Congratulations to Kim Caldwell, Juan Lopez-Bautista, Katrina Ramonell and Leslie Rissler, who have been promoted to Associate Professor with tenure, effective 16 August 2009. (7/09)
The research labs of 16 faculty members, the departmental administrative office and most of the teaching labs have moved (or will be moving shortly) to the newly completed (and unimaginatively named) Science and Engineering Complex. (7/09)
Five undergraduates have been named the 2009-2010 Alabama Dystonia Scholars and Parkinson’s Association of Alabama Scholars. The five students work in the laboratory of Drs. Kim and Guy Caldwell. (7/09)
Dr. Kim Caldwell has won an NSF Career Development Award. (7/09)
UA researchers have developed a new approach to screen Parkinson’s Disease therapeutic drugs(7/09)
Jessica Mitchell, an undergraduate research student in Dr. Steve Marcus’s lab, has been awarded a 2009 McNair Undergraduate Research Scholarship. In addition, Jessica was recently accepted into the Biology Honors Program. (6/09)
Daniel Sullivan, an undergraduate research student in Dr. Steve Marcus’s lab, received the 2008-2009 University of Alabama Outstanding Senior Award. (6/09)
Adam Knight, undergraduate researcher in the Caldwell lab, was named to the USA Today All-USA College Academic team. (5/09)
Three undergraduate researchers in the Caldwell lab represented UA at the recent system-wide Honors Research Competition, pitting honors students from UA, UAB and UAH. John Ricketts (junior, Birmingham) was awarded first place in the poster presentation category for his research into the molecular mechanisms of dystonia. Kyle Lee (junior, Milry) was awarded second place in the oral presentation category for his research into epilepsy. Mike Zhang (freshman, Tuscaloosa) was awarded third place in the poster presentation category for his research into the link between aging and Parkinson’s disease (4/09).
Shusei Hamamichi, a graduate student in the Caldwell lab, received the university-wide award for Excellence in Research by a Doctoral Student (4/09).
Undergraduate and graduate students were recognized for outstanding scholarship, research and teaching at the University and departmental Honors Day ceremonies on 10 April 2009. (4/09)
Dr. Julia Cherry co-authored 2 recent papers, one in PNAS and one in the Journal of Ecology, on the effects of climate change on coastal wetlands. These articles were featured in “Research Highlights” in the journal Nature. (4/09)
Connor Johnson, an undergraduate research student in Dr. Steve Marcus’s lab, was awarded 3rd place in the oral presentation category of the 2009 College Undergraduate Research Conference. The title of Connor’s talk was “Utilizing Fission Yeast As a Model Organism for Gaining Potential Insights on the Pathogenesis of Parkinson’s Disease”. (4/09)
Dr. Jane Rasco and Sam Evers and their Freshman Learning Community – Biology partnered with the Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter and conducted a “supply” drive the first two weeks in March. The results were absolutely amazing!!! Over 50 boxes of food, treats, hand soap, paper towels, rawhide bones, toys (over 400), towels, etc were collected. (4/09)
In a feature article in Bioscience (April 2009 issue), Dr. Leslie Rissler’s lab was highlighted for its work on amphibian phylogeography, highlighting the importance of Alabama as a major biodiversity hotspot. (4/09)
Stream ecology in the frozen north. (3/09)
Registration is open for BSC 497 – Tropical Plant Diversity, for Interim 2009, in Ecuador. The course will be taught by Dr. John Clark. Moe information is available here.
Biology undergraduates have participated in a biology outreach program for at-risk elementary students. (12/08)
Cathy Newman from the Rissler Lab won Best Poster from the Systematics Association: Young Systematists’ Forum in London, England. Her poster, based on her masters research, was titled: An integrative approach to resolving taxonomic controversy and reconstructing the evolutionary history ofRana sphenocephala. (12/08)
Drs. Kim and Guy Caldwell are winners of the Blackmon-Moody Outstanding Professor Award, the highest honor bestowed by the university on its faculty. (11/08)
Dr. Juan Lopez-Bautista (PhycoLab) has been invited by the National Academy of Sciences to participate in the Symposium “Frontiers of Science” at the Arnold and Beckman Center, Irvine, CA in November this year. (10/08)