UMW Biology

03/25/2026

Please keep the sciences in mind if you are making a donation!

is almost here! In less than 24 hours, the entire UMW community will come together in support of current and future Eagles.

Be a part of their Mary Washington journey and join at givingday.umw.edu from noon March 25 to noon March 26.

12/02/2025

Biology (and all the other Jepson science departments) are now part of the Irene Piscopo Rodgers School of Science I know some of you Biology alumni fondly (?) remember counting these squirrels in your Animal Ecology class. Please consider donating to the School of Science to support student research!

11/29/2025

11/25/2025

Next Tuesday, on December 2nd, the College of Arts and Sciences will be seeking your support to help amazing students like Ned Gable continue to have exciting, hands-on internship experiences! Ned participated in two dives a day, collecting data to be sent to organizations such as the AWARE Foundation, NOAA, and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network. He says, “With hands-on experience, I was able to learn a lot about identification, coral health, and field data collection much faster than I would in the classroom."

10/26/2025

Please let us know if you are interested in being an adjunct in the sciences at UMW!

01/18/2025

UMW is hiring a Lab Specialist to support Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Environmental Sciences departments! If you know someone who might be interested, please share this opportunity. Find details about the position and application information here.

Title: Laboratory Specialist II VP Area: Provost - UMW Department: Biological Sciences Campus Location: Main Campus Advertised Range: $49582-54440 Job Summary/Basic Functions This laboratory specialist position supports the teaching and research missions of the natural sciences departments. This pos...

01/15/2025

Please join the Departments of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Biological Sciences, as we gather to honor the legacy of Professor Emeritus Dr. Michael Bass, who passed last October. As many of you know, Mike retired in 2018 after serving UMW for more than 45 years. He was a Professor of Biology and Environmental Science and established our programs in Environmental Science.

An open-house memorial will be held on Saturday, February 1 from 2:00-4:00 pm in the Chandler Ballroom of the Cedric Rucker University Center on UMW’s Fredericksburg campus. Light refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to all members of the current and former UMW community as well as the public; we especially invite alumni who knew Mike to join us in celebrating his contributions to UMW. Mike is survived by his wife Heather and sons Jonathan and David, who will attend the memorial.

All who knew Mike are encouraged to send photographs of him or quotes/short stories about him (up to a paragraph) for inclusion in a slideshow. A microphone and podium will be available for those who wish to share memories of Mike. For additional information or to share memories (photos and stories), please contact Dr. Jodie Hayob-Matzke, Chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at UMW ([email protected]).

12/03/2024

In the College of Arts and Sciences our students have access to important professional equipment to enhance their learning, such as the electron microscope in the Jepson Science Center. But it is expensive to purchase and maintain. A gift today the the College of Arts and Sciences will help keep our faculty and students on the cutting edge. And today Julie Seder ’71 will match all gifts to the CAS General Fund up to $5,000! https://givingday.umw.edu/giving-day/93601/department/93604

11/16/2024

In Memory of Dr. Michael Bass

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Professor Emeritus of Environmental Science and Biology Michael Bass.
Michael retired from UMW in 2018, having served Mary Washington for more than 45 years. He earned his Ph.D. in 1976 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and joined Mary Washington after a few years in research positions.
At Mary Washington, Michael was the driving force to build the environmental science program and was the first Chair of the new Department of Environmental Science and Geology (now Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences). He also partnered with the City of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County on a variety of projects concerned with monitoring water quality, stream bank erosion and the impact of construction projects on bodies of water such as Massaponax Creek and the Ni River. He also helped to design the retention ponds that are a notable feature of the Central Park development in Fredericksburg. He often involved his students in field-work, enabling them to present their findings at regional and national conferences.
Graduates recall his impact on their work and honored him with the Class of 1972 Dr. Michael Bass Scholarship to create opportunities for talented students with financial need to pursue undergraduate research in the sciences. When the Dr. Michael Bass scholarship was established, donors wrote notes detailing how he influenced their careers and expressing their gratitude. Many of his former students kept in touch with him through the years, and often came to visit when they were in town.
Service information is not available yet, and our condolences go to his family. We appreciate them letting campus know about Michael’s passing, so we can remember the many ways he brought scientific research to life.

07/25/2024

Congratulations to Morgan Hicok and Kate Green for winning 1st place Oral Presentation and 1st place Poster Presentation at the Irene Rodgers Piscopo Summer Science Institute Symposium!

11/03/2023

Congratulations to our research students!
The UMW awardees are:
Abby Glenn, mentored by Dr. Laura Sipe
Kayla Rodriguez and Ashlyn Rauch, mentored by Dr. Ginny Morriss
Delaney Baratka, also mentored by Dr. Ginny Morriss
UMW Biology took home 3 of the 10 grants awarded at the Virginia Academy of Science Fall Research Symposium. These $900 grants will help these students to expand and complete their research projects.

07/25/2023