From the May 2014 Desktop News | Two Pulitzer Prizes and a host of other international awards bestowed on Dr. Edward O. Wilson, the world’s most decorated scientist and a College of Arts and Sciences alumnus, were recently given to the College as an inspiration for generations of scientists to come. Wilson also gave $100,000 to the College to establish the Edward O. Wilson Biodiversity Fellows Endowment, a scholarship that will support students to conduct field and museum research in […]
Tag: Department of Biological Sciences
Traveling by Innate GPS-like Signals
From the April 2014 Desktop News | One of the most captivating mysteries in biology is the long-distance migrations of animals, particularly young animals that travel more than thousands of kilometers to specific, uncharted locations without older, more experienced migrants to guide them along the way. A College of Arts and Sciences alumnus is changing the way scientists understand one such phenomenon – the migration of Pacific salmon. Dr. Nathan Putman, a 2006 graduate of the Department of Biological Sciences […]
Watkins Appointed UA Arboretum Director
From the March 2014 Desktop News | Monica Watkins, a 2002 College of Arts and Sciences graduate and the University’s first-ever Udall Scholar, has returned to her alma mater as the director of the UA Arboretum. Watkins, who began her new position in January, has focused on assessing the Arboretum’s facilities and planning for upgrades. She is also responsible for all aspects of operation including curating and caring for the living plant collection, facilitating research at the site, presenting public […]
Instilling a Love of Science
From the February 2014 Desktop News | Pre-health honors students in the College are entering their second semester of leading an after-school science program at Matthews Elementary, where about 45 UA students go twice each week to lead hands-on science experiments. Monica Brint, a junior majoring in biology, started the program – called Discovery Buddies – as a way to expose elementary students to the health profession, reiterate what they learn in class and spark a love of science. So […]
Professors Publish Paper in ‘Cell’
From the February 2014 Desktop News | Work done in a University of Alabama laboratory shows that genetically engineered variants of proteins may be “highly promising” for eventually halting the progression of neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s and Lou Gehrig’s disease, according to a paper co-authored by UA researchers and published in the Jan. 16 edition of the journal Cell. Dr. Guy Caldwell and Dr. Kim Caldwell, both professors in the Department of Biological Sciences, published the paper together with […]
Stackman Establishes Marine Science Scholarship in Honor of Professor
Harvey Stackman of Cottondale has contributed $20,000 to establish The Bishop-Stackman Marine Science Endowed Scholarship. Named in honor of Dr. Everett L. Bishop Jr., a long-time faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences, the fund will be used to support scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students studying marine science. Stackman earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and education specialist degrees in biology from The University of Alabama.
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Biology Students Give Back to Toy Drive
More than 300 students in biology classes taught by Drs. Rosianna Gray and Kim Lackey did more than learn about science this semester, they also learned how to give back to children in need. As a result of a combined class toy drive, over 2,500 toys were donated to the Daughters of Isis, the female counterpart to the Prince Hall Shriners, as part of their annual holiday toy drive. According to Gray, the organization was stunned and surprised at the […]
Holznagel Estate Establishes Scholarship in Biology
A gift of more than $30,000 from the estate of Wallace E. Holznagel Jr. has established The Wallace E. Holznagel Jr. Scholarship in Biology to support student scholarships in the Department of Biological Sciences. Holznagel, originally from Chattanooga, Tenn., graduated from Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, Penn. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and a member of the Audubon Society. He later earned his master’s degree and doctorate in evolutionary biology from The University of Alabama and served […]
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Caldwell Lab Collaborates on Groundbreaking Research
From the November 2013 Desktop News | Scientists have identified a chemical compound that enhances cells’ natural abilities to combat a protein linked to Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. The findings, which were recently published in Science online, could lead to the compound or a related molecule being tested as a potential drug to combat these diseases. Drs. Guy and Kim Caldwell, both professors in the Department of Biological Sciences, collaborated with researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Purdue University, and […]
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Acclaimed Biologist to Speak on Climate Change
Polar marine scientist to give Darden Lecture on global warming’s effects on Antarctica University of Alabama at Birmingham author and polar marine biologist James B. McClintock will present “Lost Antarctica: The Ecological Impacts of Climate Change on the Antarctic Peninsula” as the 14th Annual William Darden Lecture Thursday, Oct. 3, at 6 p.m. in the Biology Building, room 127, on the UA campus. A book signing will follow in the auditorium foyer at 7 p.m. The lecture is free and […]
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