Hello there, internet! It’s been quite a while since we’ve last updated our website, hasn’t it? But fear not— WE LIVE!!
“I need to process these BRAAAAAAAAAINS!”
In fact, not only are we still alive… but this past year has been a very exciting and busy one for us! Here’s a recap of some lab highlights from 2015 (so far):
First, accolades are in order for Dr. Cindy Harley, who recently accepted a faculty position at Metropolitan State University that began this August. Cindy was a postdoctoral associate in the lab for the last 3 years, and while we’ll miss her dearly here at the U, we’re happy for her and her awesome new job. We’d also like to congratulate Cindy and her husband Chris on the birth of their new son, Malcolm Paul Harley, who was born on April 6th. Mazel tov, Asst. Prof. Harley and family!
We would also like to congratulate Estelle Smith, who recently completed an outstanding UROP project in the lab and graduated (summa cum laude!) with her B.S. in neuroscience. Estelle joined the lab in 2014 as an undergraduate research assistant; now that she has graduated, she plans to continue working in the lab as a junior scientist while applying to graduate schools. Way to go, Estelle!
This past year also saw many amazing new additions to the lab. In January 2015, we were joined by Mara Chin-Purcell Rue, who is currently working as our lab manager and support scientist on many projects in the lab. Additional congratulations are in order for Mara, as she and her husband Nate were recently married in a beautiful ceremony this August. Congratulations, Mara and Nate! In January we were also joined by Tony Bigelow, who is currently performing directed undergraduate research in the lab. Tony had previously conducted research under lab alum Dr. Kevin Crisp (now at St. Olaf College), and we’re very excited to have him here at the “mothership.” We are also pleased to announce that Morgan Newhoff, PhD student in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience, accepted an offer to join the lab this past May. Morgan’s project is still developing, but she has many interesting new ideas to bring to the table! Undergraduate student Zoë Harvey also recently came aboard as head of our spider care team. And last but certainly not least, lab alum Dr. Joshua Puhl, who received his PhD in the lab in 2011, has returned as a postdoctoral researcher. Joshua will be working on several exciting and innovative new projects, which will benefit greatly from his special expertise in neurophysiology. Welcome, welcome everyone!
As our parade of congratulations marches on, we’d also like to extend a hearty “hear-hear” to high school student Anthony Polyakov, who began volunteering in the lab under PhD student Anthony Auletta in March 2014. Anthony recently enrolled in the undergraduate program in entomology at Cornell University with a prestigious Hunter R. Rawlings III Presidential Research Scholarship. Woot woot, Anthony— make us proud!
Speaking of awards, PhD student Anthony Auletta recently received the prestigious Thomas H. Shevlin Fellowship from the University of Minnesota Graduate School. This $23,000 award is bestowed upon a select few graduate students each year, on the basis of their academic record and their overall professional promise. In addition, Anthony also received the Marion-Brooks Wallace Fellowship from the Department of Entomology, to fund an exciting project on spider electrophysiology, as well as the Heiligenberg Student Travel Award from the International Society for Neuroethology.
And what would the lab be without funding? This past year, PI Dr. Karen Mesce received two large, competitive grants from the National Science Foundation, including an NSF EAGER award as part of the BRAIN Initiative with matching funds from the University of Minnesota. Way to go, Karen!
This past year, Dr. Karen Mesce also co-organized an exceptionally successful Gordon Research Conference in Neuroethology, which took place in Barga (Tuscany), Italy in June and July. The meeting was one of the most well-attended Gordon conferences in our field in recent years, and by all accounts was a productive, stimulating, and enjoyable experience. PhD student Anthony Auletta also attended the meeting, where he presented a poster on his wolf spider neuroanatomy work at both the conference and the preceding Gordon Research Seminar.
All in all, it’s been a fantastic year in the lab, full of accomplishments, welcome additions, and exciting new journeys. And 2015 isn’t even over yet! We’re definitely looking forward to what the rest of the year (and beyond) will bring our way. Already we have several very cool publications in the pipeline, as well as several great new projects being developed— stay tuned for more news on those a little bit later….