Faculty Scholars News Archive
College of Science Chemistry faculty members Dr. Shin Moteki (principal investigator) and Dr. Scott Day (co-principal investigator) have secured a $568,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to advance research on renewable polymer-based catalysts. The project engages a team of dedicated student researchers, including Lauren Dunsmore, Abby Darnley, Ramey George, Mackenzie Maynard, and Cody
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
In her lab at Marshall University, Dr. Nadja Spitzer and her students are exploring one of science’s final frontiers — the brain. As part of the NSF-funded West Virginia Network for Functional Neuroscience & Transcriptomics (WV-NFNT) project, Dr. Spitzer collaborates with researchers across the state to study how the brain’s intricate connections change in response
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.
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
Billy Gardner, Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director of the Cyber Forensics and Security, presented a peer-reviewed paper entitled “Cybersecurity Skills Gap by Leveraging Neurodiverse People” at the 2025 CAE in Cybersecurity Community Symposium in Charleston, SC on April 8th. Faculty from NSA-Designated Centers of Academic Excellence Universities and Community Colleges gathered to address the
Dr. Rosalynn Quiñones from the Department of Chemistry has published a recent study in the Journal of Crystal Growth & Design. The title of the manuscript is “A Novel Solid Form of Erlotinib: Synthesis by Heterogeneous Complexation and Characterization by NMR Crystallography”. The project was a collaboration with faculty from West Virginia University, Washington and
Dr. Pamela Puppo, faculty member in the College of Science, along with two of her graduate students, recently participated in the West Virginia Native Plant Society Spring Meeting. As part of the event, the group joined fellow plant enthusiasts for a scenic and educational walk along Leading Creek. The outing provided an excellent opportunity for
Congratulations, Dr. Yongick Kim! Dr. Kim’s proposed project entitled “Circadian Clock-Controlled Nitrogen Fixation for Fertilizer Production in Space” has been funded by NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium through their Research Initiation Grant program in the amount of $37,500 (NASA WVSGC: $25,000; Cost Share: $12,500).
Congratulations, Dr. Holly Cyphert! Dr. Cyphert has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the Honors Faculty Fellow – Recognition of Excellence distinction, awarded by the Honors College in celebration of extraordinary teaching and mentorship in an honors-designated course. She is being recognized for her outstanding work in BSC120H where she has continuously encouraged and