Kennesaw State Biology

04/02/2026

Happy Giving Day at Kennesaw State University! Help us support our biology and environmental science majors through an Emergency Assistance for CSM students and departmental funds by donating at https://bit.ly/CSM-GivingDay26!

Happy Giving Day at Kennesaw State University! Help support our students through Giving Day donations to the College of Science and Mathematics. Contributions go toward our scholarships, supporting our programs, buying equipment for departments, and more to help our science and mathematics students succeed. A simple $10 makes a big difference! 🔗 https://bit.ly/CSM-GivingDay26

Learn more about our giving options below:
▪️Emergency Assistance for CSM Majors: Help support hardworking CSM students with unexpected financial hardships.
▪️College of Science and Mathematics Excellence Fund: Help support CSM faculty/staff initiatives, college-wide events, and special programs.
▪️College of Science and Mathematics General Scholarship: Help financially support our CSM students to help them complete their degree.
▪️College of Science and Mathematics Departments: Help support CSM departmental initiatives, equipment, and special programs.

03/31/2026

As an undergraduate at Kennesaw State University, Master of Science in Integrative Biology (MSIB) student April Ford discovered a passion for biology, genetics, and molecular tool development and sought a mentor in the graduate program to help advance her interests. April found the perfect fit in Dr. Joanna Wardwell-Ozgo’s lab working on hormonal signaling, and together they developed a toolkit to understand how specific proteins regulate development. Even though the toolkit didn’t yield the results they expected, April’s curiosity helps her embrace the challenge to drive the project forward.

Click the link our bio to learn more about April's time in the MSIB program.

02/04/2026

The College of Science and Mathematics, in collaboration with KSU Global Education’s Year of the UK initiative, is excited to present UK's Legacy in Science, a Spring 2026 lecture series highlighting the United Kingdom’s enduring contributions to modern science.

The lecture series will launch this month, with Kennesaw State Biology professors Dr. Thomas McElroy presenting on February 11th and Dr. Martin Hudson presenting on February 23rd.

Details regarding the upcoming UK's Legacy in Science lectures can be viewed on the CSM calendar - link in the comments.

12/19/2025

Congratulations to all the Kennesaw State University students graduating this December! Like their fellow College of Science and Mathematics graduates, biology majors Kaitlyn Sennett, Essix Moser, and Jessica Tazanou thrived at KSU and are ready to make an impact as they join the Kennesaw State University Alumni Association Forever Owl family.

After taking a semester off following a serious motorcycle accident, Kaitlyn was determined to return to normalcy. She managed a full course load while working 45 hours a week and participated in an immunology research project with biology lecturer Sheila Marie Schreiner. The project helped clarify her path, and she now plans to take a couple of gap years to earn a surgical technician certification before applying to medical school.

Hockey kept Essix at KSU, but undergraduate research revealed his future. Inspired by his ADHD diagnosis, Essix pursued neuroscience research with Dr. Martin Hudson to learn more about how neurological development differs in the brain. His work led him to present at several regional and national conferences and opened the door to continue his research as a 2025 Birla Carbon Scholar. These experiences have prepared him for graduate school, where he plans to study neurodevelopmental disorders.

Growing up in Cameroon, Jessica saw firsthand how poverty limited children’s access to education. Inspired by her experience, Jessica created a summer education program called Africa No Limits to help children in poverty gain access to learning and better opportunities. Her yearly visits to Cameroon reinforced her commitment to help others, and she now plans to pursue medicine to help underserved communities.

Check out the links in a comment below to learn more about each of their journeys!

12/15/2025

Growing up, Sydney Morton always knew she wanted to work in a career that allowed her to work with animals. After witnessing the impacts humans have on wildlife as an undergraduate, she enrolled in the Master of Science in Integrative Biology program at Kennesaw State University to further study human-wildlife interactions. Now, she’s working with biologist Dr. Nicholas Green to research how small mammal populations can become increasingly isolated due to human infrastructure and what that means for public health.

Tap the link in the comments to learn more about Sydney's research!

12/10/2025

Congratulations to biology major Ari Schwartz, who is the recipient of Kennesaw State University's Fall 2025 President’s Award of Distinction, a prestigious honor that celebrates the extraordinary accomplishments of one exceptional graduating Owl each semester.

Ari faced serious health conditions while earning his degree, however, he remained deeply involved at KSU. His journey included undergraduate research with Dr. Premila Achar, a first-author publication, serving as a learning assistant, and presenting at conferences nationwide. Following graduation, Ari plans to attend medical school to become a cardiologist. Congratulations again!

Tap our link in the comments to learn more about Ari and his time at KSU.

12/02/2025

Congratulations to the undergrad biology majors who placed second at the Fall 2025 Symposium of Student Scholars with Kennesaw State University Department of Mathematics faculty mentor Dr. Asma Azizi!

Suki Lewis (Biology), Sri Gunturu (Biology), & Katelyn Nguyen (Biology)
Title: Decoding Early COVID-19 Responses Using Mathematical Modeling of Social Distancing Strategies Across Multiple Countries

11/19/2025

Dr. Heather Koopman, dean of Kennesaw State University’s College of Science and Mathematics, began her research journey after a life-changing conversation shifted her focus from phytoplankton to marine biology. Fieldwork as a student at Canada’s Bay of Fundy sparked her interest in lobsters, and after decades of patience, her research is revealing remarkable patterns in their migration and reproduction habits.

Visit the 🔗 in the comments to learn more!

11/12/2025

M.S. in Integrative Biology student Ben Angalet is conducting hands-on research with freshwater alligators to learn if they can adapt to saltwater conditions through specialized tongue glands. Drawing inspiration from previous studies on crocodiles in Australia, the Kennesaw State University graduate student is exploring how rising sea levels and urbanization may shape the future of Georgia’s freshwater species populations. To investigate further, Ben spent most of the 2024-25 academic year sampling 50 alligators in South Georgia and is now analyzing his findings ahead of his Spring 2026 thesis defense.

Read more at the 🔗 in comments.

11/10/2025

Faculty members from both Kennesaw State University biology departments cheered on biology senior Manu Johnsen at KSU Owls Volleyball’s final home game of the season! Manu was one of four seniors recognized at Senior Day and set a new school record with 1,520 career kills. With only a couple of games left in the season, that number is expected to climb. Congratulations, Manu!

11/03/2025

The Department of Molecular and Cellular is now accepting applications for full-time faculty positions, with preferred a start date of August 2026:

- Assistant Professor of Cell Biology (Tenure-Track): https://bit.ly/4okizhq
- Assistant Professor of Microbiology (Tenure-Track): https://bit.ly/48ZVHz1
- Two (2) Lecturers of Microbiology: https://bit.ly/4qCwukr

10/20/2025

For the past two summers, biology major David Roque has immersed himself in hands-on medical work at his father’s clinic in Poptún, Guatemala. The junior's responsibilities ranged from conducting patient check-ins and serving as a translator, to assisting in surgical procedures and other clinical duties. These invaluable experiences, combined with his undergraduate research work at Kennesaw State University, have deepened his commitment to pursuing a career in medicine and continuing a proud three-generation family legacy.