Biological Sciences – College of Arts & Sciences

UA Expedition Seeks New Invertebrate Species in Eastern Antarctica

March 6, 2023

Desktop News | March 2023 A team of scientists from the Kocot lab in the Department of Biological Sciences at The University of Alabama will be embarking on an exciting journey to the Eastern Antarctic from March 7 – May 4, 2023. The expedition, funded by the National Science Foundation, is aimed at documenting and describing the region’s invertebrate animal biodiversity and studying their evolutionary history. “Most of the participants on this cruise are students or postdocs and for most, […]

Doctoral Student from Biological Sciences Selected for Acclaimed NOAA Fellowship

January 18, 2023

Desktop News | January 2023 Jake Dybiec, a biological sciences doctoral student, has obtained a paid fellowship from the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, an institution under the purview of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The fellowship will cover Dybiec’s rent and living expenses for the next two years, thus relieving him of teaching duties for these years. For 18 months starting from September 2022, Dybiec will be engaging in intensive fieldwork at Weekes Bay in Fairhope, Alabama. […]

Laura Reed

September 16, 2022

Distinguished Teaching Fellow 2021-2024 Laura Reed is an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, having joined the University of Alabama in 2010. Her research focuses on understanding how evolutionary, genetic, and environmental factors interact to shape complex metabolic traits, including diseases like obesity and type-2 diabetes. Dr. Reed’s academic training prior to coming to Tuscaloosa included a BS in biology from the University of Oregon, followed by a PhD in Ecology and Evolution from the University of Arizona, and […]

Kaleb Heinrich

September 16, 2022

Distinguished Teaching Fellow 2022–2025 Kaleb Heinrich is an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. His areas of research include biology education, active learning, and outreach in STEM, biology graduate student professional development, and freshwater ecology. At UA, he teaches Principles of Biology I and II, Biology Outreach, General Ecology Lab, and Pedagogy in the Biological Sciences. Teaching Philosophy Typical science courses emphasize memorizing facts when learning is actually driven by being observant, thinking, linking concepts, and asking good questions. […]

A&S Junior Creates Group to Combat Vaccine Misinformation

January 18, 2022

From the January 2022 Desktop News | In December 2020, junior biological sciences major and McCollough Pre-Medical Scholar Kyle Boden heard that a new vaccine was becoming available to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic. He, like many others around the country, was excited by the prospect. But this was quickly dampened by the spread of misinformation, which ran rampant on social media. Boden knew he had to do something. Boden, who hails from Santa Clara, California, and his friend, Crystal Tao, who is […]

Being the Change

January 14, 2022

From the 2021 Collegian | When Brittany Hamner graduated from UA in May 2021, she walked across the stage prepared to take on the world. The 2020 Campbell-Portera Scholarship winner had spent the past four years learning all that she could, getting involved in multiple organizations on campus, and making memories that will last a lifetime. Hamner, a Tuscaloosa native and first-generation college student, decided to go to UA to be close to her large, tight-knit family. UA gave her the opportunity […]

A&S in the News: September 26 – October 2, 2021

October 4, 2021

Read local, national, and world news that feature faculty, students, and alumni from the College of Arts & Sciences. Most recently, the College is trending in the news for a freshwater mussel exhibit, the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra, and more.

UA Researcher Publishes Article in “Nature Scientific Reports”

February 22, 2021

A woman crosses through a rainforest on a rope bridge

From the February 2021 Desktop News | In the Amazon rainforest, the Brazil nut tree is an invaluable resource. Towering over their harvesters’ homes at over 160 feet tall, the tree produces fruit that contains the famous Brazil nut, which economically sustains the thousands of people who live there. But the Brazil nut tree’s yield varies from year to year–sometimes it’s bountiful and sustains the harvesters financially, but sometimes, the trees don’t provide a single fruit. UA biology professor Christina […]

Hats Off to the Graduates

January 15, 2021

From the 2020 Collegian | We are so proud of all of our incredible 2020 Arts and Sciences graduates. To celebrate their resilience, ingenuity, and dedication to their education, we want to highlight a few of our newest alumni. Join us in congratulating the Class of 2020! Lota Erinne | English and Finance My Post-Graduate Plans: I’m currently proofreading for Grammarly and participating in a book editing mentorship, and next year I’ll be working as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant […]

Thomas Griffin ’22, Biological Sciences

December 1, 2020

Thomas Griffin, a native of North Carolina, is a biological sciences major and ambassador for the College of Arts and Sciences. After graduation, he plans to pursue a career in pharmaceutical and medical device sales. How did you choose your major? What sparked your interest in the field? I started off as a chemistry major but changed to biology because I changed my career path from pre-med to focusing more on medical device sales or pharmaceutical sales. I also picked […]