WKU Department of Biology

05/28/2024

The WKU family has lost a wonderful colleague and friend this week. Dr. Craig Cobane led the Mahurin Honors College with pride and dedication to his students and the university. Our Biology students (and the rest of the university) benefit greatly from programs he started and supported such as the Capstone Experience/Thesis, Honors Development Grants (which fund student research projects) and Travel Abroad Grants and Honors Faculty Engagement Grants. Funding from the Mahurin Honors College supports our end-of-semester Honors Biology poster sessions and has supported ecology course field trips from Kentucky to Florida. Dr. Cobane provided opportunities for students to get out of their comfort zones and stretch themselves with new experiences. His "Morning Walks with Dr. Cobane" exemplified what he did so well- he was willing to meet with students one-on-one, talk with them about their big aspirations, encourage them to do things that would help them reach their goals (whether that was doing a summer internship or studying abroad or applying for scholarships), and then informed them about opportunities and connected them with individuals who could help them. Then he would follow up with that student and follow their progress and continue to give support throughout their time at WKU. He was a great mentor who will be greatly missed.

04/22/2024

Last Friday, we hosted the Honors BIOL 120/122 Poster Session on the 3rd floor of Kelly Thompson Hall. The students spent the semester researching a relevant biological problem and proposed potential solutions to the problem on their posters. We thank the Mahurin Honors College for funding the poster printing!

04/21/2024

Congratulations to WKU Biology student Gabe Heckerman who successfully defended his Honors thesis this Friday! Gabe completed his thesis (The Protective Role of Melanin in the Teleost Inner Ear) under the direction of Biology Chair Dr. Michael Smith. Gabe is a Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Scholar, a Biology Undergraduate Student of the Year awardee, and the founder and the Campus Walk Chair for the American Foundation for Su***de Prevention. He has also served as a Mahurin Honors College Peer Mentor and H4 Counselor. Gabe has been accepted into the University of Kentucky-Bowling Green medical school and multiple graduate programs.

04/19/2024

Happy Earth Day!

Found on Google from wkuherald.com

04/01/2024

If you are a pre-health professions student, please come visit the first annual WKU Health Professions showcase on April 8 and April 10th!

03/28/2024

The WKU Department of Biology was represented well at the first Annual Research Conference of the Kentucky IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence. Dr. Noah Ashley gave one of the faculty research talks, Dr. John Andersland gave a workshop on electron microscopy, and students from the Ashley, Katz, Marquardt, Smith, and Stewart Labs gave poster or oral presentations, some of which received awards.

02/28/2024

Dr. Smith visited Bill Vonnahme and Ashley Fleming's Biology classes this morning at Franklin-Simpson High School. The students had some great questions and got to learn a little bit about going to college, the WKU Biology Department, and some of Dr. Smith's research on fish hearing and sound production.

02/28/2024

Dr. Kerrie McDaniel gave a wonderful presentation about her leadership with the National STEM Scholar Program, which inspires creativity and passion in middle school science teachers. These teachers engage in hands-on science activities and develop a creative Challenge Project to take back and use with their students in their middle schools. Dr. McDaniel, in collaboration with Rico Tyler, also sent marshmallows (Mallownauts) into space as part of a science experiment that flew on the Blue Origin/New Shepard rocket. Ask her about it!

02/15/2024

The WKU Department of Biology enjoyed interacting with the hundreds of students who attended 2024 Idea Festival-Bowling Green. Dr. Michael Killen displayed our SynDaver, a realistic synthetic human cadaver used to teach our anatomy and physiology classes. Dr. Keith Philips shared some of his amazing insect collection. Drs. Katz and Smith did a neuroscience demonstration by connecting electrodes to students' arms to allow them to control a robotic claw to pick up objects.

11/17/2023

The WKU Department of Biology was well-represented at the Kentucky Academy of Science meeting on Nov. 3 & 4 at Northern Kentucky University. Congratulations to our students who won awards for their presentations (see below)!

Stempa, Callie. Western Kentucky University. "Cell morphogenesis controlled by genetic interaction between a septin kinase and MAP kinase"

Heath, Natalie. Western Kentucky University. "Influence of prescribed burns on populations of small mammals in the South African bushveld"

Rivera, Vivian. Western Kentucky University. "Effect of dietary flavonoids on growth in Saccharomyces cerevisiae"

Calhoon, Drake. Western Kentucky University. "The Effect of Sulforaphane on Chromium-Induced Toxicity in Human Lung Fibroblasts"

*Kumar, Nikhil. Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science. "Exploring the influence of polarity proteins on the Elm1 protein kinase- mediated cell shape control"

*Mbanfu, Albert-Presley. Gatton Academy. "c-Jun protein expression in the regenerating lamprey spinal cord"

*Neagle, Presley. Gatton Academy. "Cell shape is mediated by a joint effort between a septin-associated kinase and endocytic protein"

*Akangbe, Tobi. Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science. "Assessment of the Neuromuscular and Motor Coordination of Female Mice in Response to Acute Sleep Fragmentation"

*Arnold, Savanna. Gatton Academy. "The Discovery Of Gwendoluna, a Viral Predator of Mycobacterium smegmatis

*Sileo, Sofia. Gatton Academy, "Characterization of a bacteriophage protein that is toxic to Mycobacterium smegmatis"

*Weaver, Vivianna. Gatton Academy. "Understanding the Impact of Environmental Pollution on Brain and Vascular Systems on the Zebrafish Model, Danio rerio"

11/15/2023

The WKU Chapter of the American Medical Student Association hosted the United States Army Medical Recruiting Officers to outline different medical school scholarships and stipends available through the military. They also did a suturing clinic, teaching the students show to do interrupted sutures on pigs' feet for practice.

11/10/2023

The WKU Department of Biology had our first Biology Teacher Appreciation dinner this Tuesday at 440 Main. We had a great discussion about how we can partner together to better prepare our students for the transition to college and careers in Biology. Back row, left to right: Bill Vonnahme- Franklin-Simpson High School, Doug McElroy & Kerrie McDaniel-WKU Biology, Carolyn Vincent- Edmondson County H.S., Madison Staton, Butler County H.S. Front row, left to right: Erica Lambert, Allen County H.S., Natalie Mountjoy & Michael Smith-WKU Biology, Emily McAfee- Butler County H.S.