Interfering with Response to the Hormone Auxin Causes Extra Cell Divisions, Loss of Root Cap Identity, and Disorganized Growth (Jason Reed Lab)
News
Biology Department Holiday Food Drive
And the winner of this year’s Biology food drive is… The needy people of Orange County! The food that was collected by the UNC Biology Department and delivered to the Inter-faith Council for Social Service (IFC) for distribution completely filled a Suburban van and a Honda Accord! While the analysis of which building had the most food donations is still under discussion, the outcome of these donations is that hundreds of meals will be served to needy Orange County families for weeks to come. Thanks to Blaire Steinwand for organizing this effort, Mark Peifer for leading the charge in Fordham Hall, John Craig for helping deliver the food to the IFC, and to all who so generously contributed!
Senior Lecturer Kelly Hogan Receives a Spirit of Inquiry Award
Congratulations to Senior Lecturer Kelly Hogan, who received a Spirit of Inquiry Award from the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy. The Spirit of Inquiry program increases attention to quality teaching by recognizing faculty at North Carolina colleges and universities who teach difficult courses while emphasizing open intellectual inquiry. READ MORE >>
UNC Biology Students Inducted into Phi Beta Kappa
Congratulations to these UNC-CH students, enrolled as Biology majors or minors, for their induction into Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest academic honor society: Ranjan Banerjee, Daniel Louis Bernstein, Ivy Pauline Brisbin, Kit Randall Broome, Nicolette Raquel Chahin, Scott Ryan Ellis, Roger Fan, Samuel Harrison Farber, John Michael French, Jessica Lauren Glatz, Matthew Steven Krantz, Jacqueline Christine Lee, Lei Lei, Zachary Ryan McCaw, Timothy Ryan Palpant, Madison Elizabeth Phillips, Brienne Rae Poole, Kavya Sekar, Eva Janet Stein, Kiri Elyse Sunde, Emily Barrows Welker, and Kelly Alicia Wolfe. READ MORE >>
Assistant Professor Lauren Buckley’s Research on Climate Change Published
Congratulations to Assistant Professor Lauren Buckley and UNC student Madison Foushee, whose research article “Footprints of Climate Change in U.S. National Park Visitation” was published in the International Journal of Biometeorology, and has also been picked up by numerous news organizations. In this study, Buckley and Foushee observe that some human weather-related behavior is being affected by global warming, notably the shifting of peak visitor attendance at U.S. national parks in response to a change in mean spring temperatures. READ THE ARTICLE >>
Professor Alan Feduccia’s new book has been published
Congratulations to S. K. Heninger Distinguished Professor Emeritus Alan Feduccia, whose new book, “Riddle of the Feathered Dragons: Hidden Birds of China” has just been published by the Yale University Press. “In this book, evolutionary biologist Alan Feduccia provides the most comprehensive discussion yet of the avian and associated evidence found in China, then exposes the massive, unfounded speculation that has accompanied these discoveries and been published in the pages of prestigious scientific publications.” -Yale University Press READ MORE ABOUT RIDDLE OF THE FEATHERED DRAGONS >>
Professor Jeff Sekelsky elected as a Fellow of the AAAS
Congratulations to Biology Professor Jeff Sekelsky, who has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The AAAS is an international organization that advances science around the world. Election as a Fellow of AAAS is an honor bestowed upon members by their peers, and recognizes distinguished efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications. The induction ceremony is scheduled for February 2012, and will be held in Vancouver, BC. READ MORE ABOUT THE AAAS >>
Professor Alan M. Jones Named A 2012-2013 Fulbright Scholar
Congratulations to George and Alice Welsh Distinguished Professor Alan M. Jones, who has been named a 2012-2013 Fulbright Scholar. The Fulbright Scholar Program sends U.S. faculty and professionals abroad to lecture and conduct research in a wide variety of academic and professional programs. Professor Jones will participate in scholarly exchange at the University of Queensland, located in Brisbane, Australia. READ MORE ABOUT THE FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR PROGRAM >>
Professor Jeff Dangl Heads New Genome Sequencing Initiative
Congratulations to Biology Professor Jeff Dangl, who heads a new genome sequencing initiative, funded by the Department of Energy. Professor Dangl and his colleagues will study the rhizosphere microbiomes of various plant species in order to better understand the plant genetics involved in determining the microbial communities associated with them, and how this information can be applied towards the fields of bioenergy and carbon cycling. READ MORE >>
New Biology Website Launches
Welcome to our new and improved Biology Department website. We hope you’ll explore the improved navigation structure and updated content, and enjoy the slideshow of images as you navigate from page to page. Special thanks to the UNC Digital Commons project for making it easy to adopt the Carolina website theme, and to all of the faculty and staff who worked hard to make the new website possible. LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK »
Faculty Job Opportunities
The Department of Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill invites applications for two tenure-track faculty positions — an Assistant Professor in Metagenomics and an Assistant Professor in Quantitative Cellular Imaging. READ MORE »
Biology Faculty named Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation
Congratulations to Ken Lohmann, who was recently named a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN). The RIN was founded in 1947 with the goals of uniting professionals and amateurs interested in navigation, furthering the development of navigation, and increasing public awareness of the art and science of navigation. READ MORE ABOUT THE RIN »
Biology major Giffin Daughtridge wins Fullbright Award
Giffin Daughtridge was one of seventeen UNC students and recent graduates to receive 2011-2012 Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards to study, teach or conduct research in other countries. Giffin’s project, “The Epidemiology of the Hepatitis B Virus After 20 years of Vaccination,” will be conducted in Colombia. READ MORE »