Biology and Environmental Science News

Congratulations to Stevenson biology alumnus Rojesh Shrestha on his acceptance into the Systems Biology program in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University!!   He will start there in the fall 2019.

Dr. Jessica Dunleavey will be on campus this spring, working in Dr. Burgess' Molecular Genetics class as a Collaborative Teaching Fellow.   Dr. Dunleavey has a Ph.D. in genetics and developmental biology from UNC Chapel Hill.  Her research focuses on the interaction between blood vessels and islets and the role that that plays in organ formation.

Congratulations to Senior Allison Bishop on placing first for her weight throw among division III athletes and breaking her own school record in the Bison Open & Multi meet!  Keep up the great work!  For more on the meet check out the Women's Indoor Track and Field blog.

At the Annual Legislative Reception last week, The Chesapeake Bay Trust awarded future Mustang biology major, Maleah Smith, with the 2019 The Honorable Arthur Dorman Scholarship. This award was named after Senator Arthur Dorman, Trust board member and pioneer in efforts to engage individuals of color in natural resources issues, and is awarded to a student of color who is active in connecting environment and community issues. This year’s awardee, Maleah Smith, is a senior at Huntingtown High School in Calvert County. As a varsity basketball player and track athlete, Maleah was acutely aware of an environmental issue at her school: plastic water bottle waste. Last year, she spearheaded an initiative to cut down on plastic water bottle waste in the Calvert County Public School system, successfully proposing the installation of drinking fountains with water bottle refilling stations to the county Board of Education. As a result of her efforts, water bottle refilling stations have been placed in the Board of Education building and all four county high schools, with plans to add more to the middle and elementary schools. To date over 50,000 plastic water bottles have stayed out of the landfill and students are more aware of the harmful effects of disposable plastic waste. In addition to her leadership as a student athlete, Maleah is active in the Student Government Association, a member of the National Honor Society, a peer-to-peer tutor with Transitioning to Excellence, and a volunteer with the Sierra Club.

Congratulations to biology professor Dr. Kim Pause Tucker on being named 2019 Educator of the Year by the Chesapeake Bay Trust! The award was presented at the Annual Legislative Reception held at the Maryland General Assembly.  Dr. Tucker was nominated by Stevenson environmental science alumna, Diamon Clark (’16).  Follow the link to learn more about the event.