Category Archives: Featured Faculty & Students

Congratulations Dr Ainsworth and Dr Long!

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Congratulations to plant biology’s Lisa Ainsworth, winner of the Shull Award, and Steve Long, winner of the Kettering Award!

The Charles Albert Shull Award is granted annually by the American Society of Plant Biologists to an early career scientist for outstanding investigations in the field of plant biology. Lisa received this award for her impressive scholarship, as well as her exemplary teaching and service. Lisa’s pioneering research on impacts of global and environmental change on both natural and managed plant ecosystems is widely appreciated.

The Charles F. Kettering Award was established to recognize excellence in the field of photosynthesis. Steve earned this year’s award for his seminal discoveries of the responses of photosynthesis to changes in the physical environment as well as the role of photosynthesis in mitigating climate change. Most recently, he and collaborators are developing plants as renewable sources of liquid fuel and addressing the social, economic, and ethical dimensions of allocating part of the food producing landscape to the production of fuel.

http://my.aspb.org/?AF_Awards

SIB Junior wins Research Fellowship

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Congratulations to Stephanie Klein, a junior majoring in Integrative Biology, who has been awarded a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) by the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB). Stephanie is one of fifteen students selected in the highly competitive national competition in 2012. She will receive a stipend and research funds to study “Auxin control of Medicago truncatula root development under elevated CO2” over the summer with Dr. Andrew Leakey, as well as support to travel to Providence, RI to present her findings at the annual meeting of ASPB next year.

Jeff Miguel Visits the Galapagos

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Jeff Miguel on the Galapagos Islands

Many of our Integrative Biology students choose to study abroad and conduct research in the field. Jeff Miguel, pictured to the right, spent the fall of 2010 in Ecuador and the Galapagos islands studying Marine Ecology by enrolling in the Galapagos program (GAIAS) at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito.

Jeff spent the first month in Quito and the coast of Ecuador and the last three months on the actual Galapagos Islands. During his time there, he stayed with host families and got to know the locals quite well. This picture was taken on a regular day during his walk to class.

Yes, there was even coursework! Jeff completed five courses with a Marine Ecology focus in three week modules.

If you’re interested in taking your studies beyond the classroom, talk with an Integrative Biology Academic Advisor today!

Outstanding Student – Muhammed Fazeel

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Muhammed FazeelSIB major, Muhammed Fazeel, is one of five finalists five finalists for the Lemelson-MIT $30,000 Illinois Student Prize for innovation.

Muhammed is working on an innovation called “In Case of Emergency” or I.C.E. This is a device that can call emergency services in case of major cardiac events that is affordable and non-invasive. He is also working on another project called Tabule, an instructor-student communication tool that is simple, efficient and ready to use on any smartphone or laptop. Tabule is currently in its beta-testing phase.

The winner of the prize will be announced and awarded the prize at a ceremony scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on March 7, 2012 in the auditorium of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA; 1205 W. Clark, Urbana), on the University of Illinois campus. The awards ceremony is open to the public, and will be immediately followed by a reception for all attendees. We’re rooting for you, Muhammed!