Distinguished Alumni Seminars
Dr. Mamadi Yilla (center) receives the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award from Dr. Gerald Koudelka, Associate Dean for Research (left), and Dr. Paul Gollnick, Professor and Chair, Department of Biological Sciences (right). Dr. Yilla serves as deputy coordinator for multi-sector responsibility and diplomacy in the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy (S/GAC). Photograph by Jim Stamos.
The faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences takes great pride in the achievements of its past graduates. In recognition of this, the Distinguished Alumni Seminar Series was initiated in 2002 to honor past students in our Department who have gone on to distinguished careers in the Biological, Biomedical and related fields.
Each Distinguished Alumni spends a day meeting with faculty in our Department to renew old acquaintances and establish new ones. A reception sponsored by the faculty is held following the seminar to honor our distinguished speaker and for the speaker to personally meet with our current graduate students.
Dr. David Toczyski (center) delivered the 2016 Distinguished Alumni Seminar. After the seminar, Drs. Stephen Free (left) and Ronald Berezney (right) presented Dr. Toczyski with the 2016 Department of Biological Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award. Photograph by James Stamos.
Distinguished Alumni Speakers hosted on campus since 2002
2019: Dr. Mamadi Yilla, Deputy Coordinator for Multi-Sector Responsibility and Diplomacy in the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy (S/GAC). Lecture Title: “Health and Diplomacy: A surprising approach to U.S. international interests” Host: Dr. Gerald Koudelka.
2018: Dr. Scott Santos, Professor, Auburn University, Lecture Title: “Islands in the Sea: Population endemism, genomic biology and physiological ecology in tropical ecosystems.” Host: Dr. Gerald Koudelka.
2017: Dr. James Tamura, Director of Protein Science, MacroGenics, Inc. “Protein Therapeutics: Engineering Proteins for Treating Autoimmune Diseases and Cancer” (Ph.D., 1983, Dr. J.H. Wang, advisor).
2016: Dr. David Toczyski, Professor Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, “Degrading activities, the regulation of cellular biology by the ubiquitin pathway” (B.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1987, Dr. Steve Free, advisor).
2015: Dr. Philip Belgrader, Senior Principal Scientist, 10X Genomics, “Systems for Advanced Nucleic Acid Analysis” (Ph.D., 1990, Dr. Ron Berezney, advisor).
2014: Dr. David Rothstein, Professor and Pittsburgh Steelers Chair in Transplantation Department of Immunology University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine “New pathways to promote immunological tolerance” (B.A. 1976).
2013: Dr. Chung Mo Park, Professor Department of Chemistry Seoul National University Seoul, Korea.
“Competitive inhibition of transcription factors by small interfering peptides in plants” (Ph.D. 1984, Dr. Jeremy Bruenn, advisor)
2012: Dr. Philip J. Fay, Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine, “Down-regulation of the Intrinsic Factor Xase in Blood Coagulation: Insights for the Development of Superior Factor VIII Therapeutics” (M.S., 1977, Dr. Ron Berezney, advisor)
2011: Dr. Carol Gregorio, Department Head and Luxford/Schoolcraft Endowed Professor, Dept. of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona “Deciphering the Mechanisms Regulating Cytoskeletal Architecture in Cardiac Muscle” (B.A., 1983, Dr. Mike Hudecki, advisor)
2010: Dr. Jian-Ting Zhang, Professor and Andrew and Peggy Thomson Chair in Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pharmacology and the Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, “A battle Has to Be Fought to Overcome Drug Resistance in Cancer Chemotherapy” (Ph.D., 1989, Dr. Bruce Nicholson, advisor).
2009: Dr. Curt Sigmund, Professor, Roy J.Carver Endowed Chair and Director of the Center of Functional Genomics of Hypertension, Departments of Medicine, Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa School of Medicine (Ph.D. 1987, Dr. Ed Morgan, advisor)
2008: Dr. Ross A. Tubo, Chief Scientific Officer of Vericel (Ph.D. 1985, Dr. Ron Berezney, advisor)
2007: Dr. Libuse Bobek, Professor, Department of Oral Biology, The State University of New York at Buffalo (Ph.D. 1982, Dr. Jeremy Bruenn, advisor)
2006: Dr. Arthur R. Strauch III, Professor, Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University School of Medicine (Ph.D., 1981, Dr. Jim LaFountain, advisor)
2005: Dr. Robert J. Full, Chancellor’s Professor and Director of the Bio-AAPE Center, Department of Integrative Biology, University at California at Berkeley (Ph.D., 1984, Dr. Clyde Herreid, advisor)
2004: Dr. Loren J. Field, Professor, Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research and Director, The Riley Heart Research Center, Indiana University School of Medicine (Ph.D., 1982, Dr. Jeremy Bruenn, advisor)
2003: Dr. Harold C. Smith, Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine (Ph.D., 1982, Dr. Ron Berezney, advisor)
2002: Dr. Wanjin Hong, Professor and Deputy Executive Director, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore (Ph.D. 1989, Dr. Darrell Doyle, advisor)