Meet our Fall 2024 Faculty Spotlight
Dr. Madhu Srinivasan Senior Lecturer
Tell us a little about yourself.
How long have you been with the department? I came to UK in 2003 as a graduate student to earn a PhD in this department. I joined the department as a faculty member in 2018. I was an instructional staff between 2011 and 2018.
What motivated you to come to our department? I came to UK as a graduate student to work with Dr. Scott Gleeson who was excited about collaborating with me on an ecosystem conservation project in South India. I then stayed on because I liked Lexington, and a job opportunity opened up here.
Where did you live before starting at UK? I lived in Bangalore, India before coming to UK.
Describe your time with the department
News
Meet our Fall 2024 Graduate Student Spotlights
Cleverson Lima
1. Tell us a little about yourself.
a. When do you graduate?
b. What motivated you to come to UK’s department of biology?
c. Where are you from?
Hi, my name is Cleverson de Sousa Lima (you can call me Clev), and my research interest is in adaptations to extreme environments. I am a biologist, graduated from the Universidade Cidade de Sao Paulo, in Brazil, and I moved to the US to get my PhD in animal physiology. I first started at the Department of Entomology here at UK, and as my project progressed, I developed an interest in other disciplines that could bring different points of view to the questions that I am interested in, such
Meet our Fall 2024 Undergraduate Student Spotlights
Hannah Allen
Tell us a little about yourself.
What is your major? Biology Minor(s)? Chemistry What year do you graduate? May 2025 Where are you from? Greenup, KY
What motivated you to come to UK?
I was motivated to come to the University of Kentucky because it has always felt like home. My family attended UK, and I grew up surrounded by the campus and its community. This connection made it a natural choice and inspired me to pursue my education here. To major in biology? I chose to major in biology because of my deep interest in understanding the mechanisms of life, particularly how the human body functions and interacts with its environment. This passion was further fueled by
What is your major? Biology Minor(s)? Chemistry What year do you graduate? May 2025 Where are you from? Greenup, KY
What motivated you to come to UK?
I was motivated to come to the University of Kentucky because it has always felt like home. My family attended UK, and I grew up surrounded by the campus and its community. This connection made it a natural choice and inspired me to pursue my education here. To major in biology? I chose to major in biology because of my deep interest in understanding the mechanisms of life, particularly how the human body functions and interacts with its environment. This passion was further fueled by
By Jaqueline Burke:
For 33 years, Professor Jim Krupa has been much more than an educator—he has been a master storyteller, weaving the grand narrative of life's evolution for undergraduate students. As he steps away from the lectern, we celebrate a career that has illuminated the complex web of evolution, sparked curiosity, and inspired wonder in the hearts of young learners.
Much like Charles Darwin, whose transformative ideas reshaped our understanding of life's diversity, Professor Krupa has inspired undergraduate students to see the world through the lens of evolutionary biology. His lectures were never dry recitations of facts, but captivating journeys through time, painting vivid pictures of ancient landscapes and the creatures that once roamed them.
In the spirit of Aldo Leopold, Professor Krupa
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 22, 2024) — The University of Kentucky Office of Undergraduate Research recently announced the 22 undergraduate winners of the 60th annual Oswald Research and Creativity Awards. Chad Risko, faculty director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, and research ambassadors celebrated the winners and presented the awards.
Established in 1964 by then-UK President John Oswald, the Oswald Research and Creativity Competition aims to promote undergraduate research and creative endeavors across all academic disciplines.
The competition spans categories, including biological sciences, design (architecture,
This photo shows a wounded coral. Researchers want to better understand coral health to protect the organisms. Photo by Ashley Seifert.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 6, 2024) — A new research project is investigating how coral reefs heal from damage and withstand environmental threats, particularly those associated with climate change.
A three-year, $1.3 million grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation is funding the multicampus collaboration, with U.C. Santa Barbara leading the effort.
“Our primary goal is to develop a comprehensive model that links coral
Ethan Morgan and Elizabeth King were crowned UK Homecoming 2024 king and queen on Saturday, Oct. 12, during the UK vs. Vanderbilt football game halftime ceremonies. Mark Cornelison | UK Photo
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 12, 2024) — Elizabeth King and Ethan Morgan were crowned 2024 University of Kentucky Homecoming queen and king during the halftime ceremonies at the UK vs. Vanderbilt Homecoming football game at Kroger Field Saturday night.
King, from Georgetown, Kentucky, is a junior pursuing dual degrees in finance and flute performance. She is a Gatton College of Business and Economics ambassador, a mentor for the college’s Women in Finance Initiative, principal flutist for the UK Wind Symphony, member
LEXINGTON, Ky (Oct. 10, 2024) — The University of Kentucky Office of Undergraduate Research has selected 15 undergraduates for the 2024-25 Undergraduate Research Ambassador program.
The program’s mission is to increase awareness and create opportunities for students to engage in research. Ambassadors must demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential and be involved in mentored research. This year’s ambassadors represent four colleges, nine disciplines and 10 research areas.
The student leaders’ goal is to make undergraduate research more accessible. Ambassadors promote undergraduate research involvement through
By Blair Hoover Conner and Jenny Wells-Hosley
In 2014, Colby Hall, right, and Lee Foster were crowned UK Homecoming king and queen. Today, Hall serves as executive director of SOAR, supporting Kentucky's 54 Appalachian counties through local projects and programming. Photos provided by Hall.LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 7, 2024) — It’s University of Kentucky Homecoming week — a time when the UK community comes together to celebrate and honor its alumni. This week, UKNow is shining a spotlight on just a few of the thousands of alumni who embody the university’s mission to advance Kentucky.
Colby Hall, a 2015 graduate of the UK
Joseph Takahashi
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 7, 2024) — Joseph Takahashi, Ph.D., the Loyd B. Sands Distinguished Chair in Neuroscience, investigator emeritus in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and chair of the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, will deliver the annual Thomas Hunt Morgan Lectures at the University of Kentucky.
The first lecture, “Circadian Clocks and Their Impact on Metabolism, Aging, and Longevity,” will be 2 p.m. Oct. 24 at the Thomas Hunt Morgan Biological Science Building in room 116.
The second lecture, “The Time of Your Life: How Circadian Clocks Promote Healthy Aging and Longevity,” will be 1 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Thomas Hunt Morgan
Please go to our Biology Graduate Recruitment Website for more information about applying for Fall 2025
By Joe Bandy
The 2024-25 Alumni Ambassadors. Photo by Joe Bandy.LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 27, 2024) — The University of Kentucky Alumni Association announced the selection of 32 students who will serve as Alumni Ambassadors for the 2024-25 academic year. As official student hosts of the UK, Alumni Ambassadors promote the university at numerous events in partnership between the Office of the President, Office of Philanthropy and the UK Alumni Association.
Alumni Ambassadors represent the best and brightest of UK students, demonstrating high achievement in their collegiate careers and a dedication to the advancement of the university. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher and represent diverse backgrounds, cultures and areas of campus involvement.
Thank you for your interest in our 2024 Annual Biology Alumni Weekend.
Click here to view event details and RSVP!
From left to right, Dr. Ashley Seifert (faculty), Dr. David Weisrock (faculty and current Chair), Dean Ana Franco-Watkins, and Dr. Michael Scott (Zoology, '83)
If you’re interested in giving to the Department of Biology, please click here.
By Jennifer T. Allen
Ashley Cook, a biology alum, received a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series this year for her work on "General Hospital."When Ashley Cook graduated with a biology degree from the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, she thought her next step was medical school. Little did she know 16 years later she would receive a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series.
“I thought I was going to be a doctor. I wanted to have a career that I was interested in and one that would do good in the world,” Cook said. “Med school is very competitive, and I was struggling to get in.”
While Cook was waitlisted for medical school, she checked in with herself and thought about what it was she wanted to be doing and what would make her happy. “Since
Aperture is edited and produced by an undergraduate student editorial board of peer editors.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 21, 2024) — Undergraduate students at the University of Kentucky who participate in research under the guidance of faculty mentors have the opportunity to publish the outcomes of their work and collaborative experiences. The first edition of Aperture Journal of Undergraduate Research launched June 1, highlighting seven student-professor partnerships.
Published by the Office of Undergraduate Research, the open-access, peer- and expert-reviewed journal, which will be published annually, aims to showcase
Rosana Zenil-Ferguson, Ph.D., uses mathematical models to understand how plant traits evolve. Her field work has taken her to Colombia to study plants. Photo provided.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 4, 2024) — Rosana Zenil-Ferguson, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Biology at the University of Kentucky, is part of a wide-ranging group of experts to study a complex phenomenon with significant implications in plants, animals and humans called polyploidy.
Polyploidy means having more than two complete sets of chromosomes. Typically, when plants and animals undergo sexual reproduction, two sets of chromosomes — one from each parent —
Elizabeth Elliott, left, and Shasanka Lamichhane
LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 24, 2024) — Two University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences students will participate in the Beckman Scholars Program, titled Scholars United by Chemistry: Cultivating Excellence through Science Stewardship.
The Beckman Scholars are:
Elizabeth Elliott, a biology major and chemistry minor. Shasanka Lamichhane, a chemistry major and mathematics minor.They will begin their independent, laboratory research this summer.
The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation’s Beckman Scholars Program is a 15-month mentored research experience for exceptional
Below you will find our Spring 2024 Newsletter Spotlights for our Alumni!
1. Tell us a little about yourself.
a. What is your connection to the Department
of Biology?
I’m a 1984 UK graduate with a BS in Biology. I went on to graduate from the UK College of Dentistry in 1988, completed a residency in 2000 at the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Maryland, and earned a masters in oral health science from The George Washington University, Washington DC, and later a masters in strategic studies from Air University in 2013.
b. What was your overall experience with the department? UK?
I had a highly positive experience at the University. I established lifelong friendships with fellow classmates and
Below you will find our Spring 2024 Newsletter Spotlight for our Faculty!
1. Tell us a little about yourself.
a. How long have you been with the department?
55 years
b. What motivated you to come to our department?
Married Dr. Jerry Baskin who took a job in the Botany Dept (Botany Dept. became part of the
Biol. Dept.) in 1968
c. Where did you live before starting at UK?
Nashville, TN, where I was a Ph.D. student at Vanderbilt University.
2. Describe your time with the department so far.
Ups and downs but overall very good.
a. What are you most proud or excited about?
The book I wrote on Seeds and International
Below you will find our Spring 2024 Newsletter Spotlights for our Graduate Students!
1. Tell us a little about yourself.
a. When do you graduate?
b. What motivated you to come to UK’s department of biology?
c. Where are you from?
I came to University of Kentucky the fall of 2021 and plan to graduate in 2026. I came to UK’s department of biology to pursue my passion for evolutionary biology research and for understanding the processes underlying the diversity of life. I am from Nanchang (南昌), China, a city with exciting histories and rich cultures.
2. Do you have any