UCO Biology Dept.

04/23/2026

Michell Haynie and Lynda Loucks were the invited speakers for BioLunch at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas on Friday, April 17, 2026. They had an amazing time visiting with students and faculty and enjoyed touring the impressive vertebrate collections and greenhouse.

04/08/2026

In March, Dr. Stephania Loria, Dr. Daniel Raudabaugh, Lynda Loucks, Jacob Loucks, and Tiffany Ong visited caves in western Oklahoma to examine cave biota, like crayfish and spiders. (Bats in caves should not be disturbed). Facing multiple challenges like White-nose syndrome, habitat disruption, climate impacts, and human disturbances, bats need our help to preserve and protect their populations! Bats play an important role in pest removal by eating over 1,000 insects per bat each night, which is also helpful in reducing pesticide use too.

03/25/2026

🌟 Get to Know Me Spotlight Questionnaire
Name: Dr. Chad King
Title/Department: Professor of Biology; Director of Selman Living Laboratory
How long have you been at the university/organization? 14 years

1. What is your role, and what do you enjoy most about it?

My role as Professor is to teach biology students, mentor student-centered research, and provide service to UCO and professional organizations. Another role I have is being the Director of the Selman Living Laboratory field station. In this role, I provide leadership that is tailored to the mission of the field station. I really enjoy the opportunity to interact, educate, and transform students.

2. What inspired you to pursue your current field or career path?

I have been fascinated by how trees capture the history around them and record that information in their tree-rings. This has long “scratched an itch” by combining my interest in history with data that I can get from hundreds of years of tree-rings.

3. What is one professional accomplishment you’re especially proud of?

The City of Edmond Urban Forestry Department recognized me for the research contribution that I provided in understanding the urban forests that we have in the park system in Edmond. There is a sign at E.C. Hafer Park that highlights the research that students and I accomplished.

4. What is something students/colleagues might be surprised to learn about you?

In high school, I was the lead, J. Pierrepont Finch, in the musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

5. What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I am an avid gardener, both vegetables and native pollinator plants. I also enjoy woodworking.

6. Do you have a favorite book, podcast, show, or hobby?

Book: Z for Zachariah. Read this when I was young and is still a great book.

Podcast: Smartless. My Brother, My Brother, and Me

Show: Taskmaster. The British version is superior.

7. What advice would you give to students or colleagues?

Everything eventually balances out. A frustrating day is eventually going to be replaced by a great day.

8. What’s one fun fact about you?

I scored 34 points in a high school basketball game.

9. Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I’m living the dream!

03/10/2026

Spotlight Series: Dr. Vicki Jackson CWB

🌟 Get to Know Me Spotlight Questionnaire
Name: Vicki Jackson
Title/Department: Professor of Biology
How long have you been at the university/organization? 10-ish years
________________________________________
1. What is your role, and what do you enjoy most about it?

I teach a variety of courses including our Diversity for Majors, Ecology, Wildlife Management, Mammalogy, and Biometry. My students and I work with state and federal agencies as well as NGOs like The Nature Conservancy on projects that will help inform management decisions for our wildlife and natural resources. I serve as the co-Director of CFACs and the Director of UCO CMS Summer Bridge and I advise Pre-Vet and Animal Welfare and The Wildlife Society. My most favorite aspect is mentoring students in and out of the classroom.

2. What inspired you to pursue your current field or career path?

I had several excellent mentors through my college years at both large and small schools. I really enjoy the community feel of teaching and researching at a small school where students and faculty get to engage at a deeper level.

3. What is one professional accomplishment you’re especially proud of?

This year I’ve organized several workshops and conferences for national, regional, and state audiences of wildlife and natural resource professionals and educators.

4. What is something students/colleagues might be surprised to learn about you?

When I was in Intermediate School I lived in Hawaii and choreographed synchronized swimming routines with my friends from school.

5. What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I like reading, playing video games, and homesteading with my family including a Pyrenees/lab mix, ornery cat, and chickens.

6. Do you have a favorite book, podcast, show, or hobby?

I enjoy a variety of books and favorite authors include Sarah Maas, Chuck Wendig, Kevin Hearne, and Dean Koontz.

7. What advice would you give to students or colleagues?
Show up. Small acts of kindness go a long way. Don’t hold grudges.

03/04/2026

Lynda Loucks and Michelle Haynie took two graduate students (Claire Wiley, Teague Fox) and one undergraduate student (Kayli Newport) to the Texas Society of Mammalogists meeting in Junction, Texas, February 13-15th. All three students presented and did a great job, receiving a lot of positive feedback.

Michelle Haynie received the Honorary Member Award at the Texas Society of Mammalogists meeting. This award is given in recognition of outstanding service and achievement in mammalian education and research. Congratulations, Dr. Haynie!

03/02/2026

Academic Advising Day. Thursday, March 12th from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Pizza will be provided!

02/27/2026

Cave Myotis and Tri-colored bats. Photos from Wash*ta County-February 2026 and courtesy of Lynda Loucks.

02/24/2026

02/19/2026

🌿 Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Michelle Haynie

Professor and Interim Chair
Department of Biology

At the heart of our program’s success is strong leadership and a passion for student learning — and Dr. Michelle Haynie embodies both.

As Program Chair and Professor of Biology, Dr. Haynie brings expertise, dedication, and a student-centered approach to everything she does. Her commitment to academic excellence and program development has helped shape a learning environment that prepares students not only to succeed academically, but to thrive professionally.

I had the chance to interview Dr. Haynie and learned some really cool things about her that I wanted to share with you.

Q: What do you consider your favorite hobby?

A: I struggle with favorites! I am a mood person (What am I in the mood for now?) and a sampler (I like to try a lot of different things). I think the answer to this question and question 7 are pretty much the same. I like games and puzzles, reading, working out, being in the garden, watching sports, and traveling. My favorite is whatever I happen to be in the mood for at that time.

Q: Tell me a “Fun Fact” about yourself.

A: I held my high school’s track record for the women’s 400 m. I’m sure it has long since been broken!

Q: Best life advice ever received?

A: I don’t have one piece of advice that has stuck with me all my life. Two things that I’ve heard recently that I’ve been thinking a lot about are 1) life is just a bunch of arbitrary goals that you set before you die and 2) we are so busy looking at the mountains we have to climb in front of us that we forget the mountains we have already climbed. The first might seem depressing, but I found it quite liberating. Most of the stress I feel is self-inflicted because of the goals I’ve set for myself, not because of something that “must” be done. The second reminds me that I’ve been through and accomplished a lot so I shouldn’t be daunted by what’s in front of me; I am strong and I can do this!

Q: Favorite part of your job?

A: Working with students and collaborating with colleagues. I love the fact that I have a job where I can go out in the field and be out in nature and can share that with students and colleagues.

Q: Most challenging part of your job?

A: Being aware of things that need to be fixed and not having the power to do anything about it.

Q: Most rewarding?

A: Having an impact on students. I like the little moments of understanding, when something finally clicks, as well as the big moments when I know that I’ve helped someone and can be a source of support that they might not get elsewhere. It makes all the tough times worth it.

Q: How do you like to spend your free time?

A: I like games and puzzles, reading, working out, being in the garden, watching sports, and traveling.

Q: Growing up, what did you want to be?

A: A zoologist. I decided that's what I wanted to be at age 5 and I pretty much stuck with it.

Q: If you won the lottery, what would you do?

A: I have a lot of organizations that I would like to donate to for various reasons. Once I’m sure that my family is set and my debts are paid off, I would really like to travel the world. New Zealand and Iceland are at the top of my bucket list.

Q: Tell us something about yourself that otherwise we wouldn’t know or guess.

A: I had a poem published in a Kansas newspaper in 1988. The subject was the University of Kansas basketball team winning the national championship. High brow literature!