A Message from the Chair

What a whirlwind year it has been in the Department of Biology! Our chair, Al Uy, has taken on the role of Interim Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, and I’ve stepped in as Interim Chair in the meantime. It is an honor to help support such a vibrant and talented community of biology students, faculty, and staff.

Over the past year, the department and its friends gathered to recognize and reflect on the incredible impact that UR Biology has on advancing science and education. This fall, the department held a ceremony to commemorate a plaque dedicated to the legacy of Martha Chase and her connection to UR Biology. This effort was entirely driven by the incredible students of the Martha Chase Club. The students also created the Martha Chase Award to recognize the contributions of lab technicians to advancing research in biology. They selected Ali Biashad, a technician in the Gorbunova and Seluanov labs, as the inaugural recipient.

In October, we hosted ROC-Fest, a special day-long celebration of four recently retired faculty members whose careers have shaped the fields of selfish genetic elements, adaptation, and speciation: John Jaenike, Jack Werren, Tom Eickbush, and Allen Orr. Alumni and friends from across the country—and even across the world—returned to the department to share their science, reconnect, and celebrate. The pride and sense of community made this event truly special.

The whole department gathered for our annual Department Retreat this fall, where we welcomed new members of our community. We heard talks from Biology faculty, including our newest faculty member, Mark Hibbins, who is using cutting-edge computational methods to study evolutionary processes. We also welcomed a fantastic cohort of new graduate students and the inaugural recipient of the interdisciplinary UR Biology Postdoctoral Fellowship, RJ Millena, who is jointly advised by Assistant Professors Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy and Karl Glastad. The energy, community, and talent showcased at the retreat were another great reminder of what a special community we have. Even as we navigate the new challenges 2025 brings to academia and science, our department continues to inspire and thrive.

Over the past year, our labs have made headlines for their research accomplishments. Faculty earned recognition for their outstanding research and teaching, staff were recognized for exceptional service and support, and students received prestigious fellowships and awards. I’d like to highlight just a few of these accomplishments:

• Our former chair, Michael Welte, was named an AAAS Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
• Assistant Professor Karl Glastad won a prestigious Packard Fellowship from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
• Michael Clark received a Goergen Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.
• Our outstanding staff in the UPBM office, Caroline Fratianni and Sarah Marvin-Foley, were nominated for the 2024 Gwennie Award.
• A new graduate student and UR Biology undergrad alum, Natasha Vacca, was awarded a highly competitive National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

In other exciting news, UR was named one of the Nathan Shock Centers of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging. The center, funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health and led by Vera Gorbunova, will expand the capacity for aging research in the department and across the university. The support for this center is a recognition of the major contributions and commitment of UR researchers to understanding the mechanisms of aging and helping people lead longer and healthier lives.

One of our department’s major strengths is how we combine research excellence with innovative teaching to offer hands-on learning experiences that prepare our students for successful careers. Our curriculum is rich in experiential learning opportunities. One shining example is iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machines), a synthetic biology course led by Biology faculty member Anne Meyer. Each year, students develop research projects to engineer new biological functions and compete internationally. This year’s team earned a Gold Medal (for the sixth year in a row!), making UR’s iGEM team the most recognized college team in the United States.

We also launched Career Paths in Biotech and Pharma, a panel discussion that connects current students with alumni thriving in industry with support from Michael Recny. This is an important expansion of the career development training opportunities for our students. It was exciting to see our alumni share their experiences and help guide the next generation of scientists.

As you read this newsletter, I hope that you feel the same pride and excitement I do for the accomplishments of our amazing UR Biology community, both in advancing science and in shaping the future.