Biological Sciences, Lehigh University Lehigh University home page Department of Biological Sciences home page
MENU
  • Home
    • Biological Sciences
    • College of Arts and Sciences
    • Lehigh University
  • Undergraduate
    • General Information
    • Program Goals and Objectives
    • Majors
    • Minors
    • Department Honors
    • Undergraduate Research
    • Undergraduate Symposium
    • Combined Degrees
    • Interdisciplinary Programs
    • PreMedical and PreDental
    • Internship Opportunities
      • Biosystems Dynamics Summer Institute
      • Mountaintop
    • Bioscience in the 21st Century
    • SEA Phages
    • RARE-HHMI
    • BioConnect - HHMI
  • Graduate
    • General Information
    • Doctoral Degree Program
    • PhD Program Guidelines
    • Distance Education Master's
      • Non-thesis research option
    • Graduate Student Spotlight
    • Student Directory
    • Graduate Organization
    • Application
  • Personnel
    • Faculty | Instructional Staff
    • Research | Postdoctoral Scientists
    • Administrative | Technical Staff
  • Facilities
    • General Information
    • Safety
      • Departmental safety notes
      • Undergraduate lab safety
    • Major instrumentation
    • Microscopy
    • Cell Culture Facilities
    • Flow Cytometry
  • Calendar
    • Calendar by Month
    • Department Seminars
    • Graduate Student Seminar Series
  • Positions Available
    • Faculty positions
    • Staff positions
    • Work Study positions
  • News
    • Newsletters
    • Videos
    • Evolution Statement
  • Contact Us
Biological Sciences 2019 newsletter

Spring 2021 Newsletter

click here for a PDF of the newsletter

Contents:

  • Greetings from department chair
  • 2020 - the department at a glance
  • Faculty Appointments

  • New Faculty

  • Faculty promotion
  • Faculty retirements
  • Graduate Student spotlight
  • 2020 selected publications
  • Alumni focus:  How Star Trek created a Biologist
  • Introducing this year's Epstein Scholars
  • Scientists produce first open source all-atom models of COVID-19 'Spike' Protein
  • Portraits of the Brain
  • Ware named AAAS Fellow
  • Alumni updates
  • Let us know what you are doing

 

 

Greetings!

Linda Lowe-Krentz, Ph.D., Professor and Chair
Linda Lowe-Krentz, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair

As I write this message, I know that exactly one year ago we were told by WHO that there was a pandemic underway. Little could any of us have imagined the difficult year we would have.

Even though many of us in Biology know a large amount about manipulating genetic material, few of us would have envisioned the production of mRNA-based, and other novel vaccines, that has happened so rapidly. Together the vaccines result in a very clear light at the end of this tunnel.

As luck would have it, I got my first vaccine dose today. While I ponder all that has happened this year, I wonder how those who endured the Spanish Flu epidemic and other epidemics over the centuries thought about their futures. Scientists are far from having all the answers, but this year has caused us to think about not only novel vaccines and potential future pandemics, but also about how we are largely social individuals. 

This pandemic has also caused us to think more than ever about fairness of access to health care, how science has, and continues to be, intertwined with all of history, and how basic research continues to be critical for our future. I believe one result is that at Lehigh we will work at integrating basic science education with a broader view of science history and its place in our society.

At Lehigh, in the Department of Biological Sciences, this year brought lots of changes, as well as more remote teaching than we ever envisioned. We have celebrated retirements, arrival of new faculty, and administrative appointments, as you can see throughout this newsletter. There is news from many of our Alums, exciting COVID-19 research, and more.

While I am writing this from my home, expecting you may read it in yours, I look forward to the near future when we will be back on South Mountain.

Linda Lowe-Krentz, PhD
Professor and Chair

 

 

Interested in supporting undergraduate research?

Click here to make your gift! Be sure to designate "Biological Sciences" as the recipient!

Biological Sciences
111 Research Drive
Bethlehem, PA 18015
Phone: 610-758-3680
Fax: 610-758-4004
email: inbios@lehigh.edu


©2015