UMW students dominated the undergraduate research grant competition at the Virginia Academy of Science‘s
2022 Fall Meeting held in October. Nine UMW biology and biochemistry students brought home $750 each to support their research projects, nearly sweeping the competition, which included students from James Madison University, Christopher Newport University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and several other institutions. Congratulations to the winners (Abigail Algeier, Jay Boudreau, Grayson Collins, Dylan Crann, Abigail Delapena, Emily Landry, Shreya Murali, Tim Philbeck, and Emily Sizemore) and their advisors (Drs. Swati Agrawal, Randy Reif, and Parrish Waters)!
Dept. of Biological Sciences Welcomes New Faculty Member
The department is thrilled to welcome Dr. Laura Sipe to the faculty! An interdisciplinary cancer biologist, Dr. Sipe
completed her doctorate at the University of Virginia. As a post-doctoral scholar at University of Tennessee Health Science Center, she investigated how metabolism and diet impact breast cancer progression and the ability of cancer to evade destruction by the immune system. Dr. Sipe will bring her expertise in cancer, immunology, and metabolism to UMW to research a novel pathway linked to breast cancer aggressiveness. Students in her laboratory will investigate oxidative stress, genetic instability, and immune evasion in breast cancer. She will teach Cell Biology (BIOL340), Biology of Cancer (BIOL440), and Immunology (BIOL441). “I am looking forward to engaging students in the classroom and in cancer research. My favorite part of science is translating that “What would happen if” or “I wonder” thoughts into well designed experiments”. Additionally, Dr. Sipe is excited to hit Fredericksburg’s many bike paths and explore the beautiful Rappahannock River by kayak.
Good News for 2022 Graduates
April is an exciting time for graduating seniors! From job offers to graduate school admission, post-UMW opportunities are shaping up. Biology major
Katie Warlick is headed to the University of Rhode Island for a Master’s degree program in College Student Personnel. Her long-term goal is to earn a Ph.D. in neurobiology and become a college professor. “The professors in the Biology Department have been such a monumental and influential part of my undergraduate experience and are the reason I’m pursing an advanced degree. I want to make an impact on undergraduates the way this department has positively impacted me and my education,” said Warlick.
Here are some other next-step successes:
Abigail Lasky (Biomedical Science) has received a job offer from Epic, a healthcare software company that handles 54% of U.S. health data. She will work as a project manager.
Jane Sullivan (Biomedical Science) has received a job offer from Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren. She has been interning there since July 2021 and will begin her full-time position as a biologist this summer.
Trinity Chase (Biology) will begin a graduate program this fall in Biotechnology, with specialization in Biosecurity and Biodefense, at the University of Maryland. She will also begin a full-time work position in Pharmaceutical Product Development’s Contracts and Proposals Department.
Kayla Mann (Biomedical Science) has accepted offer of admission to University of Virginia’s M.S. in Athletic Training program.
Bennet Varghese (Biomedical Science) has accepted offer of admission to George Washington University’s School of Medicine where he will pursue his M.D.
Hannah Mendiola (Biology) will enter the National Institutes of Health’s post-baccalaureate Research Training Program in the Biospecimen Processing Core.
Biology Alum Publishes Paper in Major Scientific Journal
Miguel Marx, UMW Class of 2017, recently published his master’s degree research in the prestigious scientific journal PLOS ONE. The subject of his work is a new Cardiocorax mukulu specimen discovered in Angola.
C. mukulu was a plesiosaur, which were reptiles that inhabited the oceans during the Cretaceous Era approximately 120-65 million years ago. This specimen was the oldest yet discovered in Sub-Saharan Africa, and Marx’s CT scan analysis of its near-complete skull yielded new insights on plesiosaur evolution. The paper’s discoveries were also covered by ScienceDaily in August. Miguel earned his bachelor of science degree from UMW with majors in biology and geology, then earned his master’s degree from the New University of Lisbon in Portugal (Universidade Nova de Lisboa). After defending his master’s thesis, he worked for a year as a researcher at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. He is now a Ph.D. student in paleobiology at Lund University in Sweden. Congratulations, Miguel!
