Greetings Carroll College BES (Biology and Environmental Science) Friends and Alumni:
We wanted to update you on some of what has been happening in our department at Carroll.
Spotlight on Department Lectures and Community Events
Carroll College hosted several community events to celebrate Darwin Day and will welcome a Carroll Biology alum as the keynote speaker for the annual Student Research Festival in April. These events provide students and the community with engaging opportunities to explore science in exciting ways, fostering learning and connection with experts in the field.
4th Annual Darwin Day Event Series
The Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences hosted its 4th Annual Darwin Day celebration in February. Charles Robert Darwin was born on February 12, 1809 (the same day and year as Abraham Lincoln), and we hold an annual event on the week of his birthday to celebrate the great naturalist and his immense contributions to biology.
Darwin Day Research Symposium: “On The Origin of Sex: Causes and Consequences of Sex Chromosome Evolution”
The keynote speaker for Carroll’s 2025 Darwin’s Day Research Symposium was Dr. Daniel Shaw from the University of Montana. More than 120 students, faculty, and community members packed the Simperman Hall Wiegand Auditorium to hear Dr. Shaw’s lecture on his cutting-edge research on the evolution of sex chromosomes.
“Dr. Shaw’s talk transformed my view on chromosomal evolution because it is a process that shaped the very foundation of biological diversity in many unexpected and complex ways that I never imagined.”
~ Bryce Hall, Biology major, Class of 2025
According to our students, the highlights of the talk included his discussion of selfish genes in Y chromosomes that give some sperm a competitive advantage over others, the costs of losing recombination abilities between the X and Y chromosomes, and the fact that Y chromosomes have evolved multiple times over the course of vertebrate evolution.
“This talk by Dr. Daniel Shaw was very interesting as it allowed us to dive deeper into the possibilities of genetics and current research. It touched on multiple topics that we learned in genetics, molecular biology, and cellular biology that we otherwise wouldn’t get to see.”
~ Serena Keil-Hoye, Biology major, Class of 2025
This talk was a fantastic educational experience that was heavily appreciated by Carroll’s student body. As senior Biology major Michael de Guzman said, “It’s opportunities like these that make us grateful for Carroll providing a platform for these discussions.” The symposium allowed students to explore topics in genetics and molecular evolution to which they have only been superficially exposed in classes. Providing students opportunities to engage with innovative research and ask questions of scientists are some of the most unique and impactful experiences available at Carroll.
“Dr. Shaw gave me a broader perspective on genetic evolution through the science of sex chromosomes.”
~ Daxon Graham, Biology major, Class of 2025
Darwin Day Kids Fest
As part of their Senior Seminar course (BI-495), senior Biology students helped organize the 4th annual Darwin Day Kids Fest to promote science education in the Helena community. The festival featured fun and interactive activities that covered a wide range of scientific topics including DNA structure, ecological trophic levels, natural selection, mendelian genetics, evolutionary tree construction, adaptive radiation, and niche ecology. The activities involved stuffed animals, snacks, and candy which helped to engage the participants.
“I enjoyed witnessing children in the Helena community eager to learn.”
~ Edouard Karleskind, Biology major, Class of 2025
“It was a joy to spread the knowledge Carroll has gifted me to, not only kids but their parents, at this amazing community event.”
~ Mila Duncan, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major, Class of 2025
“It was so much fun to see my professors bring their children to the event, whether it was professors from the biology department or from other classes that I’ve taken at Carroll.”
~ Isabelle Erickson, Biology major, Class of 2025
“It was a privilege to share the knowledge that Carroll has taught me to the community in a fun and engaging way.”
~ Clara Carpenter, Biology major, Class of 2025
“Darwin Day gave me an awesome perspective on how to teach kids the information we have learned through our everyday college lives.”
~ Daxon Graham, Biology major, Class of 2025
Biology Alum to Give SRF Keynote Lecture
We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Bryan L. Roth (Biology and Chemistry, 77’) back to campus as the featured speaker for our Student Research Festival this April. This event, a celebration of academic research, provides an amazing opportunity for our students to be engaged with the leading edge of discovery as well as to present their independent research.
Visit 2025 Student Research Festival for more information and details on this year's event.
About Bryan L. Roth MD, PhD
Bryan L. Roth MD, PhD is the Michael Hooker Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine. Dr. Roth received his BA from Carroll College in 1977 and an MD and PhD (Biochemistry) from St. Louis University in 1983 and subsequently trained in pharmacology (NIH), molecular biology (Stanford), and Psychiatry (Stanford). Prior to coming to UNC, Dr. Roth was a Professor of Psychiatry and Biochemistry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine where his clinical specialty was treatment-resistant schizophrenia.
Dr. Roth has published more than 500 papers in the general areas of molecular pharmacology, structural biology, and synthetic biology including more than 40 papers published in Science, Nature, and Cell over the past decade. Scientific highlights include the creation of the widely used chemogenetic platform dubbed ‘DREADDs’ and the elucidation of the structures of LSD and antipsychotic drugs bound to their molecular targets. Dr. Roth has been a ‘Highly Cited Scientist’ for many years with nearly 100,000 citations to his work (H-index =151).
Dr. Roth was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2014 and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2019. He has received many honors including the Westheimer Prize (Harvard University, Chemistry), the Goodman and Gilman Award for Receptor Pharmacology (American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics), the PhRMA Foundation Excellence in Pharmacology Award, a NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Award, and the IUPHAR Analytical Pharmacology Lectureship. Dr. Roth has also given more than 40 named lectures including a Presidential Special Lecturer at the 2018 Society for Neurosciences meeting.
Saints Giving Day: March 20–21, 2025, Noon to Noon
Join us in supporting the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences during this year’s Saints 24-hour Giving Day!
Biological and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Research Travel Fund
Help us provide invaluable opportunities for our students to share their hard work with the broader scientific community! We are raising funds to support undergraduate research travel, enabling our students to present their biology research at conferences nationwide.
This past November, 10 Carroll students—eight of whom were Biology and Environmental Science researchers—attended the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust Undergraduate Research Conference in Vancouver, Washington. Experiences like these expand students' knowledge, refine their skills, and open doors for future careers and collaborations.
With your generosity, we can continue empowering our students to showcase their research and represent Carroll on a larger stage. Thank you for your support!
Biology Student Enrichment Fund
Biology is a vast and fascinating field, best understood through hands-on experiences beyond textbooks and videos. Whether examining microorganisms under a microscope, observing plant growth and animal behavior, or exploring research labs and ecosystems in the field, these opportunities deepen students’ understanding and passion for science.
Your support for the Biology Student Enrichment Fund helps provide essential resources—from caring for live specimens to funding excursions that bring learning to life. With your generosity, our students can witness the wonders of biology firsthand and gain invaluable real-world experience.
Thank you for helping us inspire the next generation of scientists!
Biology – Galapagos Study Abroad Funding
The Galapagos Islands are one of the most extraordinary environments in the world, with incredible biodiversity and natural beauty, as well as being the site for some of the most remarkable discoveries in science. Access to the Galapagos is limited, and Carroll College faculty are hoping to facilitate a unique experience for students to travel to the Galapagos. Through your support, we hope to reduce the travel costs of the trip, which will ensure that the trip is accessible for all students interested in this opportunity.
Thank you for helping make this extraordinary educational experience in the Galapagos possible for our students.
Alumni Updates
Share your professional and educational milestones with us—we’d love to feature your news in upcoming newsletters! Send your updates to Dr. Almquist at talmquist@carroll.edu.
Class of 2019 graduate, Mackenna Landis, recently published a first author paper based on her research as a graduate student at Montana State University. Mackenna’s paper, ‘Intra-axonal Nanomagnetic Forces Differentially Impact hTau40 Transport Dynamics in Primary Cortical and Hippocampal Neurons’ was published in the high-impact journal ACS Nano in February.
Stay Connected with Us and Get News from the Biological and Environmental Science Department
We are extremely grateful for the outreach and engagement from our alumni and supporters. Many of the transformative experiences we provide our students are made possible through your generosity. We also appreciate your feedback, insights, and ideas, which are important for the future success of our programs. We love hearing from you with news of your adventures or seeing you when you swing through campus. Please feel free to reach out to any of us in Biology and Environmental Science via email or share this newsletter with others who might not be receiving it.
Sincerely,
The Carroll College Biological and Environmental Sciences Faculty