Student Advisory Council

Primary Functions

• Serve as a resource for current and prospective majors.
• Advise the biology chair and faculty regarding new faculty appointments
• Advise the biology chair and faculty regarding external reviews of the department.
• Give biology majors a voice in their department regarding any student concerns that arise.
• Help make the department a vibrant, inclusive, and supportive community.
• They provide networking opportunities and professional development resources to help students in their postgraduate careers. By coordinating fun departmental events throughout the year, the BIO-SAC also helps build a sense of community.

Extracurriculars

The biology department hosts exciting events like Bug Blacklighting Night and Board Game Night. We also host Cookies and Conversation and a grad school panel every semester.

Follow us on Instagram at @middbio to stay updated on events!

Current Members

Lily Buren ’26

I am a senior double majoring in International Global Studies and Biology and I am from Brattleboro, Vermont. My independent research in David Allen’s lab focuses on identifying entomopathogenic fungi that naturally occur in Vermont soils and act parasitic to black legged ticks. 

Outside of the lab, I enjoy spending time with my friends, discovering Vermont general stores, and hiking.

Sarah Case ’26 (MBBC)

I am a senior MBBC major and Art History minor from Wilton, Connecticut. My research in the Solhaug Lab focuses on the regulatory mechanisms controlling nectar production and secretion in flowering plants. 

Outside of the lab, I enjoy teaching and attending ballet classes, reading, and finding unique cafes and small businesses in Vermont. 

Anna Cerveny ’26 (Biology)

I’m a senior Biology major from Anchorage, Alaska. I’m currently rearing butterflies in the Pask Lab and looking at the chemosensory hairs on their antennae. When I’m not in the lab, I love to go birding and take pictures of aspects of nature around Vermont! 

In the future, I hope to pursue a graduate degree in avian ecology. 

Olivia Maloney ’26 (Environmental Studies-Biology)

I’m a senior Con Bio major from Canton, Massachusetts. I’m currently conducting my own independent forestry research on sugar maple roots and mycorrhizal fungi with Professor Dave Allen. 

When I’m not in BiHall, I love hiking, photography, and printmaking. You can find me making coffee at Crossroads or leading visual art events through Creating Art Together.

Sofia Goerck de Carvalho Macedo ’27 (MBBC)

I’m a junior MBBC major and Anthropology minor from Brazil. I’m currently doing research at the Spatafora Lab investigating protein interactions at the transcriptional and translational levels in dental carries-causing bacteria S. mutans. 

Even though I spend most of my time in the lab, I really like being outdoors and one of my favorite things at Middlebury is being part of the Equestrian Team.

Mia Gilham ’28 (MBBC)

I’m a sophomore MBBC major from Buffalo, NY. Outside of Bihall, I am on the softball team here at Midd! I love to read, get coffee, and go on runs in my free time. 

After Middlebury, I hope to attend med school to someday become a trauma surgeon.