Professor, Coordinator of Biology

Areas of Specialty:
General Biology, Medical Terminology, Ecology, Human Anatomy, Parasitology, Botany, Zoology. His hobbies include American Art Pottery and American Glass.

Dr. Donald Rizzo has taught at Marygrove for more than 32 years. As coordinator of the Biology program, Dr. Rizzo prepares students for careers in teaching, research, graduate study, medical, dental and nursing schools, and pharmaceutical work. His book, Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology, had its second edition published by Delmar Thomson Learning in 2006. It is used by students throughout the world and helps to guide them through a basic understanding of human anatomy and physiology, and the fascinating working mechanisms of our bodies.

Dr. Rizzo has been a visiting professor at the University of Michigan Medical School, where he taught the biology component of the post baccalaureate Pre-Medical Scholarship Program. He is also a manuscript reviewer for Delmar Publishing Company.

His field work studies have taken him around the world to collect material for presentations to his fellow staff members and students. His travels include tours of the Mayan sites on the Yucatan of Mexico, field work in Florida, Alaska, Hawaii, New England and the California coast, and tours of botanical gardens and museums in France, England, Italy, the Baltic States, and St. Petersburg, Russia. He has also traveled to the Galapagos Islands, Amazon Rain Forest, China and Greece.

Dr. Rizzo received a Bachelor of Arts in biology and education from Boston State College, and a Master of Science and a Ph.D. in parasitology from Cornell University.