sp. lungworms. Life cycle and habitat management studies were also conducted.
Role: Research Associate
South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station and Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration Project Hugghins (PI)
Sarcocystis spp. in Wild Ungulates Project--Study included histopathological examinations of necropsied tissues from wild ungulates of South Dakota. The infection incidence and the life cycle definition of Sarcocystis spp. infections were determined. Ultrastructural analyses of Sarcocystis elaphus were performed to provide comparative data for studies being performed in Wyoming and Montana.
Role: Research Associate
NIH National Center for Research Resources (SD Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network)
Examination of human medical issues associated with the occupancy of extreme environments.
Role: PI
Scholarships and Creative Work
Publications
- Soeffing, W.J. 1993. Spinal cord ischemia presenting as a flu-like illness. Proceedings of the South Dakota Academy of Sciences 72:319.
- Soeffing, W.J. and B.G. Timms. 1995. Localization of androgen receptor and cell-specific cytokeratins in basal cells of rat ventral prostate. Journal of Andrology 16:197-208.
- Dubbels, B.L., J.D. French, J.D. Tranas, R.T. Dickey, D.J. Dingsor and W.J. Soeffing. 1996. The Effects of Hyperbaric Air on the Population Growth Rates of the Common Etiological Agents of Otitis and the Development of a Buffered General Growth Medium for use in Compressed Air Environments. Proceedings of the South Dakota Academy of Science 75:137-138.
- McCall, B.J., S.O. Hammar, N.L. Strasser and William J. Soeffing. 2002. Observations on the Colonial Morphologies, Cell-Cell Adhesion Characteristics and Antibiotic Sensitivity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a Hyperbaric Environment. Proceedings of the South Dakota Academy of Science 81:269-270.
- Creager, C.E., S.O. Hammar, M.W. Jacobs, J.W. Kalda, S.J. Mayer, B.J. McCall, J.M. Volkert and W.J. Soeffing. 2002. The Effects of Hyperbaric Environment-Induced pH Changes on the Generation Times of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Proceedings of the South Dakota Academy of Science 81:267-268.
- Klenner, R.M., J.J. Bathke, S.M. Benson, J.R. Christianson, A.J. Hughes, J.A. Maschino, A.M. Schmidt, A.J. Smith, A.L. Stearns, P.G. Van Heukelom and W.J. Soeffing. 2004. The Effects of pH Changes on Aerobic Denitrification Conducted by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Hyperbaric and Normobaric Conditions. Proceedings of the South Dakota Academy of Science 83:261-22.
- Kawasaki, A., N. Lucs, T. Wingert, I. Wipf and W.J. Soeffing. 2016. Developing a Hypobaric Condition for the Observation of Denitrification by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (LCT-PA102) During Early Exponential Phase. Proceedings of the South Dakota Academy of Science 95:138.
- Hammar, S.O., B. McCall, J. Vokert, C. Creager, S. Mayer, N.L. Strasser, J. Altmann, J. Groen, C. Schlenker and W.J. Soeffing. 2001. The Effects of Changing CO2 Concentrations on Gentamicin MIC Testing in Hyperbaric Conditions. Proceedings of the South Dakota Academy of Science 80: 441-442.