Awards and Achievements
Undergraduate Awards
Stamps Impact Award
Lindsay Ashton – Fall 2023 – Mentor: Dr. Yongjian Qiu
Audrey Koltz – Spring 2024 – Mentor: Dr. Michel Ohmer
Cadan Noonan – Spring 2024 – Mentor: Dr. Ryan Garrick
Anna Nowell – Spring 2024 – Mentor: Dr. Peter Zee
Truman Scholar Award
Christian Boudreaux
Taylor Medal Award
Aubrey Bethay
Christopher Buss
Abby Carroll
Allison Dupree
Sreya Maddali
Victoria Mungan
John Suares
Walker Watters
Daniel Zuckerman
Neuroscience Poster Award
Carley Craig received 1st place in the Neuroscience Division at the Mississippi Academy of Science
Undergraduate Features and Publications
Simran Patel received recognition of the top 10% of undergraduate abstracts at Mississippi Academy of Science selected by MS INBRE
Graduate Students’ Degree Completion 2023- 2024
Emma Counce – MS, Fall 2023 – Advisor: Dr. Jason Hoeksema
Thuy Nguyen – Ph.D., Fall 2023 – Advisor: Dr. Erik Hom
Graduate Student Awards
Savannah Draud – Ph.D., Placed 3rd for Best Oral Presentation at lll International Symposium of the Mycorrhizal Symbiosis in South America, Leticia, Colombia- August 28-20, 2023
Jessie Stamn – Ph.D., Placed 1st for Podium Presentation at the 2024 UM Graduate Student Council Research and Creative Achievement Symposium
Anita Shrestha – Ph.D., Placed 2nd for Pitch Talk at the 2024 UM Graduate Student Council Research and Creative Achievement Symposium
Neuroscience Graduate Student Talk Award
Mathew Thibodeaux – MS, – Advisor: Dr. Lainy Day
Backus Graduate Research Fellowship – Mycological Society of America
Ian Mounts – Ph.D., – Advisor: Dr. Jason Hoeksema
Phytologist Innovations Grant – $2,500
Ian Mounts – Ph.D., – Advisor: Dr. Jason Hoeksema
McRight Scholarship – $1,900
Molood Farsi – Ph.D., – Advisor: Dr. Josh Bloomekatz
Dikshya Niraula – MS, – Advisor: Dr. Sarah Liljegren
Sampada Timilsina – Ph.D., – Advisor: Dr. Yongjian Qiu
Cockerham Scholarship – $2,000
Sara Lucia Morales Anaya – Ph.D., – Advisor: Dr. Michel Ohmer
Berry Dickey – MS, – Advisor: Dr. Yongjian Qiu
Anita Shrestha – Ph.D., – Advisor: Dr. Sarah Liljegren
Doctors Wong-Bridges Scholarship – $1,500
Saroj Nepal – Ph.D., – Advisor: Dr. Brad Jones
Georgia St. Amand Laboratory Teaching Scholarship – $1,500
Jakub Zegar – Ph.D., – Advisor: Dr. Michel Ohmer
Reginald P. Ott Scholarship – $1,000
Maria Peña – Ph.D., – Advisor: Dr. Gregg Roman
William B. Keith Memorial Scholarship – $1,000
Tahmina Akter – Ph.D., – Advisor: Dr. Sixue Chen
Scholarship for Advancements in STEM
Ana Luisa Kirsten da Silva – Ph.D., – Advisor: Dr. Becks Prescott
Academic Excellence Fellowship
Eli Johnson – Ph.D., – Advisor: Dr. Patrick Curtis
Graduate School Summer Graduate Research Assistantship
Anurag Rijal – Ph.D., – Advisor: Dr. Patrick Curtis
Graduate Student Achievement Award
Rabina Shrestha – Ph.D., – Advisor: Dr. Josh Bloomekatz
CETL Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
Jakub Zegar – Ph.D., – Advisor: Dr. Michel Ohmer
SREB Dissertation Fellowship
Savannah Draud – Ph.D., – Advisor: Dr. Jason Hoeksema
SEC Emerging Scholar
Ian Mounts – Ph.D., – Advisor: Dr. Jason Hoeksema
Graduate School Fall Dissertation Fellowship
Gayatri Sharma – Ph.D., – Advisor: Dr. Patrick Curtis
Graduate Student Features and Publications
Sharma G, Zee PC, Zea L, Curtis PD (2023) Whole genome-scale assessment of gene fitness of Novosphingobium aromaticavorans during spaceflight. BMC Genomics 24(1), 782. doi: 10.1186/s12864-023-09799-z.
Akacia Halliday – Ph.D., Selected as a finalist in the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship: https://seagrant.noaa.gov/2024-knauss-finalists-announcement/
Kayleigh Mazariegos – Ph.D., featured in the University of Mississippi News for her work research in sounds of marine life living near reefs: https://news.olemiss.edu/what-can-fish-sounds-tell-us-about-artificial-reefs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-can-fish-sounds-tell-us-about-artificial-reefs
Faculty Awards
Dr. Carla Carr – 2024 $400 Human Anatomy and Physiology Society Conference Travel Award
Dr. Beckie Symula – 2024 University of Mississippi Diversity Innovator Award
Dr. Beckie Symula – 2024 IHL Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award
Faculty Features and Publications
Dr. Josh Schmerge presented “Phylogenetic hypotheses for the occurrence of mandibular grooves in theropod dinosaurs and implications for the controversial Cretaceous taxon Nanotyrannus” on Monday, September 11, 2023 at the University of Mississippi Department of Geology and Geological Engineering.
Dr. Carol Britson published two articles in HAPS Educator:
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Britson CA, Kule C, Hopp R, Clark JE, Armbruster H, Anako C, Schmitz JM, Huffman J, Chapman M, Schmaeman C, Dennis J, and Ahles K (2023). HAPS Curriculum & Instruction 2022 Laboratory Survey: Demographics of Respondents, Institutions, and Students. HAPS Educator Vol 27 (2), pp. 36-49. https://doi.org/10.21692/haps.2023.013
- Britson CA, Clark JE, Anako C, Hopp R, Armbruster H, Kule C, Schmitz JM, Huffman J, Chapman M, Schmaeman C, Dennis J, and Ahles K (2023). HAPS Curriculum & Instruction 2022 Laboratory Survey: Laboratory Activities and Learning Outcomes. HAPS Educator Vol 27 (2), pp. 50-69. https://doi.org/10.21692/haps.2023.018
Dr. Sharday Ewell published “A Comparison of Study Behaviors and Metacognitive Evaluation Used by Biology Students” in CBE – Life Sciences Education online Vol. 22, No.4 https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.22-11-0225
Dr. Becks Prescott published “Metabolic Versatility of Caldarchaeales from geothermal features of Hawaiʻi and Chile as revealed by five metagenome-assembled genomes in Frontiers in Microbiology on September 20, 2023 Sec Extreme Microbiology Vol. 14 – https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1216591
Dr. Becks Prescott: Chan YL, Tong EJ, Bunn F, Onouye CT, Handel C, Lo CC, Davenport K, Johson S, Flynn M, Saito JA, Lee H Jr, Wong K, Lawson BN, Hiura K, Sager K, Sadones M, Hill EC, Esibill D, Cockell CS, Santomartino R, Chain PSG, Decho AW, Donachie SP. (2023) Bridging Place- Based Astobiology Education with Genomics, Including Descriptions of Three Novel Bacterial Species Isolated from Mars Analog Sites of Cultural Relevance. Astrobiology 23(12), 1348-1367. doi: 10.1089/ast.2023.0072. Epub 2023 Dec 11. PMID: 38079228.
Dr. Timothy Menzel shared his expertise on fire ants during his interview with WTVA News that was broadcast on Monday, December 18, 2023 – https://www.wtva.com/video/video-ant-expert-explains-surge-of-fire-ant-mounds-in-north-mississippi/video_5f041722-8aee-55b1-818e-7fea4355152a.html?fbclid=IwAR0yRRbfJGLL2UsAJZCaoXZNS9DrhZXl-knUj9YGv3jjHnPp3_KQMlvVIJI_aem_Ad92HCiN3fqqTKrjvqnMYd5Mhn9gWfO2kmAXqiWvYQT_0N4sP7zzX2GnOLZpwCvLYPI
Dr. Richard Buchholz appeared on Wild Turkey Science podcast that was broadcast March 4, 2024 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wild-turkey-science/id1666903553?i=1000647929989
Dr. Richard Buchholz: Zhao M, Kurtis SM, Humbel EA, Griffith EV, Liu T, Braun EL, Buchholz R, Kimball RT. (2024) Bare parts in the Galliformes: the evolution of a multifunctional structure. Royal Society Open Science 11(1), 231695. doi: 10.1098/rsos.231695.
Dr. Sixue Chen:
- Perron, N., Kirst, M., and Chen, S. (2024). Bringing CAM photosynthesis to the table: Paving the way for resilient and productive agricultural systems in a changing climate. Plant Communications 5, 100772 (14 printed pages).
- Yoo, M-J., Koh, J., Boatwright, L., Soltis, D.E., Soltis, P.S., Barbazuk, W.B., Chen, S. (2024) Investigation of regulatory divergence between homoeologs in the recently formed allopolyploids, Tragopogon mirus and T. miscellus (Asteraceae). The Plant Journal 117, 1191–1205.
- Kong, L., Ma, X., Zhang, C., Kim, S., Li, B., Xie, Y., Yeo, I., Thapa, H., Chen, S., Devarenne, T.P., Munnik, T., He, P., Shan, L. (2024) Dual phosphorylation of DGK5-mediated PA burst regulates ROS in plant immunity. CELL S0092-8674(23)01404-6. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.12.030.
Dr. Wayne Gray authored “Insertion of foreign genes into the simian varicella virus genome by Tn7-mediated site-specific transposition” published in Journal of Virological Methods (2024). Insertion of foreign genes into the simian varicella virus genome by Tn7-mediated site-specific transposition – ScienceDirect
Dr. Lainy Day:
- Lucas West and Lainy B. Day (2024) Abnormal Feather Phenotype Associated with a Fatal Stress Response and Unusual Tolerance to Human Contact in the Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia castanotis)” Comparative Medicine. In Press
- Fuxjager MJ, Ryder TB, Moody NM, Alfonso C, Balakrishnan CN, Barske J, Bosholn M, Boyle WA, Braun EL, Chiver I, Dakin R, Day LB, ….Schlinger BA (24 total authors). Systems biology as a framework to understand the physiological and endocrine bases of behavior and its evolution-From concepts to a case study in birds. Hormones and Behavior, 151:105340. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105340
Faculty Grants
AAUW Research Publication Grant in Engineering, Medicine, and Science $35,000
Ísis da Costa Arantes
Faculty Promotions
Post Doctorate Features and Publications
Thuy Nguyen: Nguyen TM, Pombubpa N, Huntemann M, Clum A, Foster B, Foster B, Roux S, Palaniappan K, Varghese N, Mukherjee S, Reddy TBK, Daum C, Copeland A, Chen I-MA, Ivanova NN, Kyrpides NC, Harmon-Smith M, Eloe-Fadrosh EA, Pietrasiak N, Stajich JE, Hom EFY. (2024) Metatranscriptomes of two biological soil crust types from the Mojave desert in response to wetting. Microbiology Resource Announcements 2024 Feb 15;13(2):e0108023. doi: 10.1128/mra.01080-23.
Qijie Guan: Guan, Q., Kong, W., Tan, B., Zhu, W., Akter, T., Li, J., Tian, J., and Chen, S. (2024). Multiomics unravels potential molecular switches in the C3 to CAM transition of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum. Journal of Proteomics, 105145 (15 printed pages).
Staff Awards
Events:
August 30, 2023 Coffee and Donuts Welcome Back 7:30am – 9:30am
October 14, 2023 BGSS Sponsored Plant Walk 10am
October 31, 2023 Halloween Open House 12pm – 3pm
Research and Welcome Mixer
