Major Information
This desert plant defies gravity by collecting water upside-down with tiny leaf hairs
Syntrichia caninervis (aka seriously awesome desert moss) uses tiny hair-like structures on its leaves to absorb water from the atmosphere until droplets form and flow to the leaf. And sometimes it does it upside-down.
Nature's fireworks show: glowing fireflies lighting up Utah
Thousands of pyrotechnic, flashing fireflies are making a rare appearance in Utah this summer, evidence that these bioluminescent insects may be establishing larger populations in the west, according to Brigham Young University researchers.
Student Resources
Meet Our Biologists
Faculty Spotlight: Liz Bailey
Dr. Liz Bailey is integral in our department! She got her undergraduate and graduate degrees from BYU and joined our department a few years ago. Dr. Bailey's favorite part of her job is working with students, particularly the one-on-one time she can spend with her research assistants as they "grow and become scientists." Dr. Bailey's research is focused on biology education with an emphasis on women in STEM, incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge in biology courses, reciprocal peer tutoring, and teaching equation derivation for students with math anxiety.
Alumni Spotlight: Peter Searle
Peter recently graduated in August 2022 with a masters in Biology. He plans to become a professor and is starting a PhD programs at Cornell in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Peter told us that he wants to help students "develop a fascination for the world around them."
Faculty Spotlight: Roger Koide
Dr. Koide is currently on a research trip to Japan, where he is studying fungi. His research focuses on ecology and he loves teaching in both the lab and the classroom. It's his favorite part of his job!
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