Biological Sciences News Archive
The Herpetology and Applied Conservation Lab hit the road last week, traveling to St. Paul, Minnesota, for the 2025 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (JMIH)—a major national gathering of scientists passionate about fish, reptiles, and amphibians. Dr. Jayme Waldron was joined by former graduate student Emily Gray and current graduate students Tucker Cribb, Sydney
Dr. Cheyenne Tait and recent Marshall Biology graduate Kia Booth recently made a splash at the Animal Behavior Society’s annual conference in Baltimore! Representing the Department of Biological Sciences, Kia presented a research poster on the lab’s fascinating work with the nudibranch sea slug Berghia stephanieae—a tiny but mighty creature with some seriously cool behaviors.
Marshall University Biological Sciences students just wrapped up an unforgettable 15-day field course in beautiful Costa Rica! From rainforests to rivers, students explored the country’s rich biodiversity while diving deep into the world of tropical biology. The immersive experience brought classroom learning to life—whether it was spotting exotic wildlife, studying plant ecology, or trekking through
he College of Science is thrilled to announce that Dr. Guo-Zhang Zhu has been awarded the prestigious Spring 2026 John Marshall Scholar Award for his exciting project, “Epigenetic Regulation of Mammalian Spermatogenesis.” This competitive award provides Marshall University faculty members with a full semester of teaching release to pursue impactful scholarly or creative work—and Dr.
Big congratulations to Biology graduate students Mary Zarilla and Zak Bartholomew, who were each awarded a Fall 2025 Graduate Creative Discovery and Research Award—worth $2,500! Mary, who works in both the Dingess and Axel labs, received funding for her project: “Assessing Mammalian Biodiversity in the Albertine Rift, Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve, Uganda.” Her research explores wildlife
We’re excited to share that Dr. Robin O’Keefe and Robbie Clark, along with former Biological Sciences students Anna Perella and Elliott Armour Smith, have just published a major paleontology discovery—a brand-new genus of plesiosaur from Canada! This newly identified marine reptile adds a fresh chapter to our understanding of prehistoric life in North America. Their
The Department of Biological Sciences welcomed 70 enthusiastic young scientists from Meadows Elementary School to campus yesterday for an unforgettable hands-on adventure in biology. Fourth and fifth graders stepped into the shoes of real biologists, diving into a day packed with dissections, body system explorations, a tour of the university’s natural history museum, and even
We’re celebrating some major scientific wins! The College of Science is thrilled to announce that Dr. Eugene Shakirov and Dr. Kyle Palmquist have each received the esteemed CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation—one of the most competitive and prestigious honors for early-career faculty. Together, their awards total nearly $1.8 million in support for groundbreaking
The College of Science proudly celebrated a night of excellence as several outstanding students, faculty, and staff were honored at the 2024–2025 Student Success Champions Award Ceremony. Among this year’s champions were: Jacob Longoria, Academic Advisor Dr. Thomas Jones, Associate Professor, Natural Resources and the Environment Dr. Sean McBride, Associate Professor, Physics Katherine Meek, Pre-Med
Ten students were selected to participate in the 10-week Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program at Marshall University. The objective of the SURE program is to enhance the intellectual infrastructure of the state by supporting undergraduates who are interested in performing research in any STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). This program has been