This past year the department has seen a number of changes, but the thing I am most proud of is the way biological sciences safely navigated the return to classrooms. Like many on campus, our department offered several hybrid classes that combine online and in-person teaching. Our faculty, staff, and I always put student success as our priority, so we have been quite creative in ensuring a safe and productive learning environment.
The year has gone by quickly, and the accolades for the department have stacked up. Dr. David Westenberg was named the first Dean’s Medal recipient, Terry Wilson was named S&T’s Women’s Advocate of the year, and new faculty member Theo Sumnicht had an ant species named after him. If you don’t know Theo yet, schedule a visit to the Ozark Research Field Station and have him or Dr. Robin Verble show you around that living lab.
This is just a taste of the many successes we have enjoyed these past 12 months. I encourage everyone to visit our department’s social media pages (at the bottom of this letter) to keep up with the goings-on and don’t hesitate to stop by the department if you are passing through Rolla or visiting for St. Pat’s or Homecoming. As always, please reach out to me with any comments and questions.
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A new bachelor’s degree in environmental science will soon be offered at Missouri S&T. Biological sciences will offer the degree, drawing on many other campus departments to help address a projected growth in demand for environmental scientists in Missouri and elsewhere. S&T’s first environmental science students can enroll in the program in the 2022-23 school year.
S&T has also added a medical laboratory science certification as a biological sciences emphasis area. Students will study at S&T for three years and then finish their degree with a year of clinical professional study at one of three certified Missouri hospital programs.
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Justin Onwugbufor, BSci’21, Psyc’21, graduated in December after staying an extra semester to finish a football career that was stalled by the pandemic. The All-Conference and All-Academic player plans to head to graduate school to become a physician’s assistant.
Raelynn Twohy, BSci’21, Psyc’21, finished her S&T studies by earning the Renaissance Student Award. The award is named for the idea of the “Renaissance” person, someone who excels in multiple intellectual or artistic disciplines.
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S&T toxicologist aims to save butterflies
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New faculty member Dr. Niranjana Krishnan says that certain insecticides are better than others for minimally impacting animal habitats. Krishnan published her research on milkweed plant habitats near corn and soybean fields in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. She recently earned a USDA grant to further study her initial findings.
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Bio sci students continue to excel
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Biological sciences was one of the best-represented majors among this past year’s OURE Fellows and FYRE (First Year Research Experience) projects. Two of the six OURE projects were from biology students, including Gabrielle Hightower, who researches “Quantifying Nanoparticle Toxicity for Bacterial Cells” and Alex Daniels, who researches “Metallic Nanoparticle Affects on Microbial Organisms.”
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Phonathon calling starts soon
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We are grateful for the difference your annual support makes in our work. Because of your generosity, we have been able to provide continued high-quality education, support and experiential learning to Biological Sciences students. So, when you get a phone call from a student eager to share what’s happening on campus and in our department, we hope you’ll take the time to connect and catch up. And we hope you’ll help us keep making a difference in our students’ lives by giving back.
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Connect with Missouri S&T's
Biological Sciences Department
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105 Schrenk Hall, 400 W. 11th St., Rolla, MO 65409
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Copyright 2022
Curators of the University of Missouri
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