November 2023

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UNO Biology Professor Nicola Anthony Helps Train Conservation Scientists Via Field School in Central Africa

This past summer University of New Orleans biological sciences professor Nicola Anthony immersed herself in the culture and ecology of the tropical forest and rural villages in the central African country of Gabon as part of a research field school aimed at training the next generation of conservation scientists. 

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STAFF MEMBER OF THE YEAR

Jeanne Guimond received the 2023 Staff of the Year Award! She is coordinator for business and student affairs with the Department of Biological Sciences. 

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FACULTY MEMBER OF THE YEAR

Ben Samuel received the 2023 Faculty of the Year Award! He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science. 

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Celebrating the Spooky Season

Several sciences departments celebrated with Halloween activities, bringing together faculty, students and staff. The Biological Sciences Department enjoyed a potluck lunch and pumpkin decorating contest, sponsored by the Biology Graduate Student Association. Congratulations to the Cox Lab, whose pumpkin received the most votes!  

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Sciences Students Showcase Research at InnovateUNO

Sciences students and their faculty mentors had another very successful showing at InnovateUNO, UNO’s annual research symposium. Research posters were presented by fifteen undergraduate students and ten graduate students. Eight undergraduates and one graduate student gave oral presentations. 

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2023 Homecoming Celebrations

Congratulations to our College of Sciences students nominated for the 2023 UNO Homecoming Court!

Dylan Davidson (Junior; Psychology), Nevaja Ingraham (Senior; Biological Sciences/Pre-Medical) and Zoe Cooper (Senior; Biological Sciences/Pre-Physical Therapy) were all nominated for their school spirit and pride in their majors. Dylan and Zoe were ultimately crowned as Homecoming King and Queen at the homecoming game where UNO took home the win.

Thanks to all the faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends who also joined us at the homecoming tailgate before the game. It was a great day to celebrate being a Privateer! 

In Memoriam: Dr. Michael Poirrier

The University community mourns the death of Dr. Michael Poirrier, professor emeritus of biological sciences, who passed away on Nov. 11 at the age of 81. Dr. Poirrier, a former department chair, was a faculty member at UNO for 44 years. 

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David Podgorski, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry, has been named as the new chair elect for the Local American Chemical Society (ACS) Chapter. 

Madeline Foster- Martinez, assistant professor in the Departments of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Civil and Environmental Engineering, was featured in the New Orleans City Business roundup “People This Week”. Dr. Foster-Martinez was recognized for receiving a Gulf Research Program Early-Career Research Fellowship in Environmental Protection and Stewardship.

Interested in learning more about our faculty’s research? Several sciences faculty have been profiled on UNO’s ‘In Sixty Seconds’, talking about their research and how they have engaged with students. We are #UNOProud of the work they are doing! 

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Graduate Students Win 3MT Competition

The Graduate School hosted the Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition on Nov.15. The competition challenges students to describe their research in a short three-minute pitch. Developed by the University of Queensland, the 3MT cultivates students’ academic, presentation and research communication skills, increasing their capacity to effectively explain their research quickly and effectively in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.

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Sciences Students Win Coastal Connections Infographic Challenge

Louisiana Sea Grant hosted the Coastal Connections Infographic Challenge for UNO undergraduate and graduate students conducting coastal research.

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Last month, we recognized Amanda Kirkland, graduate student in the Department of Biological Sciences, for being named to the 2024 class of the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program. Now, learn more about Amanda and her research in the Cox Lab examining the effects of warming and acidification on artificial reef ecosystems. 

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Congratulations to Maxwell Harsha, graduate student in the Department of Chemistry, on being accepted into a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical chemistry at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Maxwell is currently a doctoral candidate in the field of environmental and analytical chemistry and will start the fellowship in July after graduating from UNO. Working in the Podgorski lab, his research explores the chemical composition, environmental fate and toxicity of high latitude oil spills. 

Yanila Salas-Ortiz, graduate student in the Department of Chemistry, attended the National Diversity in STEM conference from Oct. 26 - 28th in Portland, Oregon. Yanila received a travel award from the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) to participate in the conference, which offered an opportunity to connect with other graduate students and potential employers. Yanila said “The experience was out of this world! It provided me invaluable insights and strengthened my commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the STEM field.”

Seniors in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences— Amelia Russell, Griffin Rome and Elizabeth Dubuisson—successfully designed, constructed, and built test structures to enhance land building in Quarantine Bay.

Their work is part of the senior seminar course and builds off the previous cohort’s efforts.