UCF Biology News

October, 2009: Pam Thomas was one of two University faculty members selected as Large Class Faculty Fellows by the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning. Pam was selected along with Alisha Jonowsky from Psychology. They will provide support for those who teach large classes (defined as >100 students) through workshops, consultations, and by facilitating a teaching circle. Teaching Circles meet bi-monthly in the Faculty Center. Meetings include the sharing of ideas and conducting discussions of the literature on how to be successful with large class instruction.

September, 2009: In July, Dr. Graham Worthy, Biology traveled to Haulien, Taiwan to represent UCF at the official signing of a Memorandum of Agreement with Far Glory Ocean Park. This MOA will facilitate joint research activities and the exchange of researchers and open up new opportunities for marine research in Taiwan.

July, 2009: In July, Dr. Graham Worthy was an invited participant in an international symposium on “Developing Conservation Strategies for *Sousa chinensis* in Taiwan” held at National Taiwan University in Taipei. He presented a paper on “The application of stable isotope and fatty acid signature analysis to assessing habitat utilization and feeding habits of *Sousa* in Taiwan” and participated in 2 days of planning sessions.

July, 2009: In July, Dr. Graham Worthy, Biology traveled to Haulien, Taiwan to represent UCF at the official signing of a Memorandum of Agreement with Far Glory Ocean Park. This MOA will facilitate joint research activities and the exchange of researchers and open up new opportunities for marine research in Taiwan.

July, 2009: In July, Dr. Eric Hoffman and his student Rosanna tursi were written up in several news article about their work on the conservation genetics of the Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit (AKA, the Playboy bunny).

March, 2009: Grant award was given to Elizabeth Stephens last spring.She received the Florida Native Plant Society Endowment Grant Research Award in May 2008.

March, 2008: Research Grant, University of Central Florida, College of Science; Summer Research Fellowship, Marine Biological Laboratories; Research Grant, National Park Service, Cape Cod National Seashore; Research Grant, Florida Department of Environmental Protection

March, 2008: At "Women making History Celebration 2008" ceremony the following faculty were recognized as women that enhance research and leadership capacity of UCF. Kimiko Akita (Communication), Archana Dubey (Physics), Cherie Geiger (Chemistry), Linda Walters (Biology), Jane Waterman (Biology) and Cynthia Young (Math). We honor them during Women's History Month at the Women Making History Luncheon.

February, 2008: The following people were participants of the CASTL grant.Twelve proposals were submitted, and three were chosen for an award of $2,500 each. The three proposals that were chosen are the following: Drs. J Katt, S Hastings, and J Butler; Nicholson School of Communication, College of Sciences; "The Honors in the Major Thesis Experience". Dr. R Kenney; Nicholson School of Communication, College of Sciences; "How High-Achieving Undergraduate Researchers Describe Their Experience" Drs L Walters and J Waterman; Department of Biology, College of Sciences; and Dr. L Nadelson; Department of Educational Studies, College of Education; "Including Research in Upper-Division Science Courses at Large Universities: Does It Maximize Student Learning and, If So, What Formats are Most Effective?" Congratulations to all!

February, 2008: Biology professor Dr. John Weishampel received a NASA Space Archaeology Program & UCF-UF Space Research Initiative grant for $412,000 entitled, "Remote sensing of ancient Maya Land use features at Caracol, Belize related to tropical rainforest structure". Co-PIs Arlen and Diane Chase (UCF-Anthropology). Using canopy-penetrating LiDAR remote sensing, we will simultaneously map new Maya ruins while simultaneously detailing the above forest structure. Thus, we will assess forest recovery patterns in relation to a variety of ancient land use legacies. This is the most extensive use of LiDAR to detect below-canopy archaeological features to date.

February, 2008: Jan Nadeau in Biology has been awarded an NSF grant for $250,427 by the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems. The title of the proposal is "Evolution of Receptor-like Protein Function in Stomatal Development"

January, 2008: Dr. Waterman and Dr. Walters; Two Biology Women Faculty members have been selected to be honored at the Women Making History: The Faculty Women of Prominence Project luncheon on March 05. The project is honoring UCF women faculty and administrators who have had significant national and/or international recognition in 2006-2007.They are among 20 women selected across campus for this honor.Congratulations to our awardees!! .

October, 2007: Betsy Von Holle has been noted for her paper on "Ecological resistance to biological invasion overwhelmed by propagule pressure". This paper has been identified by Essential Science Indicators as a Fast Breaking Paper in the field of Environment/Ecology, which means it is one of the most-cited papers in this field published in the past two years. Essential Science Indicators is a resource that enables researchers to conduct ongoing, quantitative analyses of research performance and track trends in science. Covering a multidisciplinary selection of 11,000+journals from around the world, this in-depth analytical tool offers data for ranking scientists, institutions, countries, and journals. To see more about this click here.

August, 2007: Saleh Naser (Biology) received a $1.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the bacterium that may cause Crohn's disease.

May, 2007: Biology Department: Walter Sotero and Laurie Von Kalm recently won TIP awards.

March, 2007: Betsy Von Holle- Research Grant, Florida Department of Environmental Protection

February, 2007: Biologist Linda Walters, with funding from the National Park Service,is studying the damage by powerboat wakes to oyster beds in Mosquito Lagoon at the Canaveral National Seashore.

May, 2005: Pamela Thomas, Jane Waterman, and John Weishampel have been recommended as 2005 CAS Teaching Incentive Program (TIP) award recipients. The TIP program rewards faculty for teaching productivity and excellence. Selection criteria include teaching quality and effectiveness, commitment to instruction, innovation, creativity, and productivity based on a portfolio of assignments and evaluations collected over the previous 4 academic years.

April, 2005: Davis-Shine Endowed Professor Reed Noss received a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the amount of $615,594.

April, 2005: Associate Professor John Weishampel was selected as a Fulbright Scholar to Canada for the 2005-06 year.

April, 2005: Pedro Quintana-Ascencio in collaboration with Chris Parkinson received a research grant in the amount of $127,691

April, 2005: Davis-Shine Endowed Professor Reed Noss received a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the amount of $615,594.

April, 2005: Pedro Quintana-Ascencio received a scholarship from the Spanish Ministry of Education to work in collaboration with researchers from the University of Valladolid at Soria.

December, 2004: John Weishampel received one of three 'Master Juggler' awards from the Office of Research and Commercialization. This award is presented to faculty who have successfully juggled eight funded projects this year.

July, 2004: John Weishampel and Lew Erhart wrote an article on nesting turtles, which was published in August issue of Global Change Biology, along with a picture of the loggerhead turtle that appeared on the cover. Global Change Biology is the number one journal in Environmental Sciences.

May, 2004: Dr. Llewellyn Ehrhart is name the Carnegie Florida Professor of the Year Educator. View Press Release

April, 2004: Dr. Llewellyn Ehrhart (Biology) was appointed as Senior Research Fellow at the Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute.