MSU Biology

More from Ichthyology class (BIO 575): Dr. Ellie Wallace's class went to Wilson Creek to seine and dipnet for fishes and practice their fish ID skills🐟

Photos from Ichthyology (Bio 575) Field Trip: Dr. Ellie Wallace's class sampled fish in the James River at Humphries Pier 🐟

True to her name, Success won the Distinguished Thesis award. congratulations!
She is currently a Ph.D. student in Environmental Sciences and a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Arizona, conducting research on the interactive effects of wildfire and plant invasion on soil microbial communities and ecosystem processes.

A small plant with a big impact - CNAS NewsWatch Biology senior Sarah Guymon earns grants for her research in Lake Springfield.

Barbara Dickensheet shared a photo taken in 1945 by her parents. The building at the top of the image is McDonald Hall, which was built in 1940, and the building at the bottom is the current one. A small pine tree has grown over the last 80 years or so. People have come and gone, but the scenery has not changed much except for the trees.

It is Transfer Student Week!
We are pleased to share a blog from the Academic Advising and Transfer Center about a biology student: Kade Meinke.
To read Kade’s story:https://blogs.missouristate.edu/advising/2026/10/21/transfer-student-spotlight-kade-meinke/

Dr. Tomasi helps team study tropical bats

For at least two decades, bat researchers from across the Americas have gathered in the spring for a couple weeks of intense field wok on the bats of Belize. This “Batathon” takes place primarily at the Lamania archeological site with its many Mayan temples and adjacent jungle and river habitats. Over 100 senior scientists and their students are headquartered at Lamanai Outpost Eco-Lodge.

Last April, Dr. Tom Tomasi was invited to join this group and help with the myriad of research projects. Actually, one of his former graduate students (Miranda Dunbar), now a biology professor in Connecticut, has been attending this Batathon for several years and helped secure his invitation. The group caught over 100 bats per night of 10-12 species, and the research included sampling hair/blood/guano, marking the bats with PIT tags (think chips for dogs), and radiotracking.

About his experience, Dr. Tomasi said, “It was great reconnecting with some colleagues that I haven’t seen in several years”, and “none of the bat species are found in the US, so they were all new species for me”.

I heard good news from Abhishu chand that he has accepted a positon at Eagle Analytical as a Microbiologist II, starting today. Congratulations!

This week’s biology seminar on Friday, October 16th, will be presented by Josh Wisdom from the Missouri Department of Conservation. Please join us at Blunt Hall Room 103 for the seminar social at 3:30 pm, followed by the seminar at 4:00 pm.