2009 In the Department of Biological Science at Florida State University (updated 14 July 2009)

The work of Dr. James M. Fadool, his postdoctoral associate Dr. Ann C. Morris, and doctoral student Karen Alvarez-Delfin on the visual system of zebrafish was featured in the March 20–April 16 issue of State.

More news and events of 2009

Administration
Faculty roster
Arrivals
Departures
Awards to faculty, students, staff
Publications
Alumni newsletter (Responses)
Obituaries

Administration

Chair: P. Bryant Chase
Associate Chair for Graduate Studies: George W. Bates
Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies: Laura R. Keller
Associate Chair for Curriculum Development: Lloyd M. Epstein

• New assistant professor Brian P. Chadwick

• New assistant professor Jonathan H. Dennis

• New assistant professor Charlotte T. Lee

• New assistant professor M. Elizabeth Stroupe

Assistant Professor Emily H. DuVal received the department's Loretta Ellias Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.

Professor Thomas E. Miller and teaching-faculty member Dr. Trisha Spears both won FSU University Teaching Awards.

Professor Thomas E. Miller was named the 2008-09 Honorary Professor of the Year by the FSU chapter of the Beta Beta Beta Honorary Society.

• Clemens Lakner received the Ernst Mayr Award for the best graduate-student paper at the annual meeting of the Society of Systematic Biologists

• Four Biological Science students received national research grants from the Beta Beta Beta Honorary society for their undergraduate research projects: Elizabeth Howe (Bass lab), Rebecca Justiniano (Steppan lab), Amy Sloan (McGinnis lab), and Daniel Vera (Bass lab). As part of this scholarship, they will present the results of their research in orally or in poster form at the national biennial Tribeta convention, May 2010, in Durango, Colorado.

• Graduate Student Publication Award: Karen Alvarez
  
• Robert K. Godfrey Scholarship: Eric Jones and Tania Kim
  
• The Margaret Menzel Memorial Scholarship: Timothy Swain, Feng Yang, and Christopher Oakley
  
• The Robert B. Short Scholarship in Zoology: Cristina Kwapich and Carol Saade
  
• The Brenda Bennison Memorial Scholarship: Carol Saade and Carl Whittington
  
• The Jack Winn Gramling Research Award in Marine Biology: Katie Lotterhos

• The Horace Loftin Endowment Award: Megan Jones, Caroline Stahala, and Anna Strimaitis
  
• Biological Science Alumni Scholarship: Austin Jeffries
  
• The John Mark Caffrey Scholarship: Will Overholt, Margaret Shoemaker, Austin Jeffries, and Elizabeth Howe
  
• The Biological Science Faculty Award for Undergraduate Scholarship: Kim Reuter
  
• The Charles M. McAllister Undergraduate Research Award: Margaret Shoemaker, Kany Aziz, Danielle Reed, and Elizabeth Howe
  

Grants specialist Virginia Hellman won this year's Sheila B. Lutz Memorial Scholarship, the first Biological Science employee to do so.

Administrative support assistant Bobbie Weston won an FSU Exemplary Service Award.

Undergraduate advisor Jeffrey Badger won an FSU Undergraduate Advising Award.

Four department employees were recognized for sustained service to the university: technical/research designer Ralph Anderson for 10 years, scientific research specialist Margaret Seavy for 20 years, publications/graphic artist Ken Womble for 30 years, and greenhouse manager Karen Graffius Ashcraft for 35 years!

• John E. Highsmith died Monday, 8 June 2009, age 87, in Tallahassee, FL, after a long illness. From 1957 until his retirement in 1987, he was the supervisor of the Department of Biological Science Machine Shop.

• Dr. Paul R. Elliott, Professor Emeritus of Biological Science, died 24 October 2009, in Tallahassee, of heart failure. Dr. Elliott joined the department in 1971 and retired in 2000. Obituary.