An Update for the FAU Life Science Community   |  September 17, 2018

This newsletter will highlight initiatives and activities in the Department of Biological Sciences. With 30 faculty distributed at three sites (Davie, Jupiter, and Boca Raton), we play a large role in the development of FAU's life sciences. Our faculty focus on three main research areas: environmental science, neuroscience, and marine science. In 2017, they published 75 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals and spent $2.6 million dollars in research grant funding. The Biological Sciences Department has strong collaborations with local research institutions. We plan to cover various areas and geographic units as the stories emerge. Dr. Rod Murphey, Chairman

News

New Times for Intercampus Bus Route Parking and Transportation Services now provides a free intercampus shuttle service. Students, faculty, and staff can enjoy hassle-free, convenient transportation between the Boca Raton and Jupiter campuses. The shuttle service operates Monday through Friday, departing daily from the Boca Raton campus. The shuttle pick-up and drop-off at the same location on each campus:  Boca Raton Campus - Administration Building (AD-10) Jupiter Campus - Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College (MC-01) To view shuttle route departure times and pick-up/drop-off locations, read more here .

Google Analytics Reveals Most Visited Biology Webpages Google Analytics data from the past year reveals that the Undergraduate Degree Programs webpage had 16,181 unique page views with the Neuroscience & Behavior degree page with 11,234 and the BS Biology degree page receiving 8,959 views. The Graduate Degree Programs webpage received over 5,800 unique page views. In research areas, Marine Science had 6,548 views, Neuroscience received 3,949 views, and Environmental Science had 1,514 unique page views over the last year.

IB Alumnus Receives 2018 BioOne Ambassador Award Dr. Larry Wood, who conducted his dissertation research under the direction of Dr. Sarah Milton, recently received the 2018 BioOne Ambassador Award, which is given to early-career researchers who excel at communicating the importance and impact of their research beyond their discipline. Wood has contributed to sea turtle conservation through his publications, contributions to symposia, and student/volunteer mentorship. He is currently pursuing his research and public education interests with the National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation. Read more here .

IB PhD Candidate Wins Award and Presents at International Conference

Katherine Galloway , Ph.D. candidate who works in the laboratory of Dr. Marianne Porter , received the 2018 Marine Technology Society Student Scholarship for Graduate Students ($2,000). This scholarship is awarded annually to full-time graduate students in the field of marine biology with a focus in marine technology, marine engineering and/or marine science. In addition to receiving this scholarship, Galloway recently presented her research in an oral presentation at the 2018 Society of Experimental Biology (SEB) that took place in Florence, Italy. Read more here .

Student Spotlight

Lisa Celano, M.S. recently graduated the Biology Masters program. She worked under the direction of Dr. Mike Salmon . In a recent interview, she discussed her research and professional development activities that she participated in during her time at FAU. "I studied hatchling green sea turtle’s behavior and their responses to lights of UV and visible wavelengths. This involved countless hours of field work on the beach and overnight shifts in the lab. I presented this research at the International Sea Turtle Symposium in Kobe, Japan and received funding from the National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation two years in a row. Although I graduated, I am continuing my research this summer studying the responses of loggerhead hatchlings for a comparative study with green sea turtles."

In the Media

National Geographic Kids Dr. Sarah Milton , Associate Professor and Integrative Biology Program Associate Director, and Karen Pankaew have been featured in the September 2018 issue of National Geographic Kids magazine. The one-page feature describes their work researching the physiology and swim performance of loggerhead and green sea turtle hatchlings. Read more  here .  CBS This Morning Dr. Jeanette Wyneken , Professor of Biology, recently interviewed with CBS This Morning discussing her research studying population dynamics of sea turtles off the coast of Florida. Her research shows that the male sea turtle population is declining at an alarming rate due to higher nest temperatures. Watch the full interview  here .

"Octogirl" on PADI Website Chelsea Bennice , aka Octogirl, is an IB PhD candidate who works in the laboratory of Dr. Randy Brooks , Professor of Biology. Chelsea uses scuba diving to conduct her research studying the behavioral ecology of octopus species. Read more here . J. Experimental Biology Boris Tezak , IB PhD candidate who works in the laboratory of Dr. Jeanette Wyneken , Professor of Biology, published a study on a new approach to measure embryonic temperature inside live turtle eggs. Co-authored on the article is postdoctoral fellow Dr. Itzel Sifuentes-Romero. Read more here .

Where Are They Now?

Dr. Justin Perrault As a doctoral student, the career path ahead often seems narrow. We are told to graduate, get a postdoc, and then become a tenure-track faculty member. My path was slightly different and my time at Florida Atlantic University trained me for each and every step of that path. When I started my Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Mote Marine Laboratory (MML), I was terrified. I often asked myself if I was capable of being an independent researcher without the guidance of my Major Professor, Dr. Jeanette Wyneken . Whenever I would doubt myself, I would remember some of her famous words, "It's when things get too easy that I realize that I am not doing something right." That adage gave me confidence; if one of the most influential sea turtle biologists in the world thrives off difficult tasks, why couldn't I? She trained me to be a great biologist and I needed to remember that. Currently, I am the Director of Research at Loggerhead Marinelife Center. This position allows me to conduct research, serve on graduate student committees, author publications, form world-wide collaborations, and most importantly, step away from the computer and work in the field with organisms that I love. As many of the alumni from the Integrative Biology Program will say, the path ahead is not always direct, but eventually you will get to where you are supposed to be.

Meet the Davie Biology Office Staff

Sheryl van der Heiden , Coordinator for Research Programs and Services. Please contact Sheryl if you have questions about research on the Davie campus or need general assistance.   Cynthia Berman-Gruen , Environmental Science Master's Program Assistant. Please contact Cynthia if you have questions about the program or need secretarial and general support.

Cristina de la Rosa , Biology Laboratory Supervisor. Please contact Cristina if you have questions about or need suport in the coordination of Davie campus laboratory courses.  Lucetta Richards , Budget Coordinator. Please contact Lucetta if you have questions about contracts and grants for the Biology Department on the Davie and Boca Raton campuses.

The Biological Sciences Department staff is here to serve students, both majors and non-majors, across several colleges and campuses at FAU. We are always happy to assist as well as answer questions that you may have. For general information about the Biological Sciences Department on the Davie campus contact Cynthia at 954 - 236 - 1267 or cberman2@fau.edu.

To feature exciting news and accomplishments in this newsletter, please contact  Dr. Stacee Caplan at scaplan4@fau.edu.