Departmental News

We are saddened to announce that William “Bill” Conner, Professor Emeritus of Biology, passed away on September 10, 2026. Dr. Conner joined Wake Forest’s biology faculty in 1988. He retired in 2022. At Wake Forest, his teaching reflected his interests in insect biology and animal behavior, paired with a consistent commitment to teaching biology at...

RETIRING FACULTY The following faculty member is retiring in the 2025-2026 Academic Year. Thank you for your incredible dedication and commitment over the years! Dr. Susan E. Fahrbach   FACULTY TENURE AND PROMOTIONS Congratulations to the following faculty members who have received promotions, effective July 1, 2026: Promotion to Full Professor Dr. Ke Zhang Reid...

AWARDS Bennett Haara won the Elton C. Cocke Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Student. Jessica Behrendt won the Walter S. Flory Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Biology. Christopher Lawrence won the Carolina Biological Supply Company Award for Undergraduate Research. Christopher received Honors in Biology working with Research Mentor(s) Dr. Michael Rizzo, Dr. Nicholas Kortessis, and Dr....

The WFU Department of Biology is proud to celebrate the career and extraordinary service to Wake Forest of Reynolds Professor of Developmental Neuroscience Susan E. Fahrbach on the occasion of her retirement. Congratulations, Susan! Dr. Fahrbach has been a fierce advocate for the Department of Biology […during her 22 years at Wake Forest], and she...

Congratulations to the #Classof2026! 💛🎩 From the entire WFU Biology department: “We appreciate your dedication and efforts to support the missions of the Department and University. We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. Congratulations, #WFU26!” 

Congratulations! We are proud to announce that WFU Biology members have had the following proposals funded: Dr. Gloria Muday‘s proposal entitled “Understanding mechanisms for maintaining ROS homeostasis to protect plant reproduction from high temperature stress” has been funded by the United States Department of Agriculture. Dr. Miles Silman and Dr. Luis Fernandez‘s proposal entitled “Protecting...

Congratulations! We are proud to announce that WFU Biology members have had the following proposals funded: Dr. Miriam Ashley-Ross‘ proposal entitled “Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Assignment” has been funded by the National Science Foundation. Dr. Josh Currie‘s proposal entitled “Interrogating mechanisms of limb regeneration using a viral toolbox for molecular gain- and loss-of-function” has been...

AWARDS Jack Carson won the Elton C. Cocke Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Student. Hank Laxton won the Walter S. Flory Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Biology. Hope Nitsche won the Carolina Biological Supply Company Award for Undergraduate Research. Hope received Honors in Biology working in the lab of Professor Erik Johnson. The title of her...