鈥淲ith upgraded equipment, 91短视频 will provide richer, practical laboratory, research, and project-based experiences to prepare students for lucrative careers in STEM fields and nursing,鈥� states a grant application submitted by Dr. Tara Kishbaugh, dean of faculty and student success for 91短视频.

The grant request also includes a 鈥渟mall salary allocation to support the procurement, calibration, and installation of equipment鈥� and to train faculty and students on its use.

It further states that the upgraded equipment would provide a significant educational opportunity for current students, attract faculty and students to 91短视频, and enhance contributions to STEM and health care fields through research, publication, consultation with local businesses, and a better-prepared workforce in Virginia.

鈥淭his project would amplify the impact of our current NSF STEM scholarship program, which increases postsecondary education access for academically talented, Pell-eligible students,鈥� the request states.

The 鈥�91短视频 grows STEM鈥� project is among a list of community priorities highlighted in the Fiscal Year 2026 federal spending bill, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., announced in a news release in February.

For a full list of projects in the Shenandoah Valley and Highlands regions of Virginia funded through the FY26 spending bill, .

91短视频 91短视频

91短视频 is a fully accredited university known for its outstanding STEM and health program preparation. Over 90% of job-seeking graduates of 91短视频 find employment quickly, with many in nursing and STEM employed before graduation. 91短视频 is a Forbes Best Return on Investment University and is one of the best colleges in the regional South (U.S. News & World Report). 91短视频 STEM students gain practical and technical skills through project-based experiences and social networks through mentorship from faculty and supportive learning communities. 

Whether collaborating with graduate students in a university medical center鈥檚 research lab or shadowing doctors in hospitals in Peru, several 91短视频 undergraduate students heading into careers in medicine and the health sciences came away from summer 2022 with memorable experiences and insights into their future.

Aden Weybright spent nine weeks at Baylor University working in a lab through the Baylor College of Medicine鈥檚 undergraduate research SMART program. He applied to about 20 programs offering similar opportunities and was accepted to five. Baylor鈥檚 program matched his research interests. He hopes to return there after graduation to a lab environment and then pursue a career in surgical oncology.

Cindi Boyer and Belen Hernandez Rosario, with several 91短视频 s, traveled to Peru with Professor Kristopher Schmidt. They were recipients of CT Assist鈥檚 annual Experiential Learning Grant for students in 贰惭鲍鈥檚 pre-professional health sciences program. Boyer hopes to become a physician鈥檚 assistant. Rosario is considering earning an MS in biomedicine before moving on to medical school and a specialty in cardiology.

Learn more about studying pre-professional health sciences at 91短视频.

Read on as they share more about their experiences.

鈥楬ands-on experience鈥� and 鈥榲aluable advice鈥� 

Aden Weybright: I worked in the lab of Dr. Joshua Wythe in the Department of Integrative Physiology, specifically investigating the blood vessels that feed specific brain tumors and developing treatments that would target these blood vessels. I worked with a team of graduate students and laboratory technicians on mice models to determine how the blood vessels feeding these brain tumors could be treated resulting in a more specific and targeted treatment for these devastating tumors.

This summer experience was extremely valuable in providing more hands-on experience in medical research. I also met many other students also considering academic medicine with amazing stories about how they had become interested in science and medicine. Being able to talk to other people, especially graduate and medical students, was insightful and helped me to confirm that this was a community I want to be a part of. They all were very friendly and offered valuable advice about what things I should be considering if I want to start a career in academic medicine.

In Peru

Boyer and Rosario spent five weeks in Peru. While living with host families in the capital city of Lima, they went each day to Hospital Nacional Docente Madre y Nino San Bartolome to shadow two different pediatric surgeons.

With a group of 91短视频 biomedicine graduate students, they attended seminars on Peruvian history, culture, and the healthcare system.

Rosario also spent a week with two graduate students in the rural town of Cieneguilla, working seven-hour days providing physical exams for about 150 residents, including seniors and children from three nearby orphanages.听

鈥淭here are almost no healthcare facilities in this area,鈥� Rosario said, 鈥� so the population had none to little access to annual check-ups and providers. We provided a quick physical exam which included blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen, temperature, height, weight, glucose, covid test if needed, and one of the grad students provided free dental cleanings.鈥�

Boyer found the opportunity to compare healthcare systems and explore cultural differences 鈥渋nvaluable鈥� to her future plans.

Rosario said she gained important skills and was inspired by the 鈥減assion, determination, and humility of all of the providers I met. 鈥淭he experience made me even more sure that I want to go into medicine.鈥�

Donatine Afful MA ’20 (biomedicine), in his third year of studies at Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, was recently appointed education subcommittee co-chair for the American Osteopathic College of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. Afful joins colleagues from Lincoln Memorial University, DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine on the committee.

The organization is “dedicated to providing leadership for the PMR profession and to providing a home to all osteopathic PMR physicians,” according to their website.

Afful says his responsibilities are 鈥渢o create educational programs and resources that inform AOCPMR members and the public about physical medicine and rehabilitation, including the various subspecialities.鈥� 

He is among many 91短视频 biomedicine program alumni to head into, a medical profession that prioritizes “a whole-person approach to care by focusing on looking beyond symptoms to understand how lifestyle and environmental factors impact wellbeing.”

Nearly 78 percent of the program鈥檚 graduates successfully go on to medical school.

Afful especially enjoyed working with Professor Kristopher Schmidt, his thesis advisor. 鈥淗e is a great mentor and always went above and beyond for his students,鈥� he said. Read more about biomedicine thesis topics.

Afful will graduate from ACOM in 2024. He says he鈥檚 motivated in his chosen profession by the opportunity 鈥渢o directly impact the lives of others [and] to help others in their most vulnerable state.鈥�

鈥淎dditionally, I relish the relationships medicine allows me to create with members of the healthcare team and patients,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 am of the belief that what matters most in life is how you impact others鈥� lives.鈥�

In summer 2021, Afful participated in an externship for first-year students at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab where he contributed to a top-placing research project in genetic expression profiles and biomarkers of pain in individuals with a spinal cord injury. Shirley Ryan is a nationally ranked rehabilitation center in Chicago, Illinois.

鈥淯nderstanding of these biomarkers may one day play a role in our understanding of post-spinal cord injury pain,鈥� he explained, 鈥渁nd could lead to the development of more interventions to treat patients who might suffer from chronic neuropathic pain.鈥�

Afful worked with recruitment into and retention throughout the study. One of his tasks was to stay in contact with participants and encourage them to return to the center 鈥渢o complete blood draws and post-discharge surveys.鈥�

He also read widely into the literature on neuropathic pain and wrote summaries of 15 papers. 

Prior to his studies at 91短视频, Afful was a biologist with IEH Laboratories and Consulting Group in Glen Allen, Virginia. He graduated from James Madison University in 2017 with a degree in biology.

This semester鈥檚 Suter Science Seminar lineup at 91短视频 include professionals working in disease ecology, behavioral health and crisis services, animal health, and biology.

The events will be held in Swartzendruber Hall of the Suter Science Center, and will be livestreamed for the off-campus community on the . [You do not need to be a member of Facebook to view the livestream.]

Wednesday, Sept. 14, 4 p.m. 鈥淓merging Vector-borne Disease in the Commonwealth鈥� with Dr. Gillian Eastwood, assistant professor of vector-borne disease ecology in the Department of Entomology at Virginia Tech.

Saturday, Oct. 8, 10 a.m. 鈥淏uilding-up the Behavioral Health System in a Time of Crisis: Opportunities and Challenges鈥� with Dr. Rolando L. Santiago, chief of behavioral health and crisis services for the Department of Health and Human Services in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Wednesday, Nov. 9, 4 p.m. 鈥淐ount Up: My Reflections on Science, Industry, and Life鈥︹�� with Raul E. Diaz Lugo, global quality lead for Merck, Animal Health North America.

Wednesday, Nov. 30, 4 p.m. 鈥淐haracterization of Sensory Driven Intrinsic Iris Constriction in Mammals鈥� Dr. Marquis Walker, assistant professor of biology at James Madison University.

The lectures are made possible by the sponsorship of the Daniel B. Suter Endowment in Biology and the co-sponsorship of supporting programs. 

Named in honor of long-time 91短视频 biology professor, Daniel B. Suter (1920-2006), the Endowment in Biology was established in 1986 through the generous donations of alumni and friends and currently consists of over $1 million of invested funds. 91短视频 hopes to double the Suter Endowment in order to more adequately support distinguished faculty and to increase scholarship aid to deserving students.

Two new majors at 91短视频 will prepare students for careers in the thriving and expanding fields of business analytics and public health.听

Business analytics sees expansive growth

This new Bachelor of Science degree within 贰惭鲍鈥檚 Business and Leadership Program combines elements of the current business administration major and a recently-approved data analytics minor within the Mathematics and Computer Science Program. The program launches in fall 2022.

Business analytics uses data and statistics to help businesses improve their performance and make efficient and forward-thinking decisions. Analysts use a variety of techniques, tools, and technologies to gather and examine data, create models, and make and implement recommendations. 

鈥淏usiness analysts are in high demand for positions that offer excellent salaries and job security,鈥� said Professor Jim Leaman, program director. 鈥淭his is a new and expanding subfield of the broader business world, which means graduates of our program will have lots of job options.鈥�

Business analysts work in an interdisciplinary role to communicate and exchange information between data technicians and executives and clients, he said. Coursework aims to prepare students to bridge the gap between technical knowledge and problem solving in business contexts. 

The program includes overlap of courses required for the data analytics minor, Leaman said. 鈥淎dding just one class gives you a minor and additional expertise.鈥�

Public Health

贰惭鲍鈥檚 public health major builds on the strong reputation of the undergraduate pre-med, nursing and STEM majors, as well as the MS in Biomedicine program. Coursework is wide-ranging and interdisciplinary, building strong foundational knowledge with research and communications skills and intercultural competency. The interdisciplinary nature of the field allows for integration across the fields of biology, pre-med and nursing, social sciences, statistics, and global development.听

Beth Good, professor of nursing, has worked in public health in many countries. She holds a doctorate in nursing science and research and a Master of Public Health Nursing degree, and will be teaching some of the courses in the program. 

Read more about 91短视频’s community health course and its project-oriented learning experience.

鈥淭he past couple of years have highlighted for the U.S. and the world the importance of a strong public health workforce,鈥� Good said. 鈥淓mployers are recognizing that graduates of undergraduate public health programs have a solid foundation in a broad range of skills and knowledge and there is an increasing interest to businesses and non-profit sectors engaged in education, civic affairs, international development and health-related activities.鈥�

Students can choose to follow one of two tracks: environmental health, which taps into 91短视频’s strong environmental science program, and computer programming or data analytics, to help students develop data science competencies.

The first introductory course begins in spring 2023, with the program officially launching in fall 2023. If interested, incoming students in fall 2022 will be able to take required courses to prepare them to transition into a public health major in fall 2023.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the need for skilled public health professionals. A variety of career opportunities include health education, research, environmental health, journalism, community development and policy work.

Read more

Dr. Emma Mitchell will present the final Suter Science Seminar this semester, 鈥淐ervical Cancer as a Cancer of Disparities: Innovative Technology on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua for Health Equity Through a Community-based Participatory Process,鈥� on Wednesday, April 6, at 4 p.m. Mitchell is an associate professor and director of global initiatives at the University of Virginia School of Nursing.

The campus community is invited to attend the seminar in person in Room 106 of the Suter Science Center. The seminar will be livestreamed on the .

The seminars are free to the public, and made possible by the sponsorship of the Daniel B. Suter Endowment in Biology and the co-sponsorship of supporting programs.

Mitchell will present a case study of a long-term collaboration for cervical cancer control on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua. Her work centers on the feasibility of this in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). She argues that the 10-year cervical cancer elimination strategy set by the World Health Organization 鈥渃an only be successful at the intersection of innovative technology and community-based participatory processes, in order to work toward health equity.鈥�

鈥淭hough highly preventable, about 85% of the burden of cervical cancer persists in LMICs,鈥� Mitchell says. 鈥淐aused by high-risk genotypes of the Human Papillomavirus (hrHPV), cervical cancer can be prevented through safe and effective vaccination, screening for hrHPV, and effective treatment of pre-cancerous/cancerous lesions.鈥�

Mitchell completed her BSN at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, and earned her PhD in Nursing Science at the University of Virginia. Her scholarship centers on cervical cancer as a cancer of disparities. In collaboration with long-term community partners both in far Southwest Virginia and in Nicaragua and Honduras, Mitchell has researched integration of innovative technology to increase access to cervical cancer screening and treatment.

Named in honor of long-time 91短视频 biology professor, Daniel B. Suter (1920-2006), the Endowment in Biology was established in 1986 through the generous donations of alumni and friends and currently consists of over $1 million of invested funds. 91短视频 hopes to double the Suter Endowment in order to more adequately support distinguished faculty and to increase scholarship aid to deserving students.

Susannah Moore ’08, assistant professor of psychology at 91短视频, will give the spring semester鈥檚 third Suter Science Seminar, 鈥淔rom Fitness Training to Health Psychology: My Journey Back to 91短视频,鈥� on Wednesday, March 2, at 4 p.m. 

The sessions are free to the public, and made possible by the sponsorship of the Daniel B. Suter Endowment in Biology and the co-sponsorship of supporting programs. They will be live streamed on the . The campus community is invited to attend the seminars in person in room 106 of the Suter Science Center. 

Moore鈥檚 research explores the 鈥渓ong-term health risks associated with childhood maltreatment and health behaviors that may help to reduce these risks,鈥� Moore says. 鈥淐urrently in my lab, we are interested in discovering early health markers that may be due to exposure from childhood stress, and how various behaviors, such as physical activity, can improve overall health.”

The path of Moore鈥檚 research has diverged from physical fitness itself to the importance of 鈥渕ind and body connection in relation to being physically active and healthy: in particular, how early stressful life experiences shape our pathways of health,鈥� Moore says. 鈥淭he more we understand, the more we can create opportunities for prevention and intervention.鈥�

Moore completed her undergraduate degree from 91短视频 and her masters and PhD from the University of Northern Colorado.

Named in honor of long-time 91短视频 biology professor, Daniel B. Suter (1920-2006), the Endowment in Biology was established in 1986 through the generous donations of alumni and friends and currently consists of over $1 million of invested funds. 91短视频 hopes to double the Suter Endowment in order to more adequately support distinguished faculty and to increase scholarship aid to deserving students.

Students in Professor Gaurav Pathania’s “Sociology of Health” class at 91短视频 recently learned about research into discrimination related to COVID-19 targeted at Asian Americans.

Professor Wei Li, an urban geographer from Arizona State University, delivered the guest lecture with doctoral students, Siquiao Xie and Yining Tan. They shared the findings from their latest study: 鈥淰ulnerability, Infection, and Anti- Discrimination among  Asian Americans and COVID-19: Explorations into Race and Health Intersections in California.鈥� 

The study highlights how, in the past year, hate crimes against Asians and Asian-Americans have risen exponentially, in part because of widely used harmful and inaccurate rhetoric blaming Asians for the spread of COVID-19. The data shows that m in the U.S. were reported between March 2020 and February 2021. Phoenix alone reported that .

The research team interviewed and surveyed Asian and Asian-Americans in three key constituent groups: minority nurses, college students and metro Phoenix community leaders, to better understand how individuals have been impacted by COVID-19 while simultaneously fighting stereotypes and negative stigmas within their daily lives. The study questions the existing Social Vulnerability Index of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and offers suggestions to revise the index.

Li concluded her talk with optimism that the future offers ways to better understand each other’s experiences to bring about more awareness to all ethnic identities and their social vulnerabilities.

Li is associated with the School of Social Transformation, School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning and her research centers on urban ethnicity and ethnic geography and highly-skilled international migration and transnational connections, focusing on Chinese and other Asian groups in the Pacific Rim. In her major study on suburban Asian settlements, she coined the term, “ethnoburb,“ and her book, Ethnoburb: The New Ethnic Community in Urban America won the 2009 Book Award in Social Sciences by the Association for Asian American Studies.

Li was appointed to three terms as a member of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Race and Ethnic Advisory Committees (REAC) on the Asian Population by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, served as its elected chair (2010-12) and vice chair annually (2004-09), and was one the inaugural members of the Bureau’s new National Advisory Committee of Race, Ethnic, and Other Populations. She serves as the Fulbright Visiting Research Chair in Ethnicity and Multicultural Citizenship in Queen’s University, Canada (2006-07) and a Senior Fulbright Scholar to India (2016-2017); a member of the inaugural class of the National Asia Research Associates with the National Bureau of Asian Research and Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (2010-11); and the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Writing Residency (2014). She is a member of the International Steering Committee of the International Metropolis Project, and the North American director for the International Society of Studying Chinese Overseas.

In her seminar, Johnson will present on the most recent research in her laboratory, where she uses 鈥渕olecular genetics, biochemistry, and mathematical biology to understand the basic mechanism by which cells produce RNA,鈥� Johnson says.

The sessions are free to the public, and made possible by the sponsorship of the Daniel B. Suter Endowment in Biology and the co-sponsorship of supporting programs. They will be live streamed on the . The campus community is invited to attend the seminars in person in room 106 of the Suter Science Center.听

Prior to working at JMU, Johnson served as a program director in the Molecular and Cellular Biosciences Division at the NSF, and as an associate professor at Georgia State University. Her interest in pursuing genetics stemmed from transmission of deafness and hearing loss in her family. Johnson has also created and led workshops for middle- and high-school teachers interested in incorporating genetics laboratories into their classes.

Named in honor of long-time 91短视频 biology professor, Daniel B. Suter (1920-2006), the Endowment in Biology was established in 1986 through the generous donations of alumni and friends and currently consists of over $1 million of invested funds. 91短视频 hopes to double the Suter Endowment in order to more adequately support distinguished faculty and to increase scholarship aid to deserving students.

One of the things that most motivates Vincent Morra MS ’15 (biomedicine) is interpersonal connection. It’s what first attracted him to the field of osteopathic medicine, and what told him that 91短视频 (91短视频) and the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) were the right schools for him.

“The culture there, at 91短视频, was very different from what I was used to,” he said. It’s “a tight knit community. It’s much more supportive than other educational settings I was used to 鈥� all the professors have very open door policies.” 

He then chose to attend WVSOM in Lewisburg because “the people there were very genuine.” 

It should come as no surprise that someone who places such value on relationships and compassion would enter the field of osteopathic medicine.

Doctors of osteopathic medicine are fully licensed physicians, like those with a doctor of medicine, or M.D. degree. But in addition to the usual gamut of medical school courses, osteopathic medicine schools include special training in the musculoskeletal system and “manipulations,” a set of hands-on techniques used to prevent, diagnose, and treat injuries and illnesses. These treatments can help a patient in place of or in addition to traditional medical therapies. 

Morra explained that osteopathic medicine also emphasizes looking at a patient “holistically,” including the person’s “body, mind and spirit, and treating the patient as a whole, and not just as whatever their diagnosis might be.”

Morra earned his doctor of osteopathic medicine degree in May, and recently began his residency in family medicine at Cabell Huntington Hospital in Huntington, W.Va. The three-year residency will give him plenty of opportunities to serve people from rural areas, reminiscent of his hometown in Bridgewater, Virginia.

“There’s a huge population here that is lacking in medical care,” Morra said.

The first year of his residency will include a “smattering of everything,” from outpatient to inpatient medicine to obstetrics. In his second and third years, he’ll have the chance to study various specialties firsthand, such as cardiology, neurology, or nephrology.

Throughout the residency, though, “you’re always spending time in the clinic with your patients, in order to keep continuity of care with them,” said Morra.

Morra knew a bit about osteopathic medicine as an undergraduate economics student at the University of Virginia. But he found certainty in this calling while earning his master’s degree in biomedicine at 91短视频, as professors and peers in the program all valued “treating the whole patient.”

“Students take a few classes 鈥� interdisciplinary seminar, cross-cultural healthcare, and faith and ethics 鈥� that allow them to see health from varied aspects,” said Professor Kristopher Schmidt. 

91短视频’s biomedicine program has an 80% acceptance rate among students who apply to medical schools.

Because Morra’s undergraduate degree was in economics, he said the biomedicine program gave him an opportunity to dig deeper into the medical field before he applied to medical schools, as well as “the opportunity to become more confident in myself before applying.”

Professor Tara Kishbaugh, interim director of the biomedicine program, said Morra was a “great addition” to the program. 

“He is such a quiet, gentle person,” she said. “He consistently was working with his peers to support their learning in organic chemistry 鈥� which typically is one of the more frustrating prerequisites for students. He always went above and beyond in the class, carefully figuring out each bonus question, turning in work early, even when there were reasons for his work to be late.”

Last weekend, the 91短视频 community honored approximately 30 students at the sixth annual Donning of the Kente Ceremony.

The ceremony, always the first of the, recognizes and rewards achievement; honors those who contributed to the grad’s success; connects grads to their heritage; and encourages them to continue striving for excellence.

The ceremony was live in Martin Chapel, but limited to participants and their honorary donors. The new livestream format enabled friends and family, and a few honored donneers, from around the world to share in the joy of the moment, sending messages of love and support through the chat. [View the recording of the ceremony on .]

The ceremony, which is voluntary and open to all, celebrates the achievements of graduating seniors who recognize their international roots. Each graduate receives a stole of kente cloth, a symbol of prestige in many African societies, handwoven for each graduate, or a satin sash with flags from the countries they feel a connection with.

Each student selects an individual to place the stole or sash around his or her neck. Many seniors choose to wear the stole at commencement as an important component o f their academic regalia.

Hosts of the ceremony were Celeste Thomas, director of multicultural student services and special advisor to the president on diversity, equity and inclusion, and Micah Shristi, director of international student services. David Berry, professor of music, contributed musical selections, and Brian Martin Burkholder, campus pastor, gave the blessing.

Participants 

Nana Akyaa Okyere Acheampong, a nursing major from Harrisonburg, Va., donned by Kennedy Akwo 

Justice Allen, a recreation sports management major from Waynesboro, Va., donned by Bob Hepler, cross country and track coach

Josephine Awotoye, from Brooklyn Park, Minn., graduating with an MS in biomedicine and donned by Laura Otieno

Akiel Baker, a social work major from Bowie, Md., donned by Celeste Thomas

Luz Contreras, from McGaheysville, Va., graduating with an MS in biomedicine, donned by Professor Beth Good (nursing)

Maya Dula, a biology major from Lancaster, Pa., donned by Celeste Thomas

Brandon Higgins, a psychology major from Culpepper,Va., donned by Lindy Magness, assistant director for housing and residence life  

Amanda Jasper, a social work major from Madion, Va., donned by Celeste Thomas

Terry Jones Jr, a computer science major from Palmyra, Va., donned by Professor David Berry (music)

Brenda Kasongo, an accounting major from Kinshasa, The Democratic Republic of Congo, donned by her father Louis Kasongo Olenga

Yonas Ketsala, a nursing major from Alexandria, Va., donned by Brian Martin Burkholder, campus pastor and Yonas鈥檚 spiritual mentor

Philia Lienardy, a photography major from Semarang, Indonesia, donned by her best friend Kayla Segner

Anisa Leonard, a social work major from Nairobi, Kenya, and Harrisonburg, Va., donned by Shannon Dycus, dean of students

Rodrigo Makelele, earning an MA in conflict transformation, from The Democratic Republic of Congo and Harrisonburg, Va., donned by Jayne Docherty, executive director and professor, Center for Justice and Peacebuilding

Mariana Martinez-Hernandez, a peacebuilding major from Tegucigulpa, Honduras, donned by her roommate and cousin Alexa Lorenzana

Maha Mehanna, earning a graduate certificate in business administration (2021), and an MA in organizational leadership and a graduate certificate in restorative justice (2020), from Gaza, Palestine, donned by David Brubaker, dean and professor of the School of Social Sciences and Professions

Valerie Meza-Cooper, earning an MA in Counseling from Woodstock, Va., donned by Celeste Thomas

Aminata Wallet Mohamed, earning an MA in conflict transformation from Bamako, Mali, donned by Micah Shristi

Helen Momoh, earning an MA in conflict transformation from Harrisonburg, Va., donned by her spouse Charles Kwuelum

Sidney Morgan, earning an MA Transformational Leadership from Vancouver, Wa., donned by her three children

Edith Ortega-Sanchez, a peacebuilding and development major from Torreon, Mexico, donned by her mother Maria de Ortega

Jakiran Richardson, a biology major from Virginia Beach, Va., donned by Celeste Thomas

Gene St. Val, earning an MS in biomedicine from Eden, Md., donned by Tara Kishbaugh, professor and dean of the School of Sciences, Engineering, Art and Nursing

Shakeerah Sykes, earning an MA in Counseling from Harrisonburg, Va., donned by Professor Jennifer Cline standing in for Rita Dunston, Shakeerah鈥檚 aunt.

Angela Walker, earning an MA in conflict transformation, from Amity, Ore., donned by her nephew and nieces Asia, Andrew and Aaliyah Smith

Tessa Waidelich, a computer science major from Pettisville, Ohio, donned by Charles Cooley, instructor (computer science)

Rebecca Yugga, major in Spanish language and Hispanic studies from Rockingham, Va., donned by Celeste Thomas.

*Two students’ names have been redacted for security purposes.

A new series of multifaceted music colloquia continues at 91短视频 Thursday, April 15, with听 PhD, an Indian Carnatic classical musician and neuroscientist at Harvard Medical School’s Massachusetts General Hospital. She’ll speak on her career and some of the musical traditions of India.

Navaratna “is a true cultural entrepreneur who combines expertise in music and medicine,” said Professor David Berry, director of the music department. 

The presentation will be livestreamed at 12:20 p.m. on 听听and the .听You do not need a Facebook account to access these livestreams. Find recordings of past colloquia there as well.

Past guests include , a Grammy-nominated cellist, arts activist, and the newly-appointed executive director of the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival; , a flutist with the Houston Symphony, the Greenbriar Consortium, the Ritz Chamber Players, and the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra; and , a performance psychologist, Juilliard professor, and violinist.

“Since everything is virtual, it is a wonderful opportunity to bring many more great artists from around the nation and even around the globe to our students,” said Berry. “It is not every year that we can bring such a diverse array of top-rate artists and presenters to our students in one semester.”

The colloquia includes a mix of students performing for and learning from the guest artists, interviews, and lectures. 

“We have found these combined modes of presentation to be very engaging for everyone no matter the spectators’ area of musical specialty,” Berry said.

The sessions are free to the public, and made possible by the sponsorship of the Daniel B. Suter Endowment in Biology and the co-sponsorship of supporting programs. They will be live streamed on the

Wengert is in his fifth year of the neuroscience PhD program under the mentorship of Professor Manoj Patel. His research focuses on a severe form of epilepsy which causes intellectual disability, motor impairment, and seizures that are difficult to treat with medication. 

“Gaining clarification of the precise mechanisms of the disease is warranted to help generate novel treatment strategies,” Wengert explains. “Although previously thought to be unaffected in SCN8A encephalopathy, this presentation will highlight new evidence that inhibitory interneurons are dysfunctional in SCN8A encephalopathy, and that their abnormal activity is sufficient to drive behavioral seizures.”

Wengert earned his bachelor’s in neuroscience from Bucknell University. After his anticipated graduation from the University of Virginia this May, he will join the laboratory of Dr. Ethan Goldberg at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as a postdoctoral fellow.

Named in honor of long-time 91短视频 biology professor, Daniel B. Suter (1920-2006), the Endowment in Biology was established in 1986 through the generous donations of alumni and friends and currently consists of over $1 million of invested funds. 91短视频 hopes to double the Suter Endowment in order to more adequately support distinguished faculty and to increase scholarship aid to deserving students.

This semester’s Suter Science Seminar lineup at 91短视频 includes a patent attorney, a wildlife management professional, a watershed steward, a pediatrician, and a neuroscientist.

The events sessions will be live streamed on the (you do not need a Facebook account to watch). 

• Wednesday, January 27, 4:15 p.m. 鈥� “Can I really patent that?” with Eric Rutt ’01, an attorney with Wolf Greenfield Intellectual Property Law in Boston.
• Wednesday, February 24, 4:15 p.m. 鈥� “Difficult decisions: the role of value-focused thinking in wildlife disease management” with Katrina Alger ’08, a biologist and decision analyst at the United States Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center.
• Wednesday, March 24, 4:15 p.m. 鈥� “Wadi Rum, watersheds, and well child checks” with Laura Cattell Noll ’09 of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and pediatrician Dr. Kelly Smucker ’09.
• Wednesday, April 7, 4:15 p.m. 鈥� “Inhibitory interneuron dysfunction drives seizures in SCN8A epilepsy” with Eric Wengert, a doctoral candidate in the neuroscience program at the University of Virginia.

The lectures are made possible by the sponsorship of the Daniel B. Suter Endowment in Biology and the co-sponsorship of supporting programs. 

Named in honor of long-time 91短视频 biology professor, Daniel B. Suter (1920-2006), the Endowment in Biology was established in 1986 through the generous donations of alumni and friends and currently consists of over $1 million of invested funds. 91短视频 hopes to double the Suter Endowment in order to more adequately support distinguished faculty and to increase scholarship aid to deserving students.

Eric Rutt

Attorney Eric Rutt ’01 will give the first of the 2021 Suter Science Seminars at 91短视频 (91短视频) on January 27 at 4:15 p.m. His talk, titled “Can I really patent that?” will delve into the debate over what developments in biotechnology can be patented, including a 2013 case involving patents for genes that cause breast cancer. 

The sessions are free to the public, and made possible by the sponsorship of the Daniel B. Suter Endowment in Biology and the co-sponsorship of supporting programs. They will be live streamed on the

Rutt practices law with the firm Wolf Greenfield in Boston, which handles all aspects of intellectual property, with a focus on patent prosecution and litigation.

“The patent laws of the United States contemplate that ‘anything under the sun that is made by man’ can be patented,” Rutt said. “While laws of nature, such as E=mc2, and physical phenomena, such as newly discovered plants or minerals, are excluded, what about patenting genetically engineered organisms or genes that are discovered to cause cancer?”

Rutt graduated from 91短视频 in 2001 with a degree in chemistry. He then worked as a laboratory technician at Merck before earning his doctorate at Boston College Law School.

The next seminar will be given by USGS National Wildlife Health Center biologist and decision analyst Katrina Alger ’08 on February 24.

Named in honor of long-time 91短视频 biology professor, Daniel B. Suter (1920-2006), the Endowment in Biology was established in 1986 through the generous donations of alumni and friends and currently consists of over $1 million of invested funds. 91短视频 hopes to double the Suter Endowment in order to more adequately support distinguished faculty and to increase scholarship aid to deserving students.

Katrina Alger

Katrina Alger ’08, a biologist and decision analyst at the United States Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center, will give a Suter Science Seminar at 91短视频 (91短视频) on February 24 at 4:15 p.m. Her talk is titled “Difficult decisions: the role of value-focused thinking in wildlife disease management.”

The sessions are free to the public, and made possible by the sponsorship of the Daniel B. Suter Endowment in Biology and the co-sponsorship of supporting programs. They will be live streamed on the

Alger will speak on decision making and analysis for issues of wildlife disease management, and how to do so in transparent, inclusive, and defensible ways. 

“Outbreaks of disease in wildlife populations can have far-reaching consequences for biodiversity conservation, agricultural production, and human health,” Alger explains. “From a management standpoint, wildlife disease is often considered a ‘wicked’ problem due to ecological complexity, competing stakeholder objectives, and underlying uncertainty about both the system and treatment efficacy.”

Alger has worked on a variety of issues for the National Wildlife Health Center, including white-nose syndrome in bats, tissue loss disease in coral, and chytrid fungus in salamanders. She holds a master’s degree in conservation biology from the State University of New York School of Environmental Science and Forestry. 

The next seminar will be given by Laura Cattell Noll ’09 of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and pediatrician Dr. Kelly Smucker ’09 on March 24.

Named in honor of long-time 91短视频 biology professor, Daniel B. Suter (1920-2006), the Endowment in Biology was established in 1986 through the generous donations of alumni and friends and currently consists of over $1 million of invested funds. 91短视频 hopes to double the Suter Endowment in order to more adequately support distinguished faculty and to increase scholarship aid to deserving students.

Laura Cattell Noll & Kelly Smucker

Laura Cattell Noll ’09 of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and pediatrician Dr. Kelly Smucker ’09 will give a Suter Science Seminar at 91短视频 (91短视频) on March 24 at 4:15 p.m. Their talk, titled “Wadi Rum, watersheds, and well child checks” will take the audience through their professional journeys and the impact of their friendship, which began their freshman year at 91短视频.

The sessions are free to the public, and made possible by the sponsorship of the Daniel B. Suter Endowment in Biology and the co-sponsorship of supporting programs. They will be live streamed on the

Noll and Smucker joke that they became fast friends as “fellow science nerds” in college, solidifying their bond over late-night chemistry write-ups in the Northlawn dorm. 

Noll studied environmental science and justice, peace, and conflict studies at 91短视频 before earning a master’s in environmental science from the University of Virginia. She coordinates the Local Leadership Workgroup of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, and has more than a decade of experience in community-based watershed restoration and stewardship.

Smucker majored in biology and minored in chemistry and history at 91短视频. She worked as a research assistant in microbiology at the University of Virginia, and did translational research in leukemia at Ohio State University, where she went on to earn her medical degree. Smucker completed her pediatric residency at the University of Minnesota and is now a pediatrician in Oregon.

The next seminar will be given by Eric Wengert, a doctoral candidate in the neuroscience program at the University of Virginia, on April 7. 

Named in honor of long-time 91短视频 biology professor, Daniel B. Suter (1920-2006), the Endowment in Biology was established in 1986 through the generous donations of alumni and friends and currently consists of over $1 million of invested funds. 91短视频 hopes to double the Suter Endowment in order to more adequately support distinguished faculty and to increase scholarship aid to deserving students.

Eric Wengert

Eric Wengert, a doctoral candidate in the neuroscience program at the University of Virginia, will give a Suter Science Seminar at 91短视频 (91短视频) on April 7 at 4:15 p.m. His talk is titled “Inhibitory interneuron dysfunction drives seizures in SCN8A epilepsy,” and will examine new evidence about the mechanisms of this severe epilepsy syndrome. 

The sessions are free to the public, and made possible by the sponsorship of the Daniel B. Suter Endowment in Biology and the co-sponsorship of supporting programs. They will be live streamed on the

Wengert is in his fifth year of the neuroscience PhD program under the mentorship of Professor Manoj Patel. His research focuses on a severe form of epilepsy which causes intellectual disability, motor impairment, and seizures that are difficult to treat with medication. 

“Gaining clarification of the precise mechanisms of the disease is warranted to help generate novel treatment strategies,” Wengert explains. “Although previously thought to be unaffected in SCN8A encephalopathy, this presentation will highlight new evidence that inhibitory interneurons are dysfunctional in SCN8A encephalopathy, and that their abnormal activity is sufficient to drive behavioral seizures.”

Wengert earned his bachelor’s in neuroscience from Bucknell University. After his anticipated graduation from the University of Virginia this May, he will join the laboratory of Dr. Ethan Goldberg at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as a postdoctoral fellow.

Named in honor of long-time 91短视频 biology professor, Daniel B. Suter (1920-2006), the Endowment in Biology was established in 1986 through the generous donations of alumni and friends and currently consists of over $1 million of invested funds. 91短视频 hopes to double the Suter Endowment in order to more adequately support distinguished faculty and to increase scholarship aid to deserving students.