ALERT: Utility/Power Failure on Campus – UPDATE

June 11, 2025 - 11:28 AM

UPDATE: Utility/Power Failure on Campus

Meadville Water Authority is just completing the the main water line repair on the north side of campus and and the water line should be pressurized shortly.

CAUTION FROM THE WATER AUTHORITY: A loss of positive water pressure is a signal of the existence of conditions that could allow contamination to enter the distribution system through back-flow by back‑pressure or back‑siphonage. As a result, there is an increased chance that the water may contain disease-causing organisms.

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a rolling boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using; or use bottled water. You should use boiled or bottled water for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further notice. Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches. These symptoms, however, are not caused only by organisms in drinking water, but also by other factors. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. Guardians of infants and young children and people at increased risk, such as pregnant women, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems, should seek advice from their health care advisors about drinking this water. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426‑4791.

The Water Authority will inform local residents when the water is safe to drink. An updated message Emergency Message will be sent from Public Safety.

Students, faculty and staff should monitor e-mail, the college web site, social and local media for updated information and further updates.
Contact Campus Safety in the event of an emergency: 814-332-3357.

More information on Emergency website

Jennifer Houtz

Headshot of Jennifer Houtz
Department: Biology
Email: jhoutz@allegheny.edu
Office Phone: (814) 332-2970
Office Building: Steffee Hall
Office Room: B121
Box #: 10
Faculty Website

Professional Title/s

Assistant Professor

Faculty Credentials

B.S., Animal Behavior, Millersville University of Pennsylvania Ph.D., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University

Biographical Information

Research Interests

  • Stress physiology
  • Gut microbiomes
  • Behavioral ecology
  • Teaching: Hormones and Behavior Junior Seminar, Population and Community Ecology, Organismal Physiology and Ecology

In an era of unprecedented climatic variability, organisms must express flexible phenotypes to
persist in dynamic environments. My research focuses on how intra- and inter-individual
variation of physiological traits influence the degree of phenotypic plasticity and fitness. The two
focal questions of my research program include: 1) how does the gut microbiome mediate host
phenotypic plasticity? and 2) how do trade-offs between the gut microbiome and hormones
impact phenotypic flexibility? I use a combination of field and lab techniques to address
questions about physiology within an ecological context across biological scales. I primarily
work with cavity-nesting bird species including tree swallows, American kestrels, Eastern
bluebirds, and European starlings.

Potential comp projects in my lab can include questions on how environmental factors impact
physiology and behavior of wild animals. Students in the lab will have the opportunity to learn
ornithological field techniques such as banding, measuring, blood sampling, and behaviorally
monitoring birds. Students will also learn lab techniques such as DNA extractions, PCR,
high-throughput sequencing, and metabolite assays.

More Information

Fall 2023 Student Hours

  • Tuesdays 12:30-2:30 PM
  • Wednesdays 9:00-11:00 AM
  • Thursdays 1:30-3:30 PM