Please join us in congratulating Dr. Jeff Dangl, who was elected as a member of the Royal Society for his highly impactful research regarding plant immunity. This is an incredible honor and a testament to Jeff’s outstanding career as a scientist and a member of our faculty. Read more about this announcement here and here.
Congratulations to Dr. Gidi Shemer, one of four recipients this year of The Carolina Covenant Scholars “Clark & Kessler Award” for outstanding mentorship.
This award honors the memories of Dr. Fred Clark and Mr. Frank Kessler who served as extraordinary mentors to Carolina Covenant Scholars over many, many years. The inaugural recipients of this University-wide award in 2022 were the biology department’s own Drs. Jean & Peter DeSaix. The characteristics of Clark & Kessler Award recipients include an exceptional demonstration of commitment, care, connection, initiative, and endorsement of students for opportunities.
Congratulations, Dr. Shemer!
Congrats to Laura Ott who won the Student Undergraduate Teaching and Staff Award (SUTASA) as part of the Chancellor’s Awards!
Biology Teaching Assistant Professor Dr. Laura Ott, and BIOL 101L Teaching Assistant Vikram Puri have won the UNC Out in STEM Inclusive Teaching Award this year! This award is given to a professor and a TA from UNC’s STEM departments who meet the criteria of creating an inclusive and celebratory environment for diversity. oSTEM will present these awards on Friday, April 21st from 9 a.m. – 9:20 a.m. in the Genome Sciences courtyard. The public is invited.
Congrats, Laura and Vikram!
Congratulations to Alayna Mackiewicz for receiving a P.E.O. Scholar Award for the 2023-2024 academic year. These awards are one-time, competitive, merit-based awards intended to recognize and encourage academic excellence and achievement by women in doctoral-level programs. Congrats Alayna!
Congratulations to Jeff Sekelsky for winning the 2023 Graduate School Award for Excellence in Graduate Student and Academic Program Support for his decade-long work directing the Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology. Jeff’s work has had a huge impact on the Department of Biology and the greater UNC genetics community, and he is most deserving of our gratitude.
Each year the Undergraduate Honors Committee selects a junior Biology major as the Irvine Hagadorn Award recipient, based on academic and research excellence and contributions to the Biology Department. We review an outstanding group of students, and the choice is challenging. This year’s winner is Matthew Lu. He is doing his research in the Darville lab in Pediatrics/Infectious Disease, has a 4.0 GPA, and has served as a peer mentor in Biology 101H and as an SI leader for Biology 202 with Dr. Laura Ott.
Congratulations, Matthew! Runner-up was another outstanding student, Sarah Broyhill.
Congratulations to Esteban Agudo, who has been selected to receive a Dissertation Completion Fellowship from The Graduate School for AY2023-2024!
Congratulations to the Phi Beta Kappa Spring 2023 Inductees! Check out this article on the society and this semester’s inductees.
Congratulations to:
Oyindamola O’temu Ajasa
Bilar Nizar Azzam
Connor Jarrett Blevins
Garrison Wallace Bullard
Natalie Lauren Clark
Rami Zahi Darawsheh
Valerie Dartey-Hayford
Navya Dixit
Amber Doan
Luke Joseph Diasio
Thomas Wayne Doss
Simon Wilkes Ellington
Mitchell Millett Kent
Casey Lepley
Lauren Ellison Lowe
Jade Kristen Monday
John Garnett Nelson (bio minor)
Isabel Nichols
Katherine Brittain Reeves
Renee Elizabeth Reeves
Caroline Richter
Clara Louise Shertzer
Claire Nicole Skinner
Grayson Spencer Sword (bio minor)
Lucian William Tessier
Ken and Cathy Lohmann and grad students Kayla Goforth, Alayna Mackiewicz, and Dana Lim were authors of a paper entitled “Magnetic maps and animal navigation” that won the Journal of Comparative Physiology’s 2023 Editor’s Choice Award. The editors declared it a “magnificent and much recommended review.” Congratulations!