UCF Department of Biology

10/16/2026

10/15/2026

We're excited to celebrate Dr. William Crampton, who has been recognized with a 2026 UCF Luminary Award!

His internationally recognized research on electric fish has led to incredible discoveries and helped bring attention to the fascinating biodiversity of the Amazon.

Congratulations on this well-deserved honor!

UCF will celebrate the honorees on Oct. 20 during the 10th annual Luminary Awards ceremony.

Check out the news article here:

The honorees are advancing discovery across fields ranging from transportation safety and quantum science to tourism, disaster resilience and emerging technology.

07/22/2026

Congratulations to biology doctoral student Jennifer “Ifer” White on being named a 2026 Tillman Scholar! 👏

Ifer, a military spouse and doctoral student in the College of Sciences, has dedicated more than a decade to wildlife conservation through research, rehabilitation and community service. Her research uses disease ecology and immunogenetics to better understand how gopher tortoises respond to pathogens, helping inform conservation strategies that protect wildlife and ecosystem health.

Inspired by a lifelong commitment to service and her Muscogee-Creek heritage, Ifer is passionate about translating research into meaningful conservation outcomes while mentoring the next generation of environmental stewards.

07/17/2026

Check out the Biology students who all came together from different labs and attended the annual Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (JMIH) conference this last weekend.

Katheryn Grainer-Ferris and Jessie Yates, won awards for their talk presentations, and Abigail Clark won an award for her poster!

Congratulations!

06/24/2026

Six members of the Aquatic Biogeochemistry Lab attended the Society of Wetland Scientists annual meeting June 16-19 in New Orleans. Graduate students Mercedes Pinzon and Erin Tilly, as well as post-doc Anthony Mirabito, all gave oral presentations. Camille Mench and Cadie Barnes presented a poster, and Dr. Lisa Chambers delivered the Opening Plenary presentation. At the conference, Mercedes Pinzon was awarded the Society's Student Research Award.

Amazing work from the Aquatic Biogeochemistry Laboratory!

06/16/2026

Check out the article below about Dr. Martin's research on turtles and their levels of immune gene variations!

New research from a UCF biology researcher shows how genetic variation shapes sea turtles’ immune systems, with implications for disease resilience and conservation strategies.

05/13/2026

Congratulations to our newest PhD graduates from UCF Biology:

Alison Malay, Ashley Reaume, Samuel Greaves, Landon Myers, and George Zaragoza, Lok P**n (not pictured), and Ryan Welsh (not pictured)!

Your dedication, resilience, and passion for discovery have brought you to this incredible milestone. We can’t wait to see the impact you’ll make next—Charge On!