Elsevier published “Forensic Toxicology: Principles and Concepts,” the second edition of a textbook written by Dr. Courtney Lappas, professor of biology, and her father, Dr. Nicholas Lappas, professor emeritus, George Washington University. The new edition “takes the reader back to the origins of forensic toxicology providing an overview of the largely unchanging principles of the discipline.”

Erin Ziegler ’22, biochemistry & molecular biology major and environmental science minor, presented a poster, “The effects of deer, light, and competition on Podophyllum peltatum,” at the 2021 Pennsylvania Botany Symposium. Jake Beidler ’23, environmental science, Dr. Doug Becker, assistant professor of biology, and Dr. Rebecca Urban, director of environmental science and professor of biology, co-authored the poster.

Dr. Courtney Lappas, professor of biology, and two colleagues published “Predictors of the intention to receive a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine” in the Journal of Public Health. The authors research showed several predictors associated with those intending to be vaccinated, including perceived vulnerability to COVID-19, political orientation, gender, and race.

Dr. Stephen Williams, professor emeritus of biology, published “Pollination of Dionaea Muscipula, The Venus Flytrap,” in the current issue of the Carnivorous Plant Newsletter. With his co-researcher, Bill Scholl, they describe in detail the timing of stages in flower opening and shedding of pollen. Bumblebees and solitary bees were found to be the pollinators. Dr. Susan Verhoek, professor emerita of biology, and Dr. Allan F. Wolfe, professor emeritus of biology, consulted on the study.

Dr. Rebecca Urban, director of environmental science and professor of biology, was interviewed by Harrisburg Magazine for the story “Now is the time when plants need help the most.”

Dr. Rebecca Urban, director of environmental science and professor of biology, co-authored “Assessment of Student Learning in Undergraduate Courses with Collaborative Projects from the Ecological Research as Education Network,” in Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research.  

Dr. Rebecca Urban, professor biology and director of environmental science, “shared guidance on how to identify invasive plants in your garden, and insight on the long-term problems they can cause,” on WHTM TV 27’s Good Day PA. 

Dr. Rob Carey, associate professor of biology and director of biochemistry & molecular biology, co-authored “Expansin gene loss is a common occurrent during adaptation to an aquatic environment” in The Plant Journal. His co-authors included LVC alumni Alexa Bowman ’19 and Dr. Nathan Hepler ’13. 

Dr. Erica Unger, associate professor of biology and director of neuroscience, co-authored “Iron-deficiency and dopaminergic treatment effects on RLS-Like behaviors of an animal model with the brain iron deficiency pattern of the restless legs syndrome” and “Developing a behavioral model of Restless Legs Syndrome utilizing mice with natural variances in ventral midbrain iron,” which were published on ScienceDirect. Unger and her colleagues concluded that BXD strain 40 mice provide a useful tool to model RLS and that the severity of brain iron deficiency is linked to restless legs syndrome symptoms.

Dr. Courtney Lappas, associate professor of biology, and one of her research colleagues, Dr. Brian Meier, professor of psychology at Gettysburg College, were guests on WITF’s live Smart Talk show. The duo spoke about their “natural-is-better” bias research. Click here to listen.