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Department of Biology Committee Appointments

Administration

  • Department Chair – Brad Barbazuk (2021 – 2024)
  • Associate Chair – José Miguel Ponciano (2024 – 2027)
  • Graduate Coordinator – Stuart McDaniel (2025-2028)
  • Undergrad Coordinator – Bernie Hauser (2024 – 2027)

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Advisory Council

  • Chair – Brad Barbazuk (2021 – 2024)
  • Assoc. Chair – José Miguel Ponciano (2024 – 2027)
  • Grad Coordinator – Stuart McDaniel (2025-2028)
  • Undergrad Coordinator -Bernie Hauser (2024-2027)
  • Office Manager – Susan Spaulding (ex officio)
  • Elected Members:
    (3 year terms, but length of terms for the first election was staggered)

    • Whitney Lab – David Duffy (2023-2026)
    • Whitney Lab – Elaine Seaver (2025-2028)
    • At Large -Mathew Leibold (2023 – 2025)
    • At Large -Todd Palmer (2025 – 2028)
    • At Large – Keith Choe (2024 – 2027)
    • FLMNH – Scott Robinson (2020 – 2026)
    • Graduate Representative:

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Departmental Standing Committees

(3 year terms, but length of terms for the first election was staggered)

Graduate Committee

  • Stuart McDaniel – Grad Coordinator and Chair (2026 – 2029)
  • Elected Members:
    • Jamie Gillooly (2024 – 2027)
    • Christine Schnitzler (2023 – 2028)
    • Jeremy Lichstein (2023 – 2026)
    • Hannah Vander Zanden (2020 – 2026)
    • FLMNH – Pam Soltis (2023 – 2026)
    • Graduate Representative:

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Graduate Admissions Committee

  • Stuart McDaniel – Grad Coordinator and Chair (ex officio)
  • Elected Members:
    • Keith Choe (2023 – 2026)
    • Ed Braun (2023 – 2025)
    • Bryn Durham (2023 – 2026)
    • Hua Yan (2023 – 2025)
    • Grace John (2025-2028)
    • Charlie Baer (2025-2028)
    • FLMNH – Rob Guralnick (2023 – 2026)

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Curriculum Committee

  • José Miguel Ponciano (Associate Chair of Biology, Committee Chair).
  • Stuart McDaniel – (Grad Coordinator, ex officio)
  • Bernie Hauser (Undergrad Coordinator, ex officio)
  • Teresa Mutahi (Undergrad Coordinator for Biology)
  • Tangelyn Mitchell  (Academic Assistant II, ex officio)
  • Nicole Gerlach (Coordinator of Introductory Principles of Biology)
  • Marcus Zokan (Biology Labs Coordinator)
  • Elected Members:
    • Norman Douglas (2025-2028)
    • Nick Keiser (2024 – 2027)
    • FLMNH – Steve Manchester (2019-2028)
    • Graduate Representative:

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Space and Facilities Committee

  • Stuart McDaniel – (Grad Coordinator, ex officio)
  • Mike Gunter (Building Manager, ex officio)
  • Elected Members:
    • Rebecca Kimball (2019 – 2028)
    • Scott Taylor (2024 – 2027)
    • Kyle McCulloch (2025 – 2026)
    • Graduate Representative:

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Recruitment Committee

  • Elected Members:
    • Christine Davis (2024-2027)
    • Melissa Meadows (2025-2028)
    • Zhanar Abil (2024-2027)
    • Todd Palmer (2023 – 2026)
    • Joe Ryan (2025-2028)
    • Ana Longo (2023 – 2028)

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Review Committee (New in 2013)

(must be Full Professors)

  • Bob Holt (2024 – 2027)
  • Ed Braun (2024 – 2027)

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Awards Committee

  • Juannan Zhou (2024 – 2027)
  • Liming Cai (2025 – 2028)
  • Zepeng Yao (2024 – 2027)
  • Graduate Representatives:

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Appointed Standing Committees

(year appointed)

Biology Majors Executive Committee

  • Associate Dean, CLAS (ex officio)
  • Associate Dean, CALS (ex officio)
  • Associate Director, Teresa Mutahi (ex officio)
  • Online Biology Major Coordinator, Stefanie Gazda (ex officio)
  • Biology Chair, Brad Barbazuk (ex officio)
  • Elected Members:
    (formally appointed by Dean)

    • CLAS
      • David Julian
      • Rebecca Kimball
      • Norman Douglas – Chair (2022 – 2025)
    • CALS
      • Melissa Jones
      • Paul Sarnoski
      • Alison Adams

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Colloquium (Seminar) Committee

  • Chris Dutton (2024 – 2027)
  • Xiaofai Bai (2024 – 2027)
  • Graduate Representative:

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Bylaws Committee

  • José Miguel Ponciano
  • Stefanie Gazda
  • Nick Keiser
  • Brad Barbazuk
  • Hannah Vander-Zanden
  • Juannan Zhou
  • Graduate Representative:

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Public Relations and Advancement

  • Gareth Fraser, Chair (2021 – 2027)
  • Joe Ryan (2023 – 2026)
  • Graduate Representatives:

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IT

  • Ed Braun, Chair (2021 – 2024)
  • TBD (Department IT)
  • David Oppenheimer (2012)
  • Graduate Representative

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Greenhouse

  • Greenhouse Manager -Alexzander Reichley (ex officio)
  • Doug Soltis (2009)
  • Amanda Subalusky (2022)
  • Lucas Majure, Chair (2021)
  • Graduate Representative

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Animal Care

  • IACUC, Vice Chair – Rebecca Kimball (2017)
  • Malcom Maden (2009)
  • Ana Longo (2021)
  • James Strother (2021)
  • Mike Frick (2011)

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Coordinator of Integrated Principles of Biology

  • Nicole Gerlach (2020)

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Merit Committee

(elected by secret ballot)

  • Hannah Vander Zanden
  • Keith Choe
  • Nicole Gerlach
  • Stuart McDaniel

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Ad Hoc Committees

Retreat Committee

  • Mathew Leibold (2025-2026)
  • David Julian (2025-2026)
  • James Strother (2025-2026)
  • Joe Ryan (2025-2026)
  • Graduate Representative:

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Bartram Woods Commitee

  • Scott Robinson, Chair
  • Jack Putz
  • Doug Soltis
  • Graduate Representative:

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Mentorship Committee

  • Amanda Subalusky
  • Charlie Baer
  • Christine Davis
  • Graduate Representative:
  • Postdoc Representative:

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Personnel Support Committee

  • Jeremy Lichstein
  • David Duffy
  • Sharon Karackattu
  • TBD
  • Graduate Representatives:
    • Eric Trotman
    • Kasey Pham
    • Yuanming Lu
    • Manasee Weerathunga
  • Postdoc Representative:
    • TBD

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Climate Survey Committee

  • Amanda Subalusky
  • Gordon Burleigh
  • Jimmy Liao
  • Graduate Representatives:
    • Izu Ezukanma
    • Manasee Weerathunga
    • Palash Sethi

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Graduate Student Reps For Other Roles

Biology Graduate Student Association

BGSA Website List of Current Officers

  • BGSA President – Kara Taylor
  • BGSA Vice-President – Lisa Coe
  • BGSA Secretary/Treasurer – Kate Davis

GSC Representatives

(will attend GSC meetings)

  • Chris Nolte

URAP

  • Susannah Lohmann
  • Lillian Hendrick
  •  Eric Trotman

Zoocial

  • Kara Taylor

Welcoming Committee

  • Yuanming Lu
  • Shelby Palmer

Recruitment Committee

  • Emeline Pano
  • Wesley Dillard

Mental Health Committee

  • Malu Ore Rengifo
  • Manasee Weerathunga

International Student Rep

  • Claudia Garnica Diaz

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Policies & Bylaws

You can download any of these documents by following one of the links below:

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Faculty Meeting Minutes

The minutes are stored on the departmental Office365 SharePoint site under the Administration tab. You can go directly to them by following the link given below.
NOTE: Only department faculty have access to the meeting minutes.

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