CHARLES E. SCHMIDT COLLEGE OF SCIENCE | MAY 2021 View as Webpage
FAU Researchers Receive Grants to Combat Alzheimer’s Disease
Researchers from the Schmidt College of Science, and FAU collaborators, have received grants totaling $641,818 from the Florida Department of Health’s Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer’s Disease Research Program. Idaly Velez-Uribe, Ph.D., and Monica Rosselli, Ph.D., are studying neuropsychology and brain biomarkers of abnormal aging. Alex Keene, Ph.D., is studying the cellular basis for neurodegeneration. Read more.
FAU Honors Distinguished Alumna Maria Jasin
Maria Jasin, Ph.D., award-winning researcher, professor and William E. Snee Chair in the Developmental Biology Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Institute, was presented the Distinguished Alumni Award at the 2021 Hall of Fame and Distinguished Alumni ceremony. Read more.
How Did 500 of a Species Form in a Lake? Very Different Body Clocks
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University are the first to identify a single nocturnal species of a Malawi cichlid – the Tropheops sp. “red cheek.” Read more.
Marianne Porter Receives Faculty Advocate Award
Marianne Porter, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, received the Faculty Advocate Award at the 6th Annual Women/Womxn’s Leadership Institute on March 27, 2021. Read more.
Undergraduate Researcher Named FAU's Wimberly Scholar
Student Daniel Gil Valenzuela was named FAU’s Stan and Renee Wimberly Scholar. He is a double major pursuing a bachelor’s in physics and chemistry. The Wimberly Scholar award, which has been given to one FAU student each year since 1971, is the most prestigious student academic prize given by our university. Read more.
Picture Perfect: Camera Traps Find Endangered Dryas Monkeys
Daniel Alempijevic, M.S., first author and a doctoral student in Integrative Biology, and Kate Detwiler, Ph.D., senior author and an associate professor in the Department of Anthropology in FAU’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, developed a species-specific camera-trap that captured picture-perfect details of the elusive dryas monkey species. Read more.
Stephen Locke Named Chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences
The Charles E. Schmidt College of Science is pleased to announce that Stephen C. Locke, Ph.D., was appointed as chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences. Locke was serving as the interim chair of the department and is a distinguished member of the Schmidt College of Science, joining FAU in 1981. Read more.
Medical Physics Students Accepted to Residency Programs
Congratulations to our four medical physics students and graduates, Alianna Gomex Gacenda, Atdhe Beqiri, Maryam Chonchehnazi, and Mahboob Rehman, who were accepted into fully funded residency positions to become Certified Medical Physicists with a doctorate from the American Board of Radiology. Read more.
Take A Tour of the Exercise Science Biochemistry Lab
Chair and professor, Michael Whitehurst, Ph.D., tells us about some of the advanced equipment our students use and are trained on in the Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion's Biochemistry Lab, preparing them for exciting careers. Learn more.
Vivian Merk, Ph.D., Awarded Department of Defense Grant
Vivian Merk, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, was awarded the FY 2021 Department of Defense Research and Education Program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions Equipment/Instrumentation grant. The award will support funding for a transmission electron microscope to enhance multidisciplinary research and STEM education.
University Coronavirus Updates
FAU continues to closely monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19). For the most recent updates, visit the University's dedicated web page at www.fau.edu/coronavirus.
Frontiers in Science 2021 Public Lecture Series
May 19 (Wednesday)

"The Universe as a Time Machine"

Ata Sarajedini, Ph.D.
Professor of Physics, Bjorn Lamborn Endowed Chair in Astrophysics at FAU, and Chair of the Hubble Space Telescope Time Allocation Committee

Time: 3:00 p.m.
Learn more about FAU's Frontiers in Science Public Lecture Series at science.fau.edu/frontiers.
Chemistry Student Researcher Earns Alzheimer's Research Fellowship
Brandon Lubin, an undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, was awarded the Alzheimer’s Disease Summer Research Fellowship. The award will assist Brandon’s research on “the role of methionine sulfoxide reductase in Alzheimer’s disease pathology,” and is funded by the I-BRAIN and I-HEALTH Pillars.
Virtual Undergraduate Research Symposium Winners
Congratulations to the student scientist winners from the 2021 Virtual Undergraduate Research Symposium! The college has winners in the Basic Sciences, Cross Disciplinary, Environmental, Ecological & Marine Sciences categories. Learn more and see the winners.
Undergraduate Researcher Stands Out at Honors Convocation and Research Symposium
Starr Warner, a student in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, was recognized as a University Scholar for the college at the 52nd Annual Honors Convocation, and is second place winner for Cross-Disciplinary Research at the 11th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. Read more.
Alumna Reveals New Insights into Behavior of Two Dolphin Species
In a new study recently published in the journal Animal Behavior and Cognition, lead author and Schmidt College of Science alumna, Cassie Volker of Wild Dolphin Project, explored the aggressive fights between the males of two species of dolphins that coexist in the Bahamas. Read more.
Three Minute Thesis Championship Competitor Emily Stark
Emily Stark is a doctoral candidate in Experimental Psychology who presented, "Computational Mimicry of Biological Olfaction." Click here to learn more and see all of the 3MT Championship competitors from the Schmidt College of Science.
Summer Registration is Open
Pursue a B.S. in Medical Biology
FAU’s new Bachelor of Science in Medical Biology program offers a streamlined pathway for students seeking entrance into competitive professional programs in the health sciences, such as medical, veterinary, or pharmacology schools. Learn more.
In the News
Department of Psychology Faculty Promotion
Congratulations to Nancy Aaron Jones, Ph.D., pictured second from the left, on her promotion to full professor. Jones researches infant and child emotional development, among various other research interests.
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Promoted
Congratulations to Andrew Terentis, Ph.D. (left) on his promotion to full professor and Tito Sempertegui, Ph.D. (right) on becoming a senior instructor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
FAU Cares Emergency Fund for Students
Florida Atlantic University established the "FAU Cares Emergency Fund" for currently registered, degree-seeking students who are experiencing financial hardship. The fund can be used for education-related expenses such as room, board, tuition, and personal expenses.
Students can learn more through FAU’s Office of Student Financial Aid. For more information, and to donate to the FAU Cares Emergency Fund, visit fauf.fau.edu/fau-cares.
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