Dear Microbiology alumni and friends,
The 2016-2017 academic year was another great one for the Department of Microbiology, and we’d like to tell you about some of the highlights.
Pearson Hall, home of the Department of Microbiology since 1986, began a major facelift this summer. Renovation of the south end of the building is in full swing. Research labs, teaching labs, and classrooms are being completely rebuilt over a 1-year period, ensuring a fully modern experience for student learning. Plans to continue the renovation in other parts of the building in the near future depend on receipt of financial support from the state of Ohio as well as donations.
The entering undergraduate class in 2016-2017 included about 36 majors in both Microbiology and Medical Laboratory Science, and we hope that many of them will join research labs in microbiology. This past academic year 35 undergrads joined 25 graduate students in research labs, including 8 new graduate students pursuing MS and PhD degrees.
We were very pleased to be visited in April 2017 by alumnus Dr. Bradley Stevenson (BS Microbiology 1992), now a professor at the University of Oklahoma. He delivered a College of Arts and Science Alumni Lecture entitled “Microbiomes of biodiesel storage tanks and their role in fouling, degradation, and corrosion.”
For more details, keep reading below and also see Miami Microbiology Alumni on the MBI website.
We welcome visits from alumni; if you’re planning to visit, please contact me and we’ll be happy to arrange your visit, talk to you, and show you around.
Sincerely,
Luis Actis
Professor and Chair