The Faculty and Staff of the Department of Biology extends our warmest congratulations to the Class of 2020. With so much turned upside down in our world right now, we wanted to find a way to recognize the accomplishments of our graduates in light of a postponed commencement ceremony. Please browse through the names of our graduates below, categorized by degree, read up on our undergraduate and graduate award winners, and click on the green button below for memories and accomplishments shared by the graduates themselves. We are so proud of all of your accomplishments, and we can't wait to celebrate with you in person once UVM's commencement ceremonies have been rescheduled.

Class of 2020 Memories >>

UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS

Each spring, the Department of Biology recognizes five outstanding seniors, selected for their academic performance and research accomplishments during their undergradaute years. Normally we would honor them in a departmental ceremony and luncheon for their families, along with a formal presentation of awards with the College of Arts and Sciences. Closures due to COVID-19 have unfortunately prevented us from carrying out this tradition for the Class of 2020. Please read below about the awardees' accomplishments and join us in celebrating their success.

George Perkins Marsh Award in Ecology or Evolution: Jessica Crooker

Honors Thesis: "Stage and Population Specific Salinity Tolerance in Acartia tonsa Copepods
 
Research Interests and Future Goals: I'm planning to continue in research in biology and living systems, and to pursue graduate level studies in this area. I have a lot of interest in genetics and microbiology, so I hope to be able to continue to use the skills and knowledge I've gained doing population genomics and ecological research throughout my career in science.
 
Comments from Dr. Melissa Pespeni, Research Mentor: I am delighted that Jessica Crooker has been selected to receive our prestigious George Perkins Marsh Award this year. George Perkins Marsh warned about climate change, describing the impacts of deforestation on weather systems, decades before the beginnings of the conservation movement in this country. 170 years later, Jessica, in the Department of Biology at the University of Vermont, designed her honors thesis research to better understand how an ecologically foundational species will weather the storms that have become increasingly frequent and intense in the global conditions Marsh foretold. Using the coastal copepod, Acartia tonsa, Jessica took meticulous care to collaboratively develop a new, low-salinity tolerance assay. She designed her studies to integrate her interests in genetics, physiology, development, and evolution and test hypotheses about variation in low salinity tolerance among populations along a broad latitudinal gradient and across life-history stages of the copepod. She found that populations from Florida, the area with greatest storm intensities and frequencies, survived at much lower salinities than populations from New York and Maine. Surprisingly, she also uncovered that the juvenile life stage was most sensitive to low salinity, relative to babies and adults, particularly in the northern populations. As all good research does, Jessica’s work turned answers into more questions and revealed lessons in resilience along the way. Jessica’s experiment certainly didn’t work the first time, the second time, or even the third time. But with thoughtful determination, she refined her approaches and questions to yield new insights into genetic and developmental variation in these critical adaptive traits present in natural, under-studied populations.
 
Jessica’s membership in my lab group over the last year and half yielded more than important research results; she built friendships, shared knowledge through training other students, and cultivated happy copepods and more data through her collaborations and willingness to assist in animal care and experiments for several other ongoing projects in the lab. She was a delight to have in lab meetings, not only for her delicious baked goods, but also for her thoughtful contributions to paper discussions, practice presentations, and brainstorming sessions. I am excited to see what answers and questions she turns over next in her pursuits of a PhD and MD.
 
About the Award: George Perkins Marsh is regarded as the founder of the environmental movement with his 1864 publication of Man and Nature, which is still in print. The book influence many important scientific and political figures, including Theodore Roosevelt, and some argue that it was this influence that led President Roosevelt to establish the National Park system. The Marsh farm was a model for sustained agriculture and was later purchased by Frederick Billings, who set out to test Marsh’s ideas. The Marsh-Billings Farm is now a national park, the first and only in Vermont. Marsh was also a diplomat, holding the record for longest service to our nation, and was the primary designer of the Washington Monument. The Marsh Life Science building is named in his honor.

George M. Happ Award in Biology: Benjamin Recchia

Honors Thesis: "Strategies for Enhancing Zoological Best Practices"
 
Research Interests and Future Goals: I plan to research education and conservation in zoos and aquariums while pursuing a Masters of Science in Zoo Conservation Biology at the University of Plymouth, UK.
 
Comments from Dr. Deborah Blom, Research Mentor: When approaching his last semester in college, Ben had nearly exhausted the zoology-related courses at UVM, and, in talking to him about his aspirations, I suggested he undertake some different experiences to expand upon what he learned in the classroom. He decided to develop his teaching skills further through a series of teaching assistantships and further explore his future career goal to be a zoo professional through independent study. For his independent study, Ben first explored the idea of visiting professionals at zoos and aquariums to learn about ways they are enhancing their best practices.
 
After determining that his original project idea would usurp too much of the zoos’ and aquariums’ resources, Ben designed an independent study in which he dove deeply into the literature around zoo best practices and completed over 75 professional development courses available through the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Equally remarkable, for his final project, he synthesized all that he learned into a series of dense briefs which cited the principal literature on management, stewardship, husbandry, conservation, and education in zoos and aquariums. To continue on his trajectory towards a career as and zoological professional, Ben will attend a Master of Science program in zoo conservation biology at the University of Plymouth (UK) and the Paignton Zoo (a member of the Wild Planet Trust) beginning in September.
 
About the Award: This award is presented to a student with outstanding academic performance in Biology. Dr. Happ arrived at the University of Vermont as a Professor and Chair of the Department of Zoology in 1978. He was instrumental in transforming the faculty to a teacher-scholar model and prioritized obtaining funding to stimulate research. His research interest focused on the physiology and immunology of dogs, and he has collaborated with the University of Alaska on prions in moose and caribou and avian disease.

Kurt Milton Pickett Award: Riley O'Halloran

Comments from Dr. Ingi Agnarsson and Dr. Laura May-Collado, Research Mentors: I met Riley in my BCOR12 during her first year at UVM, soon after that, she was one of the first undergraduate researchers joining the CURE lab where she dedicated her time to study humpback whale songs. Last year as part of a large collaboration Riley presented her work at the World Marine Mammal Conference and was also a co-author in a publication (https://asa.scitation.org/doi/10.1121/1.5139205).  Riley is studying the song structure of humpback whales that migrate from Oregon, Washington, and California to reproduced in Central American waters. She is a hard working and passionate young scientist deserving of this recognition.
 
About the Award: Kurt Milton Pickett arrived in the Biology Department as an Assistant Professor in 2007 and was promoted to Associate Professor shortly before his death in 2011 after a seven-year courageous struggle with cancer. Dr. Pickett was one of the world’s foremost experts in the systematics of wasps and the evolution of social behavior in insects, and traveled extensively to collect and observe wasps in a wide variety of habitats. His research combined the time-honored discipline of taxonomy with modern computationally-based molecular phylogenetics methods. During his too-short time at UVM he became highly respected for his probing intellect, dedication to science and teaching, and wonderful sense of life and humor. Dr. Pickett’s natural affection for his students at both the undergraduate and graduate level garnered him respect and admiration.

Bernd Heinrich Award in Physiology or Evolution: Emily MacDonald

Honors Thesis: "Establishing the Pharmacophore of Novel Synthetic Peptide Activators of cGMP-Dependent Protein Kinase"
 
Research Interests and Future Goals: My research interests lie in the field of vascular physiology and its associated pharmacological interventions. My honors thesis examined the function of novel activators of PKG, an enzyme involved in blood vessel dilation. I look forward to pursuing my academic interests through both laboratory and clinical research. I plan to matriculate into medical school in 2021, where I hope to specialize in anesthesiology.
 
Comments from Dr. Wolfgang Dostmann, Research Mentor: Emily MacDonald provided critical evidence for the development of First-In-Class cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG)-targeted therapies for the treatment of hypertension. There remains a significant unmet need for novel antihypertensive agents with improved efficacy and fewer side effects. None of the existing hypertension drugs target PKG, an enzyme critically responsible for mediating arterial dilation. A PKG-targeted therapy would establish a novel treatment for patients with uncontrolled blood pressure and may provide a clinically relevant alternative to the existing repertoire of antihypertensive therapies. Emily’s honors thesis project “Exploring the Pharmacophore of Novel Synthetic Peptide Activators of type 1 alphacGMP-Dependent Protein Kinase” contributed significant conceptual information to our understanding of the molecular features of these novel lead compounds.
 
About the Award: Bernd Heinrich, Professor Emeritus of Biology, has been a member of Biology Department since 1980. He has a long career in science in ecological physiology, animal behavior, and evolutionary ecology. Dr. Heinrich is a popular teacher, and he still teaches the famous “Winter Ecology” course each year at his estate in the wilds of Maine. Dr. Heinrich has produced hundreds of publications in the best journals and is often regarded as one of the world’s foremost ecologists and naturalists. He has also written many award-winner books, including classics such as Bumblebee Economicsand Ravens in Winter. His biography of his family and his remarkable life, The Snoring Bird, is one of the best accounts of why children grow up to be biologists. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

Joan M. Herbers Award in Biology: Kate Ziegler

Honors Thesis: "Singing Activity and Song Evolution of Southern Hemisphere Humpback Whales Wintering off the Gulf of Chiriqui, Panama"
 
Research Interests and Future Goals: During my years at UVM, I developed a love for research. While my focus was on the acoustic behavior of humpback whales, I am interested in the marine sciences in general and I have a passion for environmental research that contributes to conservation and management efforts. In the future I hope to do field work researching whales or sharks. A little further down the road, I am thinking about applying to medical schools or going back to school for a teaching degree.
 
Comments from Dr. Laura May-Collado, Resarch Mentor: Congratulations Kate! in receiving the Joan Herbers Award. Kate has dedicated two years of her undergraduate studies to the analysis of over 42,000 minutes of passive acoustic monitoring data to study the song structure of humpback whales wintering off the coast of Panama. Her work was presented last year at World Marine Mammal Conference in Barcelona and at UVM Student Research Conference, and she is currently working a manuscript for publication. Throughout my time working with Kate I have enjoy seeing her developing her resilience, passion, perseverance, and consistency, all key traits of a promising young scientist. I can’t wait to see where your passion for science will take you next.
 
About the Award: Joan M. Herbers arrived at UVM in 1979 as the first tenure-track female Professor in the history of the Department of Biology, which is one of the oldest departments on campus, and quickly rose to full Professor, the highest rank for a faculty member. Her exciting classes drew wide praise from students, and Dr. Herbers mentored many undergraduate and graduate students in her laboratory and at field sites. Dr. Herbers has been for many years one of the world’s most important researchers in animal behavior, especially the social behavior of ants. Her landmark studies examine the factors driving the sex ratio, foraging behavior, and social organization within colonies. Her work has appeared in many publications. Dr. Herbers was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, one of the highest honors for an American scientist. She left UVM in 1993 to take a position as Chair of Biology at Colorado State University and subsequently Dean of Arts and Sciences at Ohio State University, where she remains as Professor of Biology. Professor Herbers has remained a close friend of the UVM Department of Biology to this day.

Class of 2020 Graduates

Bachelor of Arts in Biology

Lillian M. Anderson
Hailey V. Cray^
Kristen E. Dougherty
Irene L. Drew
Elizabeth C. Dybas*
Hannah C. Edmonds
Kylie E. Elliott
Timothy J. Ennis
Brenna K. Finegan
Jordyn M. Fofi
Makenzie A. Hines
Alexandra C. Hollander
Lila I. Johnson
Michael C. Kearney
Taylor E. Lamarre
Kari A. Lavalette
Thu K. Le
Ryan C. Lutrzykowski
Emily E. MacDonald^
Benjamin T. Moffat
Owen P. Molind
Carolyn R. Morshead
Wyatt T. Mosher
Erin L. Murphy*
Alice C. Osiecki
Sean Z. O'Sullivan
Ryan C. Pratt
Violet M. Radoncic
Makayla A. Rounds
Samuel S. Schorno
Karl Schulz
Robert C. Simon
Abigail E. Smith
Annie C. Spence
Jack Sullivan
Grace J. Tamposi
Cameron J. Zagursky
 
*Phi Beta Kappa
^Beta Beta Beta

Bachelor of Arts in Zoology

Alexandra R. Chase
Elizabeth C. Chicarello

Bachelor of Science in Biological Science

Lajla Badnjevic
Veronika M. Becker
Melissa E. Beer
Isabel S. Belash
Olivia S. Berger
Amara Chittenden
Jessica R. Crooker*
Caitlin C. Decara
Baylee R. Duarte
Amanda C. Holmsten
Sami Itani
Julia K. Ivarson
Noah S. Jacobs-Rebhun
Jhanavi H. Kapadia
Sophia E. Kogut^
Raymond Looney
Lena L. Mak
Jade L. McMillan
Aenea C. Mead
Braden J. Meyer
Caliann C. Murray
Alyssa P. Neuhaus
Jonah T. Rehak
Aliza M. Rosenkranz
Zachary D. Sheets
Adam J. Slamin
Jared B. Smith
Gretchen H. Thompson
Sebastian J. Virga
Jordan E. Walsh
Bryan Williams
Jiazheng Zhao
Kate J. Ziegler*
 
*Phi Beta Kappa
^Beta Beta Beta

Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science

Andrew D. Araneo
Joanne F. Berger
Meryl A. Braconnier*
Emily A. Bridgers
Lily A. Canavan
Macy J. Chutoransky
Timothy E. Foster
Korbyn M. Gehlbach
Madison R. Hajjar
Elias S. Haworth
Katherine R. Helmer
Kristen N. Hemphill
Siga K. Juozelskis
Michael J. Keady
Samuel A. Knapp
Juliana M. Landis*
Carly C. Mangan
Caitlin M. McHugh*
Alana K. Medeiros
Hailey M. Muniz
Meagan V. Ochtera
Frank C. Piasecki
Delaney R. Pluta
Avery J. Reavis
Sasha G. Rosen
Matthew J. Saunders
Phoebe M. Schwartz
Brian T. Schwarzkopf
Jack B. Templeton
Anna E. Thomas
Jack D. Walinski
Ben M. Wasser
 
*Phi Beta Kappa

Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience

Anya E. Alden
Dina M. Alter
Hannah E. Antonellis
Corinne Atkinson
Nicholas E. Bouffard
Skylar M. Bouffard
Ashley A. Brogan
Miya S. Brown
Hannah Bryant^
Emily O. Burzynski
Gianna E. Celenza
Devin G. Champagne
Jennifer L. Cook
Styles J. Crawford
Azilee J. Curl*
Daniel D. DeBlieck
Rory A. Decker
Bridget A. Dews
Julia K. Deziel
Conor R. Dickson
Leianna C. Dolce^
Ryan D. Doncaster
Meghan E. Draper
Charlotte A. Evans*
Casandra A. Gale
Channing W. George
Sophie W. Gibson
Madeleine E. Givant
Cooper M. Gonyaw
Braelin A. Hanbridge
MacKenzie S. King
Anthony J. Lovezzola
Shania M. Lunna
Ariana Macz
Erin M. McCafferty
Julie A. Meloche
Harriet R. Milligan
Mikaela Natale
Jennifer M. Powers
Jamie H. Rienhimer
Emma E. Russo
Ashley L. Secor
Alannah M. Sullivan
Catherine R. Thorpe*
Abigail B. Wootton*
Reana L. Young
Laura R. Ziemer
 
*Phi Beta Kappa
^Beta Beta Beta

Bachelor of Science in Zoology

Sarah E. Boller
Aidan Deluke
Sonja M. Koblas
Danielle M. McAree
Riley A. O'Halloran
Lydiana C. Pelletier
Carly N. Sarbacker

Master of Science in Biology

Benjamin D. Block
Emily A. Shore
Lisa Chamberland

Lisa Chamberland, Biology Department Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Year

Lisa is an outstanding candidate for this award. Here in the Biology Department, she has taught a variety of courses, from basic first year courses such as Introductory Biology to advanced upper-level courses such as Field Zoology. In all of these classes, Lisa has received outstanding course evaluations. Students consistently describe her as patient, kind and accessible for anyone who needs help. At the same time, she is is authoritative and highly organized, so her lab sections run smoothly no matter how complicated the exercise. Lisa puts in extra time to work with students who need help, and she is admired and respected as a mentor and effective teacher across the campus.
-Dr. Nicholas Gotelli, George H. Perkins Professor of Zoology
 
Aside from being an excellent lab TA, Lisa has gone far and beyond both in the Field Zoology course and in advising undergraduate students in the lab. Lisa absolutely loves teaching and, for example, was happy to take over the lecture part of the course mid-semester in 2018. Not only was she able to successfully complete the course; the students raved about her performance as a teacher. Lisa also supervises undergraduate researchers in the lab, regularly four or more on a given semester. She trains them in imagin and DNA protocols and helps them with their research. She has, for example, contributed in major ways to three ongoing graduate projects, and will eventually co-author publicatios on all three. Taken together, Lisa is alread a model (fledgling) teacher-scholar, and I believe she truly merits recognition for all her work and selfless devotion to UVM undergraduate education.
-Dr. Ingi Agnarsson, Howard Associate Professor of Natural History and Zoology
 
I have observed Lisa's teaching on several occasions and have repeatedly been impressed by her ability to enthusiastically engage students, connecting classroom content to relevant, real-world applications. From her very first communication with students, introducting herself over email before the first lab meeting, she presents herself as an approachable, knowledgeable guide for the semester, sparking student curiosity through sharing a video of her study organism (net-casting spiders). During my visits, I have observed Lisa's excellent organization skills and her forethought in anticipating where students may encounter problems throughout the lab session. I have also witnessed Lisa's outstanding job facilitating discussions which prompt all students to talk and ask questions of each other. I believe this whole-class engagment occurs because of Lisa's enthusiasm, establishing a good rapport with students, and setting a respectful classroom climate.
-Dr. Sarah Wittman, Lecturer of Biology