I’m so excited to share that graduating honors student Shakira Ebian has been selected for incredible university-level honor! As a 21st Century Leader, Shakira is invited to participate in the main Commencement Ceremony by processing in with the Platform Party, being seated on stage, and standing when recognized. In addition, her photo and a brief […]
Emelia Kusi SICB award now featured on website
In January 2025 Emelia received the Ray Huey Award honorable mention award for best student poster in the Division of Ecology and Evolution at the SICB conference. You can now read more about her work and all the awards at their website.
Emelia Kusi speaks with 200 high school Future Farmers at the State House!
PhD candidate Emelia Kusi was invited to speak at the State House in Boston to approximately 200 Future Farmers of America (FFA) and 4H high school students to empower them on their career paths in agriculture. Emelia is an incredibly motivating speaker and many students thanked her for her words.
Shakira Ebian named 2024-25 UMass Amherst Rising Researcher!
I am so proud to announce that our own graduating honors student, Shakira Ebian, has been selected as one of this year’s UMass Amherst Rising Researchers! This program recognizes undergraduate students who excel in research, challenge their intellect, and exercise exceptional creativity. Congratulations to Shakira!
Elyse wins photo contest!
March 2025: Congratulations to PhD candidate Elyse McCormick, who won the judges’ choice (“Grad School Favorite”) for the Images of Research contest with her gorgeous bumble bee and sunflower photo!
Emelia chosen for Chancellor’s Emerging Leader Award!!
PhD candidate Emelia Kusi has been selected by the University as this year’s Chancellor’s Emerging Leader Award! This award is given to members of the UMass community whose work on our campus and beyond exemplifies the values embedded in justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion and who have served our institution for less than ten years. From […]
Emelia’s poster is runner-up for Best Student Poster Presentation at SICB!
Emelia attended the 2025 SICB (Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology) conference this January, and her poster was selected as the runner up for the Division of Ecology and Evolution Huey Award, Best Student Poster Presentation! She will soon be featured on the SICB website.
Luca receives $750 Research Assistant Fellowship!
Luca Pillidge has received a $750 Research Assistant Fellowship from the UMass Honors College to begin his senior honors thesis working with postdoc Kate Borchardt in the spring semester! Luca will expand his evaluation of whether wing asymmetry correlates with habitat quality or Crithidia infection in bees that Luca, Kate, and the rest of Kate’s […]
New job for Caro!
Finishing PhD student Caro has been offered a job as the new Director of Public Programming and Outreach at the Norcross Wildlife Foundation – wow!! Caro will start part-time this spring and then transition to full-time after defending.
Congratulations to Cameron – thesis done, headed to a new job!
Cameron Lamphere completed his MS thesis studying relationships between sunflowers, bees and Crithidia infection. He’ll be starting a new position as a Biological Science Technician for the US Fish & Wildlife in their Fish and Aquatics Division in Arcata, California, where he will do field work monitoring salmon runs. We will miss him, and wish […]