Marie Setser is currently retired after a career in healthcare research and finance.
She earned her B.S. in zoology at UK in 1965 and her MA T in biology at The Citadel in 1979. She worked at UK in the Department of Community Medicine Tuberculosis Research, the Medical University of South Carolina in renal and pulmonary physiology research and as a research assistant in electron microscopy and cystic fibrosis research. She spent 10 years in the finance industry in sales and management.
Michael Rossi retired in June 2025 after more than three decades in higher education, research and academic leadership. Most recently, he served as an associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of New Haven, where he was also a professor in the Department of Biology and Environmental Science.
Peggy Richey recently retired as a professor of biology and biochemistry/molecular biology from Centre College after teaching there for 36 years.
She earned a B.S. in botany from the University of Kentucky (1983) and an M.S. and Ph.D. in plant pathology from the University of Kentucky (1985, 1989). She taught a wide range of courses at Centre College with specialties in microbiology, molecular biology and genetic engineering.
Riya Paranthan, O.D., is a licensed optometric physician with advanced clinical expertise in ocular disease, surgical co-management, dry eye therapy and neuro-ophthalmic conditions.
Her background includes a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of Kentucky (2009), where she graduated magna cum laude with high honors and was an Honors Program scholar. She earned her Doctor of Optometry degree with clinical honors from Salus University in 2014.
Will Coots brings executive leadership within project management and over 30 years of customer-focused service in the clinical research and biopharmaceutical industry to the Alumni Board. He is a highly seasoned senior leader, known for his ability to expertly navigate complex, multi-phase clinical trials (phases I through IV) with global oversight across North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific and Europe.
Bio: Dr. Megan DeWhatley is an associate teaching professor of biological aciences at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. She has a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Louisville and more than seven years of teaching experience in higher education, primarily in introductory biology lectures and labs. At her current institution, DeWhatley is the coordinator of the General Biology I lecture courses, the General Biology II lecture courses and the General Biology I Labs. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and poking around in creeks.
Abstract: In this seminar, DeWhatley will summarize her teaching experience and give a teaching demonstration on the activities of every student’s favorite organelle: the powerhouse of the cell. During the teaching demonstration, DeWhatley will display an instructional style that incorporates active learning and lecture to introduce the topic of cellular respiration for an audience of undergraduate biology majors in an introductory biology course.
