Biology

Connect with Midd alums at the Biology Field Guide

“Sensory systems to self-driving cars: science at the intersection of mechanism, theory, and opportunity.”

“Bioinspiration” can be defined as the development of novel materials, devices, and strategies inspired by examples found in biological systems. In this presentation, Dr. Schweikert will tell stories about the little-known sensory capabilities of marine animals, how different senses permit survival in the marine world, and what we might stand to gain from their study.

An understanding of how neurogenesis is regulated may provide clues for devising new therapeutic treatments for diseases that involve neuronal loss and show greater prevalence in women, such as Alzheimer’s disease and depression.She developed the first rodent models for perinatal depression more than 20 years ago, and her research continues to reveal novel insight into the mechanisms by which pregnancy and motherhood impact risk for psychiatric disorders in the short term and the trajectory of cognitive ageing in the long term.

What would it look like and feel like if study techniques were embedded in the fabric of your course? Threaded from learning objective to assessment? Designed with mastery in mind? Let’s explore these questions together using Bloom’s Taxonomy, scaffolding, and our collective knowledge as tools. Gabriel Angrand, Assistant Director, Office of Academic Resources at Haverford College, will present a framework for helping students effectively engage in our courses.

This is a final poster session presenting independent research projects done by BIOL 304 students.

Come visit our research center and museum! Middlebury students are creating an immersive community outreach and engagement experience for Vermonters of all ages who love learning about wildlife and the world of Pokémon. Visitors can touch specimens, ask questions, and collect prizes through speaking with student experts on insects, mammals, and more. Costumes are welcome - we’ll be dressed up too!

To Build a Biofilm

Sponsored by the George B. Saul II Lectures in Biology fund

“Why sex and gender matter for understanding brain health and disease.”

The surprising role hydrothermal vents play in driving Southern Ocean primary production
Dr. Casey Schine, Middlebury College, Postdoctoral Research Associate

“Using the past to save the present: How do we incorporate historical baselines into conservation?”

In this talk, we explore how different environmental archives, from fossils to ancient Chinese historical documents, have provided crucial new perspectives on how to conserve some of the world’s rarest species, such as the Javan rhino, cao vit gibbon, and Samoan tooth-billed pigeon.