The Department of Biology
The Biology Department is housed in the Cox Science Center on the beautiful Coral Gables campus of the University of Miami in southern Florida, the gateway to the tropics. Our diverse internationally community, with its strong research focii ranging from Tropical Biology to Neuroscience, interacts with both medical and marine campuses, and exploits resources such as the Everglades, the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, the Organization for Tropical Studies and our own on-campus Gifford Arboretum. Our undergraduate curriculum serves the largest Arts and Science major, Biology, as well as Marine Science and Neuroscience majors, and emphasizes experiential learning and research opportunities.

News
New laboratories Renovations are complete for the laboratories of Alexandra Wilson and Kathryn Tosney and for three new core facilities: a tissue culture facility on the second floor and histology and imaging facilities in the basement which house a JOEL transmission electron microscope and a new Leica SP5 confocal microscope.

Welcome new people Searches last year successfully attracted seven new researchers: two senior faculty, Akira Chiba and Athula Wikramanayake, two junior faculty, Julia Dallman and Isaac Skromne, two core facility manager/researchers Carla Hurt and James Baker, and visiting assistant professor Patricia Buendia.

Sabbaticals and leaves Three faculty are taking opportunities to expand their research repertoire: Fall 2007 and Spring 2008: Leonel Sternberg; Spring and Fall 2008: Tom Herbert and Steve Green

Recent endowment The generous gift of the Aresty Chair in Tropical Ecology is of immense importance to Biology. It is a crucial foundation for attaining eminence in Tropical Ecology; moreover it assures that undergraduates can study with a renowned scientist in the tropics, a potentially life-changing experience. Our search for an eminent tropical field biologist to hold this chair begins this year. 

As part of a signficant expansion, we are also searching for a Developmental Biologist who uses a non-mammalian genetic model system to elucidate basic questions in Biology.

The Department of Biology featured in the news media:
Grad Student Nathan Muchala's discovery
New department chair builds bridges
Preview of Biologue 2008 Integrating Research cultures: a banner year for Biology.
Leo Sternberg's research of ancient tree rings has been highlighted in the prestigious journal Nature.  The UM Biology professor, along with colleague Hope Jahren of Johns Hopkins University, has studied the carbon, oxygen and hydrogen isotopes within the tree rings of a “fossil forest” located in the far northwest Canadian Arctic.  Study of the isotopes revealed changes in seasonal humidity that affected forest growth during the Eocene period, about 45 million years ago. For a pdf, click "Tree Ring Tales.
Dr. Barbara Whitlock was named a 2008 Digital Library Fellow; she will lead a project to create The Swingle Plant Anatomy Reference Collection. This project will digitalize a historic collection of plant anatomical microscope slices made in the early 20th century by W.T. Swinge, a close connection of UM who was a foremost authority on citrus plants. One element of this project will create 3-dimensional representations of the physical specimens.

Events
Tropical botany Check the Gifford Arboretum Calendar for talks, the yearly picnic (Dec 1) and plant sales.

Seminars Please come to faculty seminars Mondays and informal seminars on Fridays; All seminars are at 12:20 in Cox 166: download a full schedule from last year; seminars will resume in September.

Resources
Undergraduate advising
Graduate program information and applications; Due Jan 1, 2008!
Lisa Anness Graduate Fellowship in Tropical Botany application
College magazine article about Lisa Anness
Database on invasive species

Undergraduates
Many Biology courses this year will be using the Student Response Units known as clickers To learn how to bury register and used the clickers, click here!

South Florida Ecosystem
View South Florida ecosystems, from entire environments to component plants and animals, in extraordinary photographs on the website of Vladimir Dinets, graduate student in Biology whose research focuses on crocodiles and aligators.