Biological Sciences News Archive
The College of Science is proud to celebrate several outstanding students who excelled at the 37th Annual Marshall University Health Sciences Research Day, held Nov. 3 at the Marshall Health Network – St. Mary’s Center for Education Conference Center. Dr. John Karickhoff Medical Innovation Award for Best Overall Presentation Isha Gupta, a second-year medical student
Biology senior Asha Bora, fresh off of personal bests at last week’s Sun Belt Cross Country Conference Championship, will present her research at the Society for Neuroscience 2025 Annual Meeting in San Diego, Nov. 15–19. A native of Hurricane, West Virginia, Bora will share findings from her undergraduate research in Dr. Spitzer’s lab, where she
Congratulations to Kim Dingess on receiving a John Marshall Service Award recognizing her outstanding dedication and service to Marshall University. Through her leadership in developing summer study abroad programs in Costa Rica and Uganda, Dingess has created life-changing opportunities for students and demonstrated exceptional commitment to global learning. The College of Science celebrates Kim for
Three Marshall University students, Biology majors Erica Edinger and Neha Chandrasekar and Biochemistry major Nevaeh Ellington, are featured in the latest issue of Neuron magazine for their work with the First2 Network, an NSF-funded initiative to increase the number of college graduates in STEM disciplines. As student leaders of the First2 Network at Marshall, Edinger,
College of Science graduate student Mary Zarilla has documented the first recorded occurrence of the African golden cat (Profelis aurata) in the Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve—marking the first sighting of the species in northwestern Uganda. Zarilla captured a daytime image of the endangered cat using a camera trap she deployed in the park in July 2025.
The College of Science congratulates Dr. Holly Cyphert, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, on receiving funding from the NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium to support the HERD STEM-pede at Marshall University. The HERD STEM-pede is a one-day, hands-on science camp designed to introduce fourth- and fifth-grade students to key concepts in
The College of Science congratulates Dr. Pamela Puppo and her graduate students, Noah Adkins and Erica Edinger, from the Department of Biological Sciences for representing Marshall University at the 2025 Ohio Valley Entomological Association Annual Meeting in Burlington, Kentucky. Adkins and Edinger each gave research presentations highlighting their ongoing work in Dr. Puppo’s lab, earning
The Biological Sciences Plants Group—featuring the Palmquist, Puppo, and Shakirov labs—recently traded the lab for the outdoors with a field walk at Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area. Students and faculty spent the afternoon spotting native plants, insects, and birds before wrapping up the day with a stop at the local favorite, Hillbilly Hot Dogs. It
Dr. Herman Mays, professor of biological sciences, recently co-authored a new publication examining the population structure of three crested penguin species in New Zealand. The research offers important insights for conservation: tawaki penguins appear stable and genetically diverse, while erect-crested penguins are divided into two distinct populations—those from the Antipodes Islands and those from the
The College of Science is proud to join Marshall Magazine in celebrating alumna Alyssa Milbee, now a fourth-year medical student at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. A Teays Valley, WV native, Alyssa began her journey in the College of Science, earning dual degrees in biological and health sciences with minors in