William Vorachek

Biography: "I started working in Dr. Phil Whanger’s lab in August of 1999 as the itinerant molecular biologist.  Phil loved selenium so much that his fingernails occasionally turned black (a side effect of excessive selenium consumption).  After Phil, I worked with Dr. Nancy Kerkvliet.  She had memorable Christmas parties.  Now and for the last 18 years, I’ve worked with Dr. Jean Hall.  We look for beneficial effects of selenium on the immune system of sheep, cows, and calves.  It is a very productive collaboration with the publication of numerous papers."