News
Thu, 10/05/2023
Rafe Brown Receives KUIA International Research Award
Rafe Brown, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and curator at the Biodiversity Institute, is the inaugural recipient of the International Affairs Advisory Board International Research Award. This new award recognizes KU faculty members who have provided outstanding leadership in international education through their research and discovery efforts.
Wed, 10/04/2023
Monarch butterfly sendoff a success
Professor Victor Gonzales, KU students, and members of Monarch Watch recently bid farewell for now to the Monarch butterfly as part of a group effort to bring fun and education to the public about the Monarch butterfly and its migration.
Tue, 10/03/2023
Undergraduate Biology Student Researcher: Natalie Herbision (Opens in new window)
Natalie Herbison is a senior Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology student who recently joined KU faculty, Victor Gonzalez, in Greece this summer for a National Science Foundation REU program on pollinators and climate change. Herbison elaborates on how she became interested in bees and what she has gained from her hands-on research experiences both abroad and nationally. Natalie was also selected to participate at the world-renowned Bee Course in Portal, Arizona which was funded in part by KU’s Entomology Endowment and the Ida H. Hyde Scholarship for Women from the Undergraduate Biology program.
Fri, 09/29/2023
Greenhouse manager keeps biology research alive
Evolutionary research often starts with plants. In fact, the notion of recessive and dominant inherited traits was first documented in peas by Gregor Mendel. So it’s no surprise that KU faculty still use plants in teaching and research to this day. That’s where Patti Beedles comes in. Beedles is the greenhouse manager for the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. She manages two main greenhouses, one in Haworth Hall and one adjacent to Higuchi Hall in KU’s West District.
“One of Patti’s strongest attributes in handling her responsibilities is her ability to listen to others,” said Lena Hileman, professor and chair of ecology & evolutionary biology.
“She hears the plant collections and care needs of researchers and instructors at KU, reflects on their needs and comes up with actionable plans to meet their needs in a timely manner.”
Along with supervising three staff members, Beedles identifies plant care and facility issues that need to be addressed. Conversations with faculty inform this part of her work, and she joined a national professional organization of greenhouse managers to learn best practices from others in her field.
“Recently, Patti was instrumental in helping my lab develop a new soil mixture for our research plants,” Hileman said. “This new mixture provides better drainage and helps keep our plants healthy and our research on track.”
Another element of her work is public outreach. Beedles established “greenhouse office hours” every Thursday afternoon for members of the KU community to learn about the collections and see firsthand the beauty among the plants. She also works with local K-12 educators to bring students into the greenhouse, helping younger students see the relationships between plants and people.
Fri, 09/29/2023
Two of EEB’s own receive Faculty Kudos!
University Distinguished Professors in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Town Peterson and Jorge Soberón, who is also director of the KU Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum, have been named 2024 International Biogeography Society Distinguished Fellows. Fellows are chosen for their significant contributions to the society’s objectives via “brilliance in basic research and great service to the area of biogeography.”
Thu, 09/28/2023
Science on Tap is back on September 28 (Opens in new window)
Science On Tap, a long-running public science communication partnership with Free State Brewing Company, returns this fall, kicking off Sept. 28 with “Ancient Forests and the Origin of Flowering Plant-Dominated Ecosystems,” presented by Brian Atkinson, assistant professor of ecology & evolutionary biology and curator of paleobotany at the KU Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum. The series features an engaging research presentation in Free State's beer hall, followed by a Q&A session.
Thu, 09/28/2023
KU Field Station is part of a worldwide effort to study and protect birds (Opens in new window)
Researchers at the Kansas Biological Survey are using technology to track migratory birds that pass through Lawrence. Both KU and K-State scientists are part of Motus, a worldwide effort to study and protect our feathered friends. Motus is a network of hundreds of tracking stations located around the world, but especially in North America. Sixteen are in Kansas, with more on the way. And they’re providing, for the first time, exact information on bird movement.
Mon, 09/25/2023
Plan to Attend the inaugural University Teaching Awards Nov. 7 (Opens in new window)
This event will begin a new annual tradition of convening all winners of KU's annual teaching awards – from the Lawrence and KU Medical Center campuses – to be recognized and celebrated at a single event. Trevor Rivers, assistant teaching professor, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, will be recognized as a recipient of the Bob & Kathie Taylor Excellence in Teaching Award.
Mon, 09/25/2023
HASTA LUEGO MONARCHS Saturday, Sept. 30
Join Professor Victor Gonzales, and The Johnson County Extension Master Naturalists, in association with Monarch Watch, who are hosting a free, family-friendly sendoff to say "see you later" to the magnificent Monarch butterfly! The event will take place 9 AM-2 PM Sept. 30 at Pollinator Prairie: 320 S. Blake St., Olathe, KS 66061.
Thu, 09/21/2023
Two KU doctoral students receive Fulbright-Hays dissertation award
LAWRENCE — Two doctoral candidates at the University of Kansas have been awarded the prestigious Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Award, receiving a combined $92,000 to conduct research in South America. ...
Thu, 09/21/2023
New KU training program will help develop scientific workforce equipped to address climate change’s impacts on biodiversity
Wed, 09/20/2023
Bad Biodiversity: How Hollywood Lies About Nature
On Friday, Sept. 22, EEB Professor Rich Glor is giving a public talk at Sunflower Bike & Outdoor at 6 PM. Glor will cover the Top 5 ways that nature is misrepresented in popular film and media. The talk is free and you can register at the Sunflower website.
Tue, 09/19/2023
BIOLOGY OPEN HOUSE: Friday, September 22
We are excited to announce we will be taking part in the KU Family Weekend with a Biology Open House! We’d love to see you and your family on Friday, September 22 from 1-3 PM in the 1st Floor Atrium of Haworth Hall. There will be cookies, coffee and a chance for your family to meet your professors and see the labs! We look forward to seeing you and your families!
Thu, 09/14/2023
KU Natural History Museum announces fall events
LAWRENCE — From sparking science curiosity in children through hands-on experiments to showcasing the excellence and variety of University of Kansas research at a local brewery, the KU Natural History Museum has a full slate of science-themed public events planned for fall. ...
Thu, 09/14/2023
September Monarch Watch Events
Monarch Watch invites you to join them for these FREE events in September:
The Monarch Watch Fall Open House on Saturday, September 16, 2023 and the Monarch Watch Tagging Event on Saturday, September 23, 2023.
Mark you calendars!
Mon, 08/21/2023
Dataset revolutionizes understanding of beta barrels, promising targets for vaccine development
LAWRENCE — Examples of infections tied to gram-negative bacteria include pneumonia, bloodstream infections, wound-site infections and meningitis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ...
Thu, 07/06/2023
KU Kudos: Jayhawk faculty and staff achievements, summer 2023
LAWRENCE — It's time to celebrate Jayhawk colleagues' achievements: KU News Service accepted submissions and combed websites, social media and newsletters for recent external honors and awards for current faculty and staff at the Lawrence, Edwards and Medical Center campuses and affiliates. Have something to share? Submit by Aug. 11...
Mon, 06/19/2023
2023 Biology Students Vote for their Favorite Professor
Congratulations to Dr. Gerrit de Boer! The graduating class of 2023 Biology students voted Dr. Gerry de Boer their favorite professor.
Fri, 05/19/2023
Botanical Society of America names Haylee Nedblake as 2023 Recipient of Kaplan Award (Opens in new window)
Congratulations to EEB Graduate Student Haylee Nedblake, winner of this year’s Donald R. Kaplan Dissertation Award in Comparative Morphology. The annual award of up to $10,000 may be used to support equipment and supplies, travel for research and to attend meetings, and for summer support. Nedblake’s proposal: Evolution of bee-exclusionary corolla width differences in Penstemon.
Tue, 05/16/2023
Congratulations to Ashley Wojciechowski!
EEB Graduate Student Ashley Wojciechowski is the recipient of the 2023 Kenneth B. Armitage Graduate Teaching Award. For the Spring 2023 semester, Wojciechowski worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant with Drs. Kris Holder and Jae Young Choi for BIOL350 (Principles of Genetics). “I am still so blown away and incredibly grateful for this teaching award,” Wojciechowski said.
Wed, 05/10/2023
Registration Due Friday May 12: Join this course for an Introduction to Restoration Ecology
Interested in field and restoration ecology and methods? This 3-week course will explore restoration ecology principles, experimental design, and field data collection methods: BIOL 418/EVRN 420: Field Ecology: Introduction to Restoration Ecology. The class will take place June 6 – June 22 on
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 7:30 – 11:30 AM. Prerequisites include: 400 level ecology course or some lab/field background in ecology. Contact the instructors for more information: Ceyda Kural ceyda.kural@ku.eduor Reb Bryant reb.l.bryant@gmail.com. Transportation to and from the KU Field Station will be provided. Counts as 2 lab credits.
Wed, 05/10/2023
#KUFieldWorks: Monitoring bat viruses to prevent the next pandemic (Opens in new window)
In a remote, mountainous rainforest in Central America, researcher Jocelyn Colella and colleagues recently conducted fieldwork monitoring zoonotic diseases. In this Q&A from the Office of Research, the KU professor discusses how most emerging diseases in humans come from nonhuman mammals and how her work's aim is to identify zoonotic pathogens in the wild — before they find us.
Tue, 05/02/2023
EEB’s Vaishnavi Verma receives first place
EEB Master’s student Vaishnavi Verma won first place for Master Students for her poster at the Kansas Entomological Society Meeting in April. The title of her poster “Does aggression level co-vary between male and female Drosophila melanogaster?”. The conference was hosted by the Kansas Academy of Science / Kansas Entomological Society. “I would first like to thank my advisor, Jenny Gleason, for all her continued support and patience. She believed in me and pushed me to present my research with confidence. I would also like to thank this opportunity that KAS/KES Society gave me to present my work. Receiving this prestigious award was a moment of pure joy and validation for my hard work and dedication. It was an honor to be recognized for my achievements and it motivates me to continue striving for excellence in my field.”
Tue, 04/25/2023
U.S. News & World Report ranks 37 KU graduate programs in top 50 among public schools
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas has 37 graduate programs in the top 50 among public universities – including nine programs in the top 10 – in the 2024 rankings from U.S. News & World Report, released today. ...
Mon, 04/24/2023
Study Reptiles & Amphibians in the Field this Summer!
Interested in biodiversity and field biology? Field herpetology (BIOL418, Class # 76829) is an upper-level course that offers three lab credits over two weeks in late May and early June. The course is centered around scientific field work with local reptiles and amphibians. Students will learn reptile and amphibian identification,...