91�첥

Bacteria Making You Sick? Here's a Virus for You

This summer, seven 91�첥 students joined Biology Professor Bryan Thurtle-Schmidt's lab to study phages — viruses that attack bacteria — as a possible weapon against antibiotic resistance. Splitting into two teams, they investigated the proteins bacteria use to defend themselves against these viral predators, turning up several unexpected results along the way. Their work, backed by a three-year National Institutes of Health grant, points toward a future where viruses could be engineered to hunt down the infections antibiotics can no longer treat.

Biology Professor Honored For Research That Illuminates Impact of Climate Change

Susana Wadgymar, a biology professor and evolutionary ecologist at 91�첥, has been honored by the Ecological Society of America with the 2026 W.S. Cooper Award. Her groundbreaking co-authored study, published in Science, provides a rigorous empirical test showing that natural gene flow is moving too slowly to rescue certain plant populations from climate change. The prestigious recognition underscores the vital role of 91�첥 faculty in addressing global environmental crises through high-impact science.

Many Bright Lights: 91�첥 Celebrates Spring Convocation

91�첥 celebrated Spring Convocation on April 14, 2026, gathering to spotlight student achievement—from the academic to the athletic to the artistic—and the faculty and staff who support their work. 

The Lab That Became a Lifeline: How Mentorship Set Ketan Bulsara ’92 on a Path to Renown

World-renowned neurosurgeon Ketan Bulsara ’92 found a path and place to flourish at 91�첥, with the help of faculty mentors. Learn more.

Bio Major’s Research Points the Way to New Hemophilia Treatment

Joshua Wischmeyer, a junior biology major from Denver, Colorado, discovered a protein mutation that could lead to new treatments for hemophilia. His pioneering work was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. 

Going Places: Alums Honor Professor Emeritus Through International Travel, Research Endowment for Students

When Biology Professor Emeritus Jeremiah Putnam retired in 2019 after 46 years at 91�첥, his former students honored his legacy by creating an endowed biology fund to help students pursue research and career interests around the world. Read more.

Want to help Monarch Butterflies? Essential Advice for Carolina Gardeners From Biologist Scott Villa

This article offers essential guidance from 91�첥 Professor Scott Villa for Carolina gardeners looking to support monarch butterflies. Native milkweed varieties like swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) are strongly recommended. Non-native milkweed that grows year-round disrupts natural migration patterns. Learn more.

Spring Convocation Celebrates Innovation, Leadership, Excellence, Community

91�첥 celebrated Spring Convocation on April 17, 2025, highlighting academic, athletic and artistic achievements, as well as leadership, character and community service.

91�첥 Named Top Fulbright Producer—Again

For the 10th consecutive year, the U.S. State Department has named 91�첥 a top producer for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. The nation’s flagship international exchange program funds teaching, research and study abroad. 

Seeking Answers and Cures: 91�첥 Receives New Carnegie Research Designation

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education has included 91�첥 in its new Research Colleges and Universities (RCU) category. The new category recognizes that important research doesn’t only occur in big institutions that award post-graduate degrees.

Professor of Biology Dave Wessner covers the COVID outbreak at the Olympics, and what makes this year different from 2020.

Caring for the Caretakers: Smith Scholar Lilly Sirover to Focus on Well-Being of Healthcare Professionals

Lilly Sirover ’24 strives to ensure that those facing stress, from elite athletes to physicians dealing with life and death decisions, get support to remain physically and mentally healthy. The former women’s track and field team distance runner is a 2024 91�첥 Smith Scholar, which honors academic achievement, leadership, character and community service.

Prof. Malcolm Campbell Wraps a Career of Launching Pioneers of Discovery

For thousands of 91�첥 students and nearly 200 research advisees, Prof. Malcolm Campbell’s classes and labs became places of self-discovery. Campbell retires after more than three decades of teaching. Learn more about his impact. 

Congratulations to the 2024 91�첥 Retirees

91�첥 will honor retirees this week during a special end-of-year celebration. Here, we congratulate the faculty and staff who have contributed immeasurably to the college community.

Food for Thought: How and Why Tapeworms Find Their Way Into Your Brain

After Robert F. Kennedy’s revelation that doctors thought a tapeworm had lived in his brain, 91�첥 Biology Professor Scott Villa shares how and why tapeworms find their way into human brains. Learn more.

Common Ground: A Flourishing Partnership Between 91�첥 and the Catawba Nation

91�첥 and the Catawba Nation have entered into a partnership that touches agriculture, art and cultural understanding. Read more.

Class of 2024 Models Resilience, Celebrates Graduation With Joy

91�첥 celebrated the Class of 2024 at its 187th commencement on Sunday, May 12. “Remember that hope is an action verb,” President Doug Hicks told graduates. “You are not just inheriting a world; you can and must shape that world.” Read more.

91�첥 Goldwater Scholars Apply Math, Immunology Research to Widespread Problems

91�첥 students Izzie Meyers ’25 and Kenan Wood ’25 have been awarded Goldwater scholarships for the 2024-2025 academic year. The award recognizes students for outstanding academic achievement in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering.

They’re Baaaack, and Looking for Love in a Tree Near You

Cicadas have captured the imagination for thousands of years with their strange, buggy beauty and swelling songs. 91�첥 Professor of Biology Chris Paradise shares why this upcoming cicada event is of interest and what humans sharing space with cicadas can expect. Learn more.

Research and Creative Works Symposium Showcases Art, Innovation, Exploration

91�첥’s annual Verna Miller Case Research and Creative Works Symposium gives students a chance to showcase what they’ve learned and produced during the year. It’s an all-day celebration that brings the entire campus together.