TAMU Biology 2024 Year in Review
By: McKensie Le Fevre
TAMU Biology has had a stellar 2024, see below for some of our favorite stories this year:
TAMU Biology 2024 New Faculty
2024 was a banner year for the Texas A&M University Biology Department in terms of faculty recruiting and growth. Four new researchers joined the outstanding Biology Department faculty – Dr. Jared Bard, Dr. Jason Karpac, Dr. Joshua Lillvis, and Dr. Matthew Moulton. Their cutting-edge research programs closely align with existing areas of expertise in the Biology Department, and their innovative contributions will add fuel to the fire of discovery as the Biology Department continues to grow. To learn more about each of the new faculty members, check out brief summaries of their research programs!
TAMU Awarded Beckman Scholars Program Grant
We are proud to announce that Texas A&M University has been awarded a grant from the Beckman Scholars Program (BSP) to continue its exceptional contributions to undergraduate research and education. The program is co-directed by Dr. David Powers, Professor of Chemistry, and Dr. Alex Keene, Professor and Head of Biology, and will involve faculty and students that span three colleges at Texas A&M. This new chapter builds on the foundation laid by Dr. Sumana Datta, Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Studies and Executive Director of LAUNCH, who played a pivotal role in the program’s establishment and success.
Three Texas A&M Biologists Receive Coveted MIRA Research Grants
For the second consecutive year, three faculty members in the Department of Biology have received National Institutes of Health Maximizing Investigators’ Research Awards (MIRA) recognizing their sustained research potential in bacterial and applied phage biology, neurobiology, and behavioral and evolutionary biology. Please take a look at Drs. Koch, Moran, and Ramsey’s research!
Dr. Susan C. Alberts Joins TAMU Biology as Hagler Fellow
The Texas A&M University Department of Biology is thrilled to announce that Dr. Susan Alberts will be joining our ranks as a Hagler Fellow starting in Fall 2024. Dr. Alberts, the Robert F. Durden Distinguished Professor of Biology and the Dean of Natural Sciences at Duke University, will be bringing to the department her passion for understanding how and why animal behaviors evolve. Take a moment to read about Dr. Alberts and our department!
Three Biology Faculty Receive Funding from the WoodNext Foundation
Dr. Deborah Bell-Pedersen, Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Biological Clocks Research, received a continuing award of $545,000 for her research project titled Circadian clock-based treatments for jet lag and aging. Assistant Professor Dr. Matt Moulton, and Professor and Head of Biology Dr. Alex Keene received $200,000 for their project titled Functional Assessment of Dementia Risk Genes and Pharmacological Interventions. Please read the article for more information on the projects and the WoodNext Foundation!
Faculty Spotlight Video: Jolene Ramsey
TAMU College of Arts & Sciences video team has interviewed Dr. Jolene Ramsey about her research program, incredible team, and her experience here in TAMU Biology, make sure to watch!
14 students from NIH-supported PVAMU-TAMU Program Present at National ABRCMS Meeting
In its inaugural year, the GREAT program supported 13 PVAMU students, who participated in summer research projects at Texas A&M. The mentors from Texas A&M University were Alex Keene, Charles Criscione, Dylan McCreedy, Heath Blackmon, James Cai, Larry Griffing, Lamba Sangare, Mahul Chakraborty, Matt Sachs, Rachel Moran, and Tapasree Sarkar. Each student engaged in 3 months of intensive laboratory research, supplemented by a professional development program led by Asha Rao. The program included guest speakers from within and outside of Texas A&M.
Dr. Tom McKnight wins AFS Administration Award
Dr. Tom McKnight wins Association of Former Students Administration Award in recognition of his selfless service to the University.
Heldenfels Hall 4th Floor Renovation Approved
The Heldenfels 4th floor renovation was approved by the TAMU Board of Regents, beginning the process of renovating and revitalizing the final floor in HELD for state of the art laboratories for TAMU life science students.
