Department Alumni

A multi-generation dentistry! Alan Owings (B.S pre medicine ’89), Rebecca Sam (B.S. nursing ’86) and Allison Owings Bass (B.S. nursing ’18).

Jennifer Manning (B.S. biological sciences ’95) has been named SVP of Global Strategic Partnerships at the Center for Breakthrough Medicines.

Ashley Rickey (B.S. microbiology ’06) and Josh Rickey (B.S. biochemistry ’05) met in medical school, married and now are both surgeons at Novant Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She is a vascular surgeon. He does general and robotic surgery.

Kiandra Scott (B.S. microbiology ’11) joined the Lexington Medical Center and Lexington Surgery where she will specialize in breast and general reconstructive surgical care.

Namrata Sengupta (Ph.D. environmental toxicology ’16) recently opened the Broad Discovery Center, a public educational space that showcases how researchers around the world are seeking to understand and treat human disease. The Center has five galleries, where visitors can immerse themselves in interactive and informative exhibits. Sengupta is the associate director of the Center.

Gabrielle Godfrey (B.S microbiology ’20), Stephanie LaPlaca (Ph.D. environmental toxicology ’21) and Melissa Heintz (Ph.D.environmental toxicology ’20) published an article about their environmental outreach program, What’s in Our Waters Jr. (WOW Jr.), in The American Biology Teacher.

Hayley Hassler (M.S. microbiology ’21) and Vince Richards published the research that Hayley began work on as an undergrad and finished during her M.S.

Maggie Musick (Ph.D. biological sciences ’22) has been selected as an NIH T32 Fellow in Reyland and Cramer’s Training Program in Cancer Biology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus where she will be researching molecular alterations related to estrogen receptor activity and estrogen-dependent tumorigenesis in invasive lobular carcinoma.

Rhett Rautsaw (Ph.D. biological sciences ’22) created VenomMaps, a database and web application containing updated distribution maps and niche models for all 158 pit viper species living in North, Central and South America.

Charles Henry (B.S. microbiology ’22) and other BioSci students mentored and tutored students in the after-school program at the Littlejohn Community Center through the CU-REACH program.

Class scheduling luck started Hayley Hassler (M.S. microbiology ’21) on her path to COVID immunity research.

Brandie Smith (M.S. zoology ’97) named the John and Adrienne Mars Director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

Woody Bryan (B.S. zoology ’86), chief business officer at Revolo Biotherapeutics, serves as a judge in the inaugural College of Science Catalyst Competition where students compete to show their innovation and problem-solving skills.

Amoira Rush (B.S. biological sciences ’21) serves as hometown’s example of pursuing — and achieving — big dreams.

Tigers on Call connects pre-health students and alumni in health care fields: Of the 48 providers, 24 were BioSci alumni. Thank you to alumni providers: Craig Brackett, microbiology ’82; Lisa Carroll, microbiology ’04; Shivani Desai, biological sciences ’17; Kimberly DuBose, microbiology ’95; Trent Gillespie, biological sciences ’94; Jonathan Glen, pre-medicine ’68; Sarah Gustafson, biological sciences ’05; Natashia Jeter, microbiology ’96; G. Tripp Jones, zoology ’71; Cecil Bryan Jordan II, microbiology ’79; Matthew Logan, biological sciences ’96; Greg Niemer, microbiology ’91; Ashley Rickey, microbiology ’06; Kayla Shine, microbiology ’19; Keith Smith, microbiology ’82; Sam Stone, pre-medicine ’76; J.T. Thomas, biological sciences ’18; Brian Tucker, microbiology ’99, plant and environmental sciences ’04; Benjamin J Velky, biological sciences ’12; Jay Wilkins, biological sciences ’14.