Our DNA: The School of Biological Sciences, Fall 2020

Zooming in on the SBS

FROM THE DIRECTORS

We have found 2020 to be one of the most peculiar and worrying years in living memory. The COVID-19 pandemic has been the overarching story—a global calamity that seems likely to continue playing out over the next year. In Salt Lake City, we had an earthquake in March and in September a two-day windstorm of epic proportions that uprooted thousands of trees citywide. In spite of these epidemio-, geo-, and meteoro-logical challenges, the School of Biological Sciences is positively Zooming ahead.

At the end of June, we celebrated the conclusion of Denise Dearing’s term as SBS Director spanning a full six years. We are truly grateful for the many ways that Denise advanced our School. With her departure, two of us—Leslie Sieburth and Neil Vickers—were appointed as Co-Directors. As one of our colleagues observed—it will take the two of us to fill Denise’s shoes.

We were so happy that some of you attended our annual retreat in August! At this event, we welcomed two new faculty members, Talia Karasov and Michael Werner, and also nineteen new graduate students. Talia is an evolutionary geneticist who studies plant-microbe interactions and Michael (profiled in this newsletter) works on phenotypic plasticity in nematodes. We also recognize the retirements of two of our esteemed colleagues, Distinguished Professor Phyllis Coley and Professor Gary Drews (also profiled here). They both still have active research programs, so we are not saying goodbye to them. We offer our congratulations and thanks for their many years of outstanding contributions to our School.

Leslie Sieburth, Co-Director, School of Biological Sciences

Neil Vickers, Co-Director, School of Biological Sciences

With altered schedules and hygiene routines to keep students, faculty and staff safe, we consider ourselves fortunate to be able to maintain focus on our research, teaching and training missions. For the most part, lab groups have been able to return to work. We have made significant changes to our undergraduate classes with many now taking place over Zoom. However, in-person laboratory sections are running for some of our classes so that students can still take advantage of highly-valued experiential learning environments. Fortunately, our warm and dry fall has allowed several of our field-based courses to maintain a full slate of outdoor activities.

We are deeply appreciative of all our supporters during these turbulent times. Budget cuts as a result of the pandemic’s economic impact mean that your donations are more important than ever and help to maintain support for students and other critical aspects of our mission.

With our best wishes that you all stay safe and healthy in 2021.

Neil J. Vickers | Leslie E. Sieburth Professors and Co-Directors School of Biological Sciences

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