Recognition of Student Achievement in Research

Katie Yan ‘22

The Biology Department is pleased to award the Donald Pyle Prize for excellence in research to Katie Yan, a double major in Biology and Mathematics, for her interdisciplinary research titled “Observation and Computer Model of Synchronized Bursts of Locomotion in Drosophila Social Activity Patterns” (e.g. Fruit Fly Flash Mobs). Katie will attend the Biology Ph.D. program at Penn State University in the fall.

Greg Edelstein ‘21

Greg Edelstein is recognized for the exceptional research he completed in multiple laboratories over his career at Skidmore. With a remarkable capacity to move between model organisms, his research objectives have ranged from understanding the relationships between infection, oxidative stress, and hormones to the therapeutic effects of lithium on circadian rhythms. Greg takes ownership of his projects with an incisive and logical approach that complements his deep appreciation for the complexity of biological systems.  

Reagan Reed ’20 (January graduate)

Reagan Reed's research on cell wall metabolism in green algae and plants represents a superb integration of skills, dedication and creativity, deserving of the Donald Pyle Award for outstanding research in Biology. His work focused on the evolution of land plants and has resulted in co-authorship on three papers: Journal of Experimental Botany, Frontiers in Plant Science and Cell. Reagan will continue his work with plants when he enters into the Plant Biology PhD program at the University of California-Davis.

Hansen Richart Jiu Hai Han ‘19

Hansen enjoys the aesthetics of science while mastering its practice. He's co-authored a publication in the Journal of Phycology  with Dr. Yubo Hou on  "Genome-dependent PCNA gene copy number in dinoflagellates and molecular evidence of retroposition as a major evolutionary mechanism" and presented a conference poster on circadian rhythms in fruit fly "radish" mutants. Hansen brings a Zen-like quality to his work. Congratulations and Best Wishes in your pursuit of further scientific enlightenment.

Eleanore Ritter ‘18

Eleanore’s research activities span diverse areas, areas that include an analysis of the subcellular effects of reactive oxygen species in green algae. Last summer, Eleanore studied the molecular genetics of cutinase in tomato development while participating as a summer NSF-REU fellow at the Boyce Thompson Institute of Cornell. Eleanore’s work was published recently in the journal Plant Methods.  This fall she will begin a dual PhD program in Plant Biology and Molecular Plant Sciences at Michigan State University. 

Agnieszka Brojakowska ‘17

Aggie’s independent research has led to the outstanding accomplishment of establishing computational methods in developmental biology at Skidmore. For over two years, Aggie has been independently developing computational analysis of time-lapse confocal imaging in live transgenic zebrafish embryos, an inarguably sophisticated technique for an undergraduate.  When our research is completed, Aggie will be co-author on three scientific articles.  Aggie Brojakowska exemplifies the kind of student Skidmore not only seeks to recruit, but will boast about for many years.  She will be missed.

Anna Lietz ‘17

Anna is an exemplary student researcher. Her biology research has elucidated cell wall dynamics in plants using the novel unicellular alga, Penium. She has mastered and employed multiple technologies including confocal laser microscopy, immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy to help reveal the secretory mechanics of the cell wall polymer, pectin. Anna’s work was presented at last summer’s Gordon Research Conference on “Cell Walls” in Boston and she is a co-author on an upcoming chapter in Methods in Molecular Biology.

Kara Rode '15

Kara Rode '15 is a biology major with a concentration in cell & molecular biology and genetics. Kara began her research in the second semester of her first year learning how to monitor circadian rhythms in mice. She was awarded a Schupf summer research grant during the summer following her first year where she studied circadian rhythms in a mouse model for autism, and also developmental effects of lead acetate exposure on the sleep-rest cycle of mice to model effects of high blood lead levels on sleep behavior.

Kara worked on both of these projects through her senior year. During the summer following her sophomore year Kara was accepted into the summer undergraduate research program at the Wadsworth State health labs in Albany where she worked on regulation of transcription by chromatin remodeling in yeast, which earned her a co-authorship on a paper in the Journal of Biological Chemistry:

Ansari SA, Sommers PE, Lieleg C, He Q, Daly AZ, Rode KA, Barber WT, Ellis LC, LaPorta E, Orzechowski AM, Korber P, and Morse, RH (2014) Mediator, TATA-binding protein, and RNA polymerase II contribute to low histone occupancy at active gene promoters in yeast. J Biol Chem 21:14981-14995.

Kara has two manuscripts in preparation from her mouse research, and she will enter a Ph.D. program in molecular biology and biotechnology at Cornell University in the 2015 semester. Kara was also a member of the Skidmore Quidditch team, and SKID-TV, Skidmore's student-run television station.

Julie Ochs ‘14

Julie is truly deserving of the Donald Pyle Award for outstanding research in the Biology Department. Julie has spent over a year studying cytoskeletal dynamics during polar expansion in the model unicellular plant, Penium.  Julie was co-author of presentations last summer at the Society of Experimental Biology meetings in Valencia, Spain and the International Cell Wall meetings in Nantes, France. She is also author of two major papers in Plant Physiology and the Annals of Botany.  Additionally, Julie is a very talented artist who will be displaying her works on campus in a show in the very near future.

Katherine Littrel ‘13

Kate has studied evolutionary ecology with exceptional zeal.  Across three field seasons and seven semesters, Kate’s main work has focused on the evolution of sexual signaling in birds, using single-cell gel electrophoresis to quantify DNA damage in hundreds of adults and young.  Among Common Yellowthroats, Kate has found that the coloration of a male's plumage not only signals his quality to prospective mates but predicts the quality of young he ultimately sires.  Kate will begin her dissertation at Yale in the Fall, and she recently earned an honorable mention in NSF's Graduate Research Fellowship competition.  A full and trusted collaborator, we will miss her!

Carly Sacks ‘12

Carly is a most deserving recipient of the Donald Pyle Award. She has spent the past two years studying the cell biology, development, and evolution of cell walls in primitive green plants, specifically the green algae.  Carly is an accomplished scientist performing her research not only in Skidmore’s Microscopy Imaging Center but also at the Section of Glycobiology at the University of Copenhagen and the plant biotechnology laboratories at Cornell University. Carly has presented three papers, is co-author on two manuscripts in review, and this Fall will begin graduate studies at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill.

Michael Letko ‘11

Michael has been conducting research in the cell and molecular neuroscience lab since 2008.  He has presented his work at an international scientific meeting, and he is an author on a submitted manuscript.  As a trusted and productive member of the Zebra fish research group, it is with both intense pride, and a fair amount of misgiving, that the Biology Department passes him on to the Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s PhD program, where he was granted early acceptance after a successful summer internship.  Michael is a student who not only “gets it”, but is taking “it” with him as he pursues his academic career.  He will be missed.

Rachel Carrock ‘22

Rachel Carrock, a Biology major and Anthropology minor, richly merits the Dowd-Lester Award, recognizing her outstanding academic accomplishments and research in Biology.  Rachel goes full-in on projects, and produces work of exceptional depth and quality. In her field research on the effectiveness of adaptations for defense, she has demonstrated tenacity, resourcefulness, and a knack for creative problem solving. In the fall, Rachel will begin graduate studies in Biology at Villanova University.

Grace Freeman-Gallant ‘21

Grace Freeman-Gallant is recognized for accomplishments that span across an amazingly wide breadth of scholarly activities. Grace is intellectually adventurous; she takes herself deep into the various sub-fields of Biology and Chemistry and returns with novel data and discoveries. Her ability to communicate her findings through research presentations and journal manuscripts is exceptional. Moreover, her ability to effectively communicate science in her roles as a tutor, laboratory assistant, and writing coach has significantly benefited her fellow students.

Mingjia Li ’20 (January graduate)

Mingjia cited Karl Marx, on science, in a graduate school application essay: “only those who do not dread the fatiguing climb of its steep paths have a chance of gaining its luminous summits”- an ethic that aptly describes Mingjia’s exemplary work in the major: seeing each step as a foundation for the next, and aiming for the summit. Mingjia is working at Cornell Medical College on gene therapies for lung disease and applying to biotechnology graduate programs.

Emily Katherine O’Connor ‘19

Emily O’Connor’s contributions to the Biology Department are outstanding. In the laboratory, Emily has been studying the effects of copper on bacterial survival as part of the human immune response. She has been a laboratory assistant in introductory Biology and Microbiology labs. As departmental student representative Emily ensured student’s voices are considered. And Emily has been working on various projects with Admissions and as Peer-Health Educator.

From Skidmore Emily will be moving to Seattle to work as a Research Associate in a Biotech start-up Split-Bio.

Bruce Martin '18

Bruce possesses an inquisitive, able mind, eagerness to learn, a stellar record of academic achievement, and a generous spirit.  He relishes scientific puzzles, and his mathematical bent enables him to engage complex material with unusual sophistication. On long days in the field or in the lab, you can count on Bruce’s unabashed enthusiasm and meticulous technique to keep the work enjoyable and productive.  We look forward to his post-Skidmore contributions to scientific knowledge.

Bethany Hunt ‘17

Bethany is recognized for her outstanding contributions to the teaching and research activities of the Biology Department. In addition to standing out in the classroom as a student and peer tutor, Bethany conducted original research on the endocrine physiology of Atlantic salmon and tilapia. She co-authored a paper in the Journal of Endocrinology and will co-author additional forthcoming publications. In 2016, Bethany was awarded an NSF REU fellowship to study Caribbean ciguatoxins at Dauphin Island Sea Lab (Alabama).

Porter Hall ‘16

Porter is richly deserving of the Dowd-Lester Award for overall excellence as a student in Biology. With a dual major in Biology and Physics, he has performed admirably in his academic endeavors and pursued daunting academic challenges with dynamism. His inquisitive nature and energetic spirit are outstanding as exemplified by his independent research on transcript invasion of corresponding genes. After graduation, Porter will enter the PhD program in Biophysics at Cornell University where he will continue his molecular pursuits.

Chelsea Fujimoto '15

Chelsea Fujimoto '15 will be graduating with a B.A. in Biology, and upon graduation, will be attending the Royal Veterinary College in London to pursue a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. As a Biology major, Chelsea pursued interests such as cellular and molecular biology, histopathology, forensic science, and microscopy in support of her desire to pursue veterinary pathology. Chelsea has been an invaluable asset to the Biology Department since her arrival to Skidmore. Chelsea's efforts supported many of the department's most important missions. For example, since the Fall of 2012, Chelsea served as a peer-tutor for multiple Biology courses, providing focused and sustained support for many first-year students while also aiding in the preparation of laboratory activities linked with courses such as Biological Sciences I & II, Comparative Vertebrate Physiology, and Cell Biology. Chelsea also served on Academic Council as the senior representative for Biology.

Chelsea has demonstrated a keen ability to conduct original laboratory research that lies at the intersection of her academic interests. Chelsea worked in collaboration with Dr. Jason Breves to characterize the endocrine underpinnings of how Atlantic salmon undergo a key life-history transition termed 'smoltification'. Chelsea recently presented her findings at the Experimental Biology Conference in Boston this past April. Chelsea's contributions will form the basis of multiple research articles from Skidmore's Comparative Physiology Laboratory. Chelsea is a remarkable teacher and leader; she has trained many of her fellow lab mates in aspects of microdissection, RNA purification, and quantitative PCR.

A common thread through Chelsea's studies is an interest in science literacy and communication, as exemplified in a 2014 study of the client base at Woburn Animal Hospital. Chelsea worked to determine how best to deliver information on acute canine pancreatitis to a non-scientific audience. Chelsea also helped organize 'SMIC Day', an outreach event with local high school students centered on communicating the techniques and principles of microscopy.

Chelsea joined the Skidmore Honors Forum in 2012 and was recently granted membership into the Phi Beta Kappa Academic Honor Society. Beyond the confines of Biology, Chelsea's varied hobbies and talents range from ceramics to fiction writing; Chelsea moderated the popular on-campus club 'Humans vs. Zombies'.

Jack Fischer ‘14

We are pleased to present the Dowd-Lester Biology Award to Jack. Jack has been an enthusiastic and effective leader in the department from the start of his Skidmore career. Whether mentoring Scribner Seminar students and new research students in Dr. Franke-McDevitt's lab, serving as student representative to the department, or proposing a revision of the Biology curriculum, Jack has been a consistent voice supporting the department's mission with enthusiasm and sincerity. We appreciate his leadership and many contributions and expect to see him running a biotech company soon.

Charlotte Levy ‘13

In addition to consistent outstanding academic performance in the Biology major, Charlotte has engaged in substantive research at Skidmore and beyond, including summer research on sunflower genomics at the Konza Prairie and, currently in preparation for publication, on plant community composition at the Rocky Mountain Biological Station. A responsible and responsive leader who is altruistic in her support of collaborators, Charlotte also demonstrates an ethic of active citizenship in her courses, the Biology department, the College, and the community beyond. She has been a peer tutor, eco-rep, and conducted a Saratoga Springs greenhouse gas inventory; these data now serve as the baseline for the city's future emission reduction goals.

Hannah Brechka ‘12 

Hannah is a multi-talented young person who clearly represents the embodiment of the Dowd-Lester Award.  Hannah is an outstanding student, writer, speaker, researcher and citizen of Skidmore College.  Along with a superb academic record, Hannah has served as Head Science and Math Admissions Ambassador for Skidmore and as a teaching assistant in Biology.  Hannah has also performed outstanding research dealing with cell wall development in plants.  She has published a paper in the Journal of Botany, and is co-author of two other manuscripts in review.  In September, Hannah will begin graduate studies at the University of Chicago.

Rebecca Kitchen ‘11

Rebecca has demonstrated impressive academic excellence as a biology major. She has also worked in the biology office for three years.  This year, the biology chair changed hands, and our long-time administrative assistant was replaced by a new assistant in a position that was dramatically restructured.  Rebecca was, during this transition, the only person who knew how to run the biology office.  In doing so Rebecca demonstrated admirable and unusual leadership, maturity, organizational skill and service that was truly invaluable.  Congratulations Rebecca! Best wishes, and thank you from the Entire Biology Department.