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Chair's Note

Newsletter issue:
Autumn-2024
People:
Martha M.-Bosma

Dear Friends of Biology,

Welcome to Autumn quarter! It is my pleasure to greet you at the start of this new academic year as the brand new chair of the Department of Biology. For those of you who are unfamiliar with me, my name is Marti Bosma and I am honored and excited to serve as the department’s chair. I have a lab in the department working on early development of the mammalian brain and on synchronous motor activity in invertebrates (freshwater jellyfish!!!). I’ve had many young scientists working in the lab; one of the things that I love about this department is how well we bring undergraduates into the research domain. 

Very importantly, I would like to extend a great deal of gratitude and thanks to David Perkel, who chaired the department for the past 5 years. Through the COVID-19 pandemic and during a time when our extended global community faced grave issues and profound challenges, David led with care and thoughtfulness, leaving us on solid ground. His leadership now allows us to pivot and guide the department towards the future, imagining where we might be after 10-15 more years of discovery!

There is much to celebrate in our department! Our community is full of talented individuals – it is a joy to see some of our very own being celebrated for their achievements. To name a few recent honors:

  • Alison Crowe, Biology Teaching Professor, received a 2024 UW Distinguished Teaching Award
  • Janet Germeraad, Biology Director of Academic Services, and Jason Patterson, Biology Senior Adviser, were recognized by the UW Association of Professional Advisers and Counselors (APAC) 2024 Advisers of the Year
  • Ray Huey, Biology Professor Emeritus, was elected to the National Academy of Sciences
  • At the 2024 Botany Conference: Hannah McConnell, Biology graduate student, received the Katherine Esau Award and Dick Olmstead, Biology Professor Emeritus, received the Asa Gray Award
  • Notable recent grants: Jeff Rasmussen received a LEO Foundation grant and Jeff Riffell received the first Kavli-NSF grant

The start of a new academic year is always an exhilarating reminder of the potential our community holds. One thing I have always admired about our department is our collective spirit to strive for excellence and continue to improve. I am grateful to be a part of this amazing community. Here’s to the start of a great year.

Sincerely,

Marti Bosma
Professor and Chair, Department of Biology