2012 In the Department of Biological Science at Florida State University (updated 5 May 2012)

On 28 February 2012, Emily Lee, an undergraduate doing research in Dr. Tang's laboratory, was one of the first students to be profiled on the FSU website. She graduated in the spring of 2012 and will be with the department for several years to come, as a graduate student.

On Tuesday, 20 March 2012, Dr. Joseph E. Italiano delivered the fourth Department of Biological Science Yerger Lecture. Dr. Italiano earned his Ph.D. in 1997 in the laboratory of Dr. Thomas M. Roberts, who will retire from the department this year.

On 13 April, three biological scientists won first place in FSU's InNOLEvation Challenge, one of the nation's largest colleagiate business-plan competitions. For their business plan, "High-Throughput Revolutions," Aubrey Kusi-Appiah and Nicholas Vafai, both Biological Science graduate students, and Sohai Merchant, a senior Biological Science major, will share a $150,000 prize.

On 27 April 2011, Professors Nora Underwood and Brian D. Inouye announced a small reception to celebrate the opening of the inaugural exhibition of Bio-Art"—a collection of striking photographs of insects collected in the course of their research. The hallway outside the large auditorium of King Building has been furnished with picture hangers, and the organizers hope that it will become the permanent home of a rotating display of biology-related art from the department's various laboratories. If you should find yourself in the King Building, be sure to stop by the hallway leading to room 1024 to see what's on display.

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

Administration

Chair: P. Bryant Chase, then Thomas M. Roberts (interim), then Don R. Levitan
Associate Chair for Graduate Studies: George W. Bates
Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies: Laura R. Keller
Associate Chair for Curriculum Development: Lloyd M. Epstein

Arrivals

• The position of Administrative Specialist (the department's chief of staff and business manager) was finally filled by Deena Shealy. The interim specialist, Cheryl Lee, returned to her permanent position in the office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences.

Departures

• Professor Thomas M. Roberts retired in August, after 32 years on the FSU faculty.

• Long-time scientific editor Anne B. Thistle retired at the end of November, after 35 years' service to the department.

Awards

  Faculty Awards

• Dr. P. Bryant Chase, was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

• Dr. Hengli Tang received a 2012 Florida State University Developing Scholar Award.

• Dr. Scott J. Steppan, Professor of Biological Science, was the 2012 College of Arts and Sciences recipient of the Guardian of the Flame Faculty Award, presented each year since 2008 by Burning Spear, a society made up of student leaders and FSU alumni, to one faculty member from each college.
• Dr. Trisha Spears was selected as the 2012 Honorary Member to be inducted into the National Chapter of the βββ Biological Science honorary society.

  Student Awards

• Eric Jones, a student in the laboratory of Dr. Austin R. Mast was one of two graduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences to win a 2012 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. In the fall of 2012, Eric will be joining the University of Maine at Machias.

• Five biological science majors have received scholarships for room and board from the βββ National Chapter and funds for airfare from the FSU honors program to attend the 2012 βββ National Convention in San Juan Puerto Rico: Jenah Aldridge (D. Fadool lab), Emily Lee (Tang lab), Carlie Hoffman (D. Fadool lab), Olivia Gruder (Dennis lab), and Madison Grant (J. Fadool lab).

• The winners of this year's FSU βββ poster competition were: First place, Caroline Watson (Trombley lab; "Diurnal changes in monamines in the olfactory bulb"); second place (a tie), Jenah Aldrige, Chelsea Kramish, Jessica Butler, Carlie Hoffman, Jad Mourad, and Maurico Parra-Ferro (D. Fadool lab; "Diet-induced obesity disrupts learning and memory and information processing in a peripheral sensory system") and Madison Grant (J. Fadool lab; "Retinal development in the mangrove killifish, Kryptolebias marmoratus"); third place, K. Easterling (Bass lab; "Synthesis of modified colchicine for experiments on meiosis"); fourth place, Fernando Baez (Tang lab; "Binding of host Cyclophilin A with hepatitus C virus nonstructural protein 5A"); fifth place, Olivia Gruder (Miller and Dennis labs; "Anti-inflammatory drugs regulate nucleosome distribution during the innate immune response").

  Staff Awards

• Four members of the Biological Science staff were honored for long service at a 17 April ceremony at FSU's Turnbull Conference Center: Marsha Sanders (11 years), Debra Jensen (31 years), Katherine Stone (31 years), and Anne B. Thistle (35 years).

Obituaries

This page is part of the Departmental History Project of the Department of Biological Science at Florida State University. Can you help us fill in the blanks? If you were once a student here, or a member of our faculty or staff, we'd love to hear from you. Send an e-mail to thistle@bio.fsu.edu, a fax to (850) 645-8447, or snail-mail to Dr. Anne B. Thistle, Editor, Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295. And thanks!