Ashland biology graduates heading to grad school

During this busy summer, two recent biology graduates are making preparations to move on to graduate school, after four great years at AU! Both Rachel Day (photo,left) and Rachael Glover (photo, right) plan to pursue interests in ecology and environmental science. In mid-August, Rachel Day (AU'11) will begin an environmental science master's program at Miami University's Institute for the Environment and Sustainability (IES, Oxford, OH). In late August, Rachael Glover will begin a biology master of science program at John Carroll University (University Heights, OH). Each has secured a graduate assistantship for support during her graduate program.

Both Rachel and Rachael were involved with directed research projects while at AU, and credit these experiences with helping to guide planning for post-graduation. That work also led to off-campus experiences at a national conference for each. Last summer, Rachel Day attended the annual meeting the Ecological Society of America in Pittsburgh, PA, to present some of her on-going research results. Next month, Rachael Glover will attend the ESA meeting in Austin, TX, to present results of her research.

In addition to research, for two years both were very active leaders in AU's Xi Mu Chapter of the national biology honorary, Beta Beta Beta. This organization has promotion of undergraduate research as part of its core mission, manifested as student research grants from the national office, and, locally, Student Summer Research Talks and hosting research speakers. AU's Xi Mu Chapter also sponsors several service projects and social events each year.

Ashland Toxicology promotional video released

We are excited about our new promotional video for the Ashland University Toxicology program, one of only a handful of undergraduate tox programs in the country.  It stars our own aquatic toxicologist Dr. Andy Trimble, recent tox graduate and soon-to-be doctoral student Daphne Guinn, and AU alumna and WIL Research Study Director Dr. Melissa Beck.



The video was produced by AU Digital Media major Spencer Stadnik.

Summer research at Ashland University

With summer upon us students and faculty are busy making progress on a variety of research programs in the Ashland science departments.  Thirteen students are conducting research in the Kettering Science Building this summer, with most living on campus.  In addition to performing research, students have the opportunity to attend workshops on developing careers in science and giving scientific presentations.  Students will be giving their own presentations on their work towards the end of the summer.  The students in our summer research program are supported by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Merck Foundation and the Choose Ohio First Scholarship program.

This past Friday we had our first guest research seminar of the summer, hosting Dr. Laura Sirot from the College of Wooster to talk about her work on reproduction in mosquitos, and how this information could be used to reduce the population sizes of these disease-carrying insects.