Note from the Chair

When Susan Chapman and her collaborators were researching how short tails in birds evolved from their long-tailed dinosaur ancestors, they discovered that inflammation, like that when a broken bone is healing, is needed to fuse the last few bones in the bird’s tail. It was the first time scientists had found that inflammation played a role in normal bone development. Thanks to a three-year grant from the Keck Foundation, the researchers will now expand their research to non-pathological inflammation in mammals to determine if the mechanism is universal. The work could have implications for human health and skeletal development.

Learn more about Chapman’s research.

During her first year at Clemson, Anna Metzger was part of Something Very Fishy, a Creative Inquiry program developed by Associate Professor Michael Childress and used to teach elementary school children about ocean and climate literacy through the arts and hands-on scientific activities. Her experience with the program, working in Childress’ research lab, participating in summer research dives in the Florida Keys and co-authoring a scientific paper have helped pave the way for her ongoing education and future career in marine science

Antonino Malacrino’s research says studying host organisms and their microbes together could lead to better understanding of diseases and agricultural output. Insights published in the journal Science.

Anna Seekatz researches interactions within the gut microbiome, as seen in Clemson World.

Casey Youngflesh’s research finds a bird’s pace of life is related to environmental conditions and how it might respond to a changing climate.

Rooksie Noorai, assistant director of bioinformatics, graduated from CU Grow, a Clemson University staff development program.

Carla Brewer, registration coordinator, was selected for the 2025 cohort of CU Grow.

Lorena Endara, curator of the Clemson University Herbarium, details the extraordinary biodiversity of the Clemson Experimental Forest.

Undergraduate research takes Ashley Gambrell, biological sciences senior, to the Florida Keys and South Africa.

Grayce Robinson, a senior in microbiology, details her valuable undergraduate research and study-abroad experiences at Clemson.

Anvita Pudipeddi, a senior in microbiology, says working in campus organizations developed interpersonal skills critical for her planned career in health care.

Prabha Ranasinghe Ph.D. ’20 and Susan Chapman are featured in this article celebrating women with ties to the Clemson University College of Science and how they are making a difference with their work.