News from Lyman Briggs College

Checkout the improvements made to the New Briggs Online Alumni Community and see why more and more Briggsies are it calling their 'Home away from Holmes'.

Visit: Briggs Online Alumni Community

BriggWear Store Featured Product

Let them know that you're Spartan Green with this tote bag, just $17.99

Visit: BriggsWear

Professor Kendra Cheruvelil Honored by Women Evolving Biological Sciences

Biology Professor Kendra Cheruvelil, has been selected to attend the annual Women Evolving Biological Sciences (WEBS) symposium, that addresses the retention of female scientists and issues related to the transition of women from early career stages to tenure track positions and leadership roles in academic and research settings.

Through a series of panel discussions and workshops, WEBS provides:

Concrete skills and take-home tips for addressing a range of issues from navigating the tenure track, designing a research program and managing time to establishing and maintaining successful mentoring relationships and balancing career progression and life responsibility.
Opportunities to build a peer network and potential mentoring relationships with senior scientists.
Exposure to the range of potential paths and success stories of women in the biological sciences.

WEBS is a collaborative project between the University of Washington and the University California, Santa Cruz. The Principal Investigator is Dr. Claire Horner-Devine of the University of Washington. Co-PIs are Dr. Samantha Forde of the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Dr. Joyce Yen of the University of Washington. This program is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation's ADVANCE Program, which is focused on increasing the participation and advancement of women faculty in science and engineering.

More at: Women Evolving Biological Sciences

Brad Gerbe ('01, Biology) Reflects on Being a New Teacher

Brad Gerbe ('01, Biology) was invited to write an article in the June edition of the Michigan Education Association (MEA) magazine. He wrote about: "Adjusting to Find Your Niche as a Beginning Teacher:" Brad teaches science at Manchester High School. (Photo courtesy of MEA Magazine)

Brad states, "The best part of teaching for me is the profound impact I get to have on young people. I play a part in their future success."

Congratulations Brad! As Briggs connected you to success, you are now doing the same for your students.

You can view Brad's article at: MEA Magazine.

Briggs Professors Receive $1 Million NSF Grant

Lyman Briggs biology professor Gerald Urquhart (photo right) and HPS professor Aaron McCright (photo below) are part of a team that received a grant for $1,000,000 from the National Science Foundation for interdisciplinary research on the Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua. Their research explores complex ways in which natural and human systems interact when the forces of globalization reach the remote regions of the world. The project, led by James Madison College's Daniel Kramer (environmental economics) and Dr. Urquhart, focuses on the linkages between economic changes in remote communities and environmental impacts on the tropical rainforests, coral reefs, and other Aaron McCright

ecosystems. The multidisciplinary team will study changes in the environment, household economics, and other factors through monitoring natural resources, remote sensing, household surveys, and interviews.

In conjunction with the project, Drs. Kramer, Urquhart, and McCright are developing a research internship program for undergraduates from Lyman Briggs and James Madison to participate in the field research in Nicaragua. Their goal is to provide MSU students an opportunity to be part of a cutting-edge research project, furthering the mission of our residential colleges.

For more information visit:

Dr. Gerald Urquhart

Dr. Aaron McCright