Chowan University Biology

04/28/2026

Chowan Biology is excited to begin incorporating drone technology into select classes. This spring students in our Intro to GIS course utilized drones in their class project, an ArcGIS StoryMap of habitats found within the Salmon Creek State Natural Area and within the Tall Glass of Water Project (aka Bertie Beach) in Bertie County, NC. Drones were used to document habitats and “ground truth” satellite imagery. Plans for the coming semesters are to integrate drones into additional biology classes including Environmental Science, Limnology, Wetlands Biology, and Wildlife & Fisheries Biology.

04/28/2026

Congratulations to the following who were recognized at Chowan University’s Awards Day Convocation on Wednesday, April 22nd:

Dr. Torrence Gill, Associate Professor of Biology, was named the Alpha Chi Teacher of the Year.

Karla Artolozaga received the Garth D. Faile Biology and Physical Sciences Faculty Award.

Peyton Clay received the Raymond Memorial Science Scholarship.

Anna Holcombe received the Mary E. Wood Science Award, was named a 2026 Commencement Marshall, and received the Best Biology, Psychology, Sports Science, and Mathematics Paper at the Chowan University Student Research Conference.

Addisen Palmer was named a 2026 Commencement Marshall.

Isabella Turner was named a 2026 Commencement Marshall.

The ALPHA CHI TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD is chosen by students of the university based on factors such as dedication to the profession, effectiveness as a teacher, continued professional growth, availability to students, participation in the university’s program of extracurricular activities, and relationship with colleagues and students.

The GARTH D. FAILE BIOLOGY AND PHYSICAL SCIENCESFACULTY AWARD is presented to a biology major who personifies the core mission of the university and the department. The recipient is selected by faculty in the Department of Biology.

The MARY E. WOOD SCIENCE AWARD is given by the faculty of the Department of Biology in memory of Professor Emeritus Mary E. Wood. This award is presented to an outstanding graduate whose major course of study has been biology.

The RAYMOND MEMORIAL SCIENCE SCHOLARSHIP, an endowed scholarship, is awarded to a returning biology student who is selected by the faculty of the Department of Biology as deserving. This scholarship is provided in memory of Mr. John W. Raymond, Sr. and his son, Major John W. Raymond, Jr., who was an Army dentist and Summa Cum Laude Graduate of Chowan in 1970.

The CHOWAN UNIVERSITY STUDENT RESEARCH CONFERENCE AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE honor students for outstanding presentations in each one of the conference's categories. By the quality of their participation, these students exemplify what is best in the intellectual and artistic life of Chowan University.

COMMENCEMENT MARSHALS are selected from members of the junior class. Selection is based on academic performance and level of engagement in the university community.

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day!!!

04/22/2026

We thoroughly enjoyed meeting with CS Brown High School STEM students from Winton, NC who recently came to campus for a discussion and demonstration on Drone and GIS (Geographic Information System) Technology. Shout out to Robert “Cas” Castello, class of 2019 Chowan Biology major and owner of Field2Sky Drone Works, for assisting with the event and to Teresa Watford and Debbie Jones with CS Brown for making it happen.

04/02/2026

Shout out to Chowan Biology’s Dr. Torrence Gill who recently participated in the Career Day event at Grove Park Elementary School in Burlington NC. “Students asked me how I knew I liked bugs and we talked about what I was doing when I was there age.” Dr. Gill shared his love for insects and showed the students live examples of hissing cockroaches, as well as German, Oriental, and American cockroaches, bedbugs, corn earworms (caterpillars), and aphids.

03/20/2026

Congratulations to the following students who were recently inducted for membership into Chowan University's Pi Upsilon chapter of Beta Beta Beta (TriBeta), a national honor society for the biological sciences. Dr. Lia Walker is the department’s coordinator for TriBeta.

Karla Artolozaga
Scott Cathcart
Peyton Clay
Makeda (Maki) Edwards
Anna Holcombe
Mckenzie Misenheimer
Justin Peterson
Aniyah Rainey
Isabella (Belle) Turner

Photo from right to left: Dr. Hoon Lee, Dr. Lia Walker, Karla Artolozaga, Peyton Clay, Scott Cathcart, Aniyah Rainey, Belle Turner, Maki Edwards, Anna Holcombe, Dr. Heather McGuire, Dr. Torrence Gill, Dr. Bo Dame.

03/19/2026

Huge shout out to Jeleah Delancy, class of 2023 Biology major, who recently earned her Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine (DC degree) from Palmer College of Chiropractic - Florida Campus. Jeleah attended Palmer as part of Chowan Biology's 3+1 articulation agreement where students complete three years at Chowan and are then admitted to Palmer College. After completion of their first year at Palmer they are granted a B.S. in Biology from Chowan, and after completion at Palmer they are granted a Doctorate in Chiropractic Medicine from Palmer College.

Congrats Dr. Delancy…we are extremely proud of you!!
https://www.chowan.edu/program/biology-chiropractic/
https://www.palmer.edu/

03/19/2026

🔷🔷🔷 Beta Beta Beta 🔷🔷🔷

Join us as we celebrate academic excellence at the
International Honors Society – Pi Upsilon Chapter Induction Ceremony

📅 Thursday, March 19
🕠 5:30 PM
📍 Meggs Auditorium, Chowan University

Come support and recognize our outstanding students as they are inducted into this prestigious honors society! 🎓✨

02/16/2026

Representatives from ECU’s Graduate School will be on campus this Wednesday, February 18th beginning at 10 AM in Camp Hall, Room 210 to discuss Master of Science Programs and funding opportunities. All majors are welcome to stop by. Hope to CU there!!

02/04/2026

Chowan Biology is on the map! A huge shout out to Dr. Lia Walker, Dr. Torrence Gill, and biology alumni Alex Brown and Joshua James (both class of 2025) who are co-authors on a recent publication in the prestigious journal Nature Genetics. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-025-02442-5
Dr. Walker’s work with the National Center for Biotechnology Information and the Genomic Data Science Community Network led to the Chowan Biology faculty and students participating in collaborative research on the BioDiversity and Informatics for Genomics Scholars (BioDIGS) project – a consortium of researchers, students, and educators at more than 40 sites across the US who are cataloging soil biodiversity in an effort to understand relationships between soil microbiomes, the environment, and human health and welfare. It is one of the largest microbiome studies ever attempted and has already resulted in the discovery of more than 1,000 new strains of bacteria and never-before-seen microbes.
https://hub.jhu.edu/2026/01/06/researchers-map-us-soil-microbiome/
https://biodigs.org/

11/25/2025

Chowan Biology is making moves in the research world. 🧬💡

Seniors Lyniah Lee, Justin Peterson, and Elizabeth Ingle presented their original research at the State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium (SNCURCS) at Elon University.

From exploring protein behavior in amyloid-related diseases like type 2 diabetes to improving food security through safer crop storage, these Hawks are tackling real-world challenges and gaining invaluable experience along the way.

👏 Help us celebrate their hard work, mentorship from Dr. Hoon Lee and Dr. Torrence Gill, and the power of hands-on learning in Chowan’s Biology program.

🔗 Read how their research is shaping their futures and impacting their fields:

MURFREESBORO, N.C. — Three Chowan University Biology majors—Elizabeth Ingle, Lyniah Lee, and Justin Peterson—advanced their academic and professional pursui ...