Georgia Southern University Department of Biology

10/09/2026

🌿 Georgia Southern Biology Seminar Series

Please join us on Monday, October 12, as we welcome Dr. Rolando Santos from Florida International University!

Dr. Santos will present:

“Drivers of Functional Connectivity in Coastal Ecosystems”

We hope you can attend!

10/08/2026

The Savannah Business Journal featured Dr. Sara Gremillion, Professor in Georgia Southern University's Department of Biology, on receiving funding for a five-year, nearly $1.6 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) project!

Dr. Gremillion is leading Myco-Ed: A National Platform Bringing Fungal Genomics to the Future Biomedical Workforce, a collaborative project designed to expand research and educational opportunities involving fungi.

Fungi play essential roles in ecosystems, agriculture, and human health, yet much of their diversity and biomedical potential remains unexplored. The Myco-Ed project will help address this gap by developing accessible undergraduate research experiences and building a shared database of fungal genetic information.

By bringing authentic research into undergraduate classrooms, the project will give students hands-on experience in fungal biology and genomics while contributing to scientific discoveries with potential applications in medicine and biotechnology.

Congratulations to Dr. Gremillion and her collaborators on this exciting achievement!

September 25, 2026 - Georgia Southern Department of Biology Professor Sara Gremillion, Ph.D., has taken on a cross-institutional, five-year National Institute of Health grant-funded project that aims to create a

10/01/2026

Congratulations to Georgia Southern Biology M.S. students Bailey Crane and Ryland Talmadge!

Bailey and Ryland have each been awarded a Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant Research Traineeship to support their graduate research.

Bailey, advised by Dr. Risa Cohen, will investigate how phytoplankton communities respond to salt marsh restoration in the Satilla River Estuary.

Ryland, advised by Dr. Johanne Lewis, will examine how warmer water temperatures affect the performance and survival of Striped Bass.

Congratulations to both students and their faculty advisors on this recognition and their contributions to understanding Georgia's coastal and aquatic ecosystems!

Read more about their research: https://gacoast.uga.edu/studying-changes-in-georgias-estuaries/

09/24/2026

09/18/2026

Join us for our next departmental seminar on Monday, Sept. 21, by Dr. Heather Joesting, Georgia Southern Biology. See this seminar in person on the Armstrong Campus or online.

09/11/2026

Join us for our next Department of Biology seminar! Dr. Stephen Greiman, Georgia Southern, will discuss his research Monday, September 14th, at 11:30 AM.

09/08/2026

Join researchers from Georgia Southern’s Freshwater Ecology Lab, including Graduate Researcher Evan Wahmoff for an exploration of the rich diversity of crayfish fauna found near Georgia’s coast and barrier islands. This event is sponsored by UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant and is scheduled for Sept. 11th 10-11:30 AM. .UGA

Join researchers from Georgia Southern’s Freshwater Ecology Lab for an exploration of the rich diversity of crayfish fauna found near Georgia’s coast and barrier islands. Learn about their life history, the ecological...Learn More

09/03/2026

Congratulations to MS Biology Alumnus Alex Troutman! He has been named to the Board of Directors for the Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia.

09/02/2026

The Department of Biology is pleased to welcome Dr. Itzel Sifuentes-Romero as a new Assistant Professor!

Dr. Sifuentes-Romero earned her Ph.D. in Molecular Science from the Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo (CIAD) in Mazatlán, Mexico. She subsequently held postdoctoral and research scientist positions at Florida Atlantic University and Iowa State University.

Her research focuses on understanding how environmental factors, both natural and human-induced, affect animal physiology and development. She has worked with a variety of model systems, with a primary focus on marine and freshwater turtles. An important aspect of her research is developing innovative tools to investigate these questions and bridging basic science with practical applications that can help inform and improve conservation efforts.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Sifuentes-Romero to the Department of Biology and Georgia Southern!

09/01/2026

The Department of Biology is pleased to welcome Dr. Charles Hodgens as a new Visiting Instructor!

Dr. Hodgens earned his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and subsequently held postdoctoral positions at North Carolina State University and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where his research focused on computational plant biology.

His areas of expertise include molecular biology, genetics, and computational plant biology, with particular interests in applying computational approaches—including neural networks—to better understand biological systems.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Hodgens to the Department of Biology and Georgia Southern!