What Can Fish Sounds Tell Us About Artificial Reefs?

Doctoral student uses noninvasive method to determine species found on reefs

OXFORD, Miss. – Grunts, purrs, barks and knocks – it may be surprising to learn that these noises can come from fish. Known as fish vocalizations, these sounds are the subject of a new study at the University of Mississippi Department of Biology. Kayleigh Mazariegos, a third-year doctoral student in biology, is leading a projectRead the story …

Scientist Works to Develop Pest-Resistant Soybean

Biology chair investigates wild soybeans for resistant properties

OXFORD, Miss. – A devastating pest for soybean farmers may soon be a problem of the past, thanks to research conducted by a University of Mississippi biologist. Sixue Chen, chair of the Department of Biology, is collaborating with researchers nationwide to combat a microscopic roundworm that causes up to 50% of a soybean crop’s yieldRead the story …

Former Professor’s Estate Supports Science Teaching at Ole Miss

St. Amand gift provides funding for lab equipment and teaching awards

OXFORD, Miss. – University of Mississippi biology professor Wilbrod St. Amand loved his students and recognized the importance of resources in higher education, whether they support laboratories or professors and instructors. In his estate, St. Amand left some $1 million to ensure there is support for all three. The largest part of the gift isRead the story …

Biology Professor Receives NSF CAREER Award

Yongjian Qiu awarded $1 million to find biological solutions to agricultural challenges

OXFORD, Miss. – The National Science Foundation has awarded University of Mississippi biologist Yongjian Qiu a $1 million grant to further his research into the effects of global warming on crops. Designed to help new teacher-scholars establish their research programs, the NSF CAREER grant will help Qiu conduct more in-depth analysis of the processes that alertRead the story …

Student Selected to Discuss Science Policy on Capitol Hill

Biology doctoral candidate merges love of science and environmental advocacy

OXFORD, Miss. – Mom, scientist, firefighter, environmental advocate: any of these titles could be used to describe University of Mississippi student Alicia L. Arrington-Thomas, the latter of which made possible by a recent award from the Ecological Society of America. The second-year doctoral student in biological sciences has received the ESA’s Katherine S. McCarter GraduateRead the story …

Three UM Students Win Goldwater Scholarships

Prestigious STEM scholarships awarded to Mississippi natives

OXFORD, Miss. – For the second year in a row, three University of Mississippi students have been awarded Goldwater Scholarships in a single year. All native Mississippians, Christian Boudreaux, of Oxford; Noah Garrett, of Madison; and Alyssa Stoner, of Gulfport are the university’s 22nd, 23rd and 24th students to receive the coveted scholarships. “As aRead the story …

Study Could Provide Insight Into Origin of Heart Defects

UM biologist receives National Institutes of Health award to study heart formation

OXFORD, Miss. – A University of Mississippi biologist is asking big questions about the development of the human heart, and a new National Institutes of Health grant may help him find the answers. “When I think about life’s big picture, I think one of the great mysteries is how we go from a single cellRead the story …

University Awarded Grant to Promote Inclusivity in STEM Education

UM joins 15 institutions tasked with evaluating inclusive teaching

OXFORD, Miss. – The Howard Hughes Medical Institute has awarded the University of Mississippi a new grant to understand, promote and evaluate inclusivity in STEM education. More than 100 colleges and universities have received six-year grants totaling $60 million as part of HHMI’s Inclusive Excellence 3 Initiative. The IE3 initiative challenges schools across the U.S.Read the story …

Opportunity: Searching the Globe for Better Care

Senior biology major seeks to improve health care for minority patients

As part of the 60th anniversary of integration at the University of Mississippi, this is the third of a four-part series based on the themes that are inscribed on the Civil Rights Monument on campus: perseverance, courage, knowledge and opportunity. These student stories reflect the characteristics that James Meredith embodied six decades ago when heRead the story …

Can Trees Communicate Underground? Maybe Not

UM biology professor debunks popular theory about soil fungal networks

OXFORD, Miss. – Imagine this: a tree in a forest is threatened by a predator or an invasive plant species. Underground, it sounds an alarm to neighboring trees through the “Wood-Wide Web,” a network of mycorrhizal fungi that connects them through the soil. It is a fascinating theory, but a University of Mississippi scientist hasRead the story …