Congratulations to Lauren Gomez (Major: Biology, Cell & Developmental Biology track) for receiving a 2025-26 Biology Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Award and an Evelyn Hart Watson Undergraduate Research Fellowship! 👏 Learn more about the awards here: biology.uiowa.edu/news/2026/05...

Congratulations to Olivia Blake (Major: Biology, Neurobiology track) for receiving the 2026 Biology Undergraduate Research Travel Award! 👏 Learn more about the award and how Olivia used it here: biology.uiowa.edu/news/2026/05...

Congratulations to Joe Goltl (Majors: Biology and Science Education) for receiving one of the Biology Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Awards for 2025-2026! 👏 Learn more about the award here: biology.uiowa.edu/news/2026/05...

Congratulations to iBio graduate student Clare Mulcahy (Neiman Lab) for receiving a 2026 Graduate College Summer Fellowship! 🎉This fellowship program provides an opportunity for advanced Ph.D. students to benefit from protected and supported time to pursue their scholarly research activities.

Discover the fascinating world of plants, animals, and fungi during our 6th Annual BioBlitz on Saturday, July 11th, from 9:00-11:00 AM. Registration is free, but required, and this event is open to all ages. For more information and to register, visit: events.uiowa.edu/event/35620

Congratulations to iBio graduate student Romisa Ghaffari (Comeron Lab) for receiving one of three Summer 2026 Carol B. and Robert G. Lynch Graduate Awards! 🎉 Romisa is studying the genetic mechanisms underlying telomere maintenance and dynamics in Drosophila melanogaster.

Congratulations to iBio graduate student Brady Williquett (Manak Lab) for receiving one of three Summer 2026 Carol B. and Robert G. Lynch Graduate Awards! 🎉 Brady is studying the effect of innate immunity on learning ability in a Drosophila model for autism spectrum disorder.

Hui (Thea) Tian, a PhD candidate in the Integrated Biology Graduate Program (Smolikove Lab), will be defending her dissertation on Thursday, July 9th, at 1:00 PM. Her defense seminar will take place in Room 106 of Biology Building East, and it is open to the public to attend.

Joseph Oberlitner, a PhD candidate in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics (Smolikove Lab), will be defending his thesis on Friday, July 10th, at 1:00PM. His defense seminar will take place in 106 Biology Building East, and it is open to the public to attend.

At the Department of Biology’s Awards Ceremony on May 7, 2026, two faculty and two staff received Career Achievement Awards for their dedication and service to the department. One of the recipients was Facility Coordinator Bruce Ritchie.

Ashley Goll, a PhD candidate in the Cell and Developmental Biology Program, will be defending her thesis on Thursday, July 2nd, at 1:00 PM. Her defense seminar will take place in 1110 MERF as well as over Zoom (please email [email protected] for the link), and it's open to the public to attend.

At the Department of Biology’s Awards Ceremony on May 7, 2026, two faculty and two staff received Career Achievement Awards for their dedication and service to the department. One of the recipients was Biology Professor Chun-Fang Wu, PhD.

Congratulations to Madeline Roberts (Major: Neuroscience) for receiving a 2026 Evelyn Hart Watson Undergraduate Research Fellowship! 👏 Learn more about the award here: biology.uiowa.edu/news/2026/05...

Congratulations to Greta Schlafer (Biology major, Genetics and Biotechnology track) for receiving the Lowden Prize for Outreach and Engagement in Biology for 2025-2026! 👏 Learn more about the award here: biology.uiowa.edu/news/2026/05...

Congratulations to Ava Vaillant (Major: Biology, Genetics and Biotechnology track) for receiving a 2026 Clifford W. Hesseltine Award for Academic Excellence! 👏 Learn more about the award here: biology.uiowa.edu/news/2026/05...

Congratulations to Sean Strand (Major: Biology) for receiving a 2026 Clifford W. Hesseltine Award for Academic Excellence! 👏 Learn more about the award here: biology.uiowa.edu/news/2026/05...

Our Spring 2026 Points of Interest Newsletter is now available! Visit biology.uiowa.edu/news/departm... to read about recent faculty and student achievements, undergraduate and graduate program updates, and more.

Congratulations to Tuesday Davis (Major: Biology, Genetics and Biotechnology track) for receiving the 2026 Avis Cone Undergraduate Research Fellowship! 👏 Learn more about the award here: biology.uiowa.edu/news/2026/05...

Congratulations to Rain Johnson (Major: Biology) for receiving the Arthur J. and Flora D. Levin Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award! 👏 Learn more about the award here: biology.uiowa.edu/news/2026/05...

Congratulations to Associate Research Scientist (Developmental Studies Hybridoma Bank) Daniel Lusche for receiving the 2026 Biology Excellence in Research Staff Award! 👏 Learn more about the award here: biology.uiowa.edu/news/2026/05...

Congratulations to Adrianna Caro for receiving the 2026 Biology Excellence in Research Graduate Student Award! 👏 Adrianna is a member of the Green Lab and successfully defended her dissertation in the Spring 2026 semester. Learn more about the award here: biology.uiowa.edu/news/2026/05...

Congratulations to Varshu Saravanakumar (PhD student in the iBio Graduate Program) for receiving a Biology Teaching Award for her role as a graduate teaching assistant! 👏 Learn more about the award here: biology.uiowa.edu/news/2026/05...

Congratulations to Nathan Fassett (Neuroscience major, Biology minor), Ava Vaillant (Biology major on the Genetics and Biotechnology track), and Christina Yu (Neuroscience major) for receiving a 2026 Iowa Neuroscience Institute Summer Scholar Award! 👏

Congratulations to Haley Reeves (MS student in the iBio Graduate Program) for receiving a Biology Teaching Award for her role as a graduate teaching assistant! 👏 Learn more about the award here: biology.uiowa.edu/news/2026/05...

Congratulations to Instructional Services Specialist Kendra Musmaker for receiving a 2026 Biology Exceptional Service Award! 👏 Learn more about the award here: biology.uiowa.edu/news/2026/05...

Congratulations to Instructional Services Specialist Erin Edgar for receiving a 2026 Biology Exceptional Service Award! 👏 Learn more about the award here: biology.uiowa.edu/news/2026/05...

Congratulations to Assistant Professor of Biology Katy Rothenberg (@krothphd.bsky.social) for receiving a 2026 Biology Exceptional Service Award! 👏 Learn more about the award here: biology.uiowa.edu/news/2026/05...

Congratulations to Assistant Professor of Instruction Brandon Waltz for receiving a Biology Teaching Award and a 2026 Biology Exceptional Service Award! 👏 Learn more about the awards here: biology.uiowa.edu/news/2026/05...

Anna Gaw was recently promoted to Associate Director, Student Support and Transitions, with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Academic Advising! She was most recently an Assistant Director with CLAS Academic Advising and previously served as a Senior Academic Advisor... (cont.)

We invite applications for a tenure-track assistant professor position in evolutionary ecology, beginning in the academic year 2027. Review of applicants will begin on November 1, 2026 & will continue until the position is filled. For more details and to apply, visit: jobs.uiowa.edu/faculty/view...

Professor of Biology John Manak, PhD, was recently honored with a Friend of Systems Unlimited Award in recognition of his advocacy work on behalf of the disabilities community in the class he teaches: Good Genes Gone Bad (BIOL:2120).

We invite applications for multiple non-tenure-track Instructor positions that would begin on August 19, 2026. These positions will primarily contribute to instruction in the introductory biology laboratory curriculum for life sciences. For details and to apply, visit: jobs.uiowa.edu/faculty/view...

With the conclusion of the Spring 2026 semester, we’d like to take a moment to recognize the staff and faculty who were identified by graduating seniors for making a positive difference in their lives during their time at the University of Iowa! 🎉

Two new faculty members in the UI Department of Biology, Cathy Yea Won Sung and Anne Martin (@eannemartin.bsky.social), are advancing research on how the body develops and responds to disease. To read more, visit: clas.uiowa.edu/news/2026/04...

Christina Yu (Neuroscience major, ISA student), received 2nd Place at the 2026 Quick Pitch Challenge! The Quick Pitch Challenge is a communication competition that challenges undergrad students to present their research/creative work to a general audience in 3 minutes. Congratulations, Christina! 🎉

Assistant Professor of Biology @krothphd.bsky.social, PhD, was featured in the March 18, 2026 publication of Anatomy Now! To learn more about Dr. Rothenberg’s work investigating collective cell migration and her role as a research-educator, visit: www.anatomy.org/ANATOMY/News...

Congratulations to Sean Strand (Biology major, Tootle Lab member) for receiving a 2026 Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award! 👏 Sean is currently studying the principles and mechanisms of cell migration, which are important for understanding cancer metastasis. biology.uiowa.edu/news/2026/04...

A huge round of applause to the Department of Biology honors students who participated in our Honors Colloquium on May 6th! Outstanding research from our undergraduate students!

50+ students affiliated with one of the UI Department of Biology’s majors, research labs, or programs (e.g., ISA) participated in the 2026 Spring Undergraduate Research Festival. We want to applaud all of the students who participated for their hard work and dedication to undergraduate research!

Our seminar this week will be led by Anne Carlson, PhD, an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. The seminar will begin at 3:30pm on Friday, May 8th, in Kollros Auditorium (BBE101). All are welcome to attend, and we hope to see you there!

On May 2, Latham Fellows presented projects at the ISA’s 2026 Latham Project Engage Showcase. Let’s give these students a round of applause for their hard work and commitment to broadening science outreach! To learn about the Latham Science Engagement Fellowship, visit: isa.uiowa.edu/programs/lat...

We invite you to join us at our Biology Undergraduate Honors Colloquium on May 6th at 12:00 PM in Room 106, Biology Building East! 4 students will deliver a 10-12 minute presentation about their research project. We hope to see you there supporting our talented & hardworking undergraduate students!

Our seminar this week will be led by Heather Hines, PhD, a Professor in the Departments of Biology and Entomology at The Pennsylvania State University. The seminar will begin at 3:30pm on Friday, May 1st, in Kollros Auditorium (BBE101). All are welcome to attend, and we hope to see you there!

Join us on Saturday, May 2nd for the 11th Annual Project Engage Showcase! This event will feature science outreach projects created by students in the LATH:3001 class, which is a course on science communication. These projects are part of the Latham Science Engagement Initiative.

Students in the Neurobiology Lab (BIOL:3656) are in the midst of their Drosophila Electroretinogram unit. They are collecting recordings of electrical potentials in two control strains under different conditions so that they can assess and identify an unknown mutant strain at a later date.

The Department of Biology is offering a free coding workshop in Summer 2026 for undergraduate students. The workshop will be taught by Associate Professor of Biology Bin Z. HE and Biology graduate student Hubert Kicinski. To apply (deadline: May 15th), visit: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Students in the Developmental Biology Lab (BIOL:3736) were busy performing ex-ovo manipulation of brain development in embryonic chicks last week! This course is taught by Professor Doug Houston, the TA is Kelsi Mann, and the Instructional Services Specialist (Lab Coordinator) is Stephanie Haase.

On Tuesday, April 28th, we will be hosting a Career Seminar with speaker Chelle Lehman (B.A. in Biology, 2002), Program Manager of Iowa KidSight in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at University of Iowa Health Care. All students are invited to attend!

Our seminar this week will be led by Jinkyung Kim, PhD, an Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. The seminar will begin at 3:30pm on Friday, April 24th, in Kollros Auditorium. All are welcome to attend!

Professor of Biology John Manak was recently recognized in an article by The Daily Iowan for his work with Benjamin Darbro in using fruit flies to identify genes implicated in intellectual disability. Read the full article by Jacob Calvin here: dailyiowan.com/2026/03/25/u...