Five CNS seniors named UMass Amherst 2013 21st Century Leaders for far-ranging achievement, initiative and social awareness: Zachary Robert Bemis, civil engineering major with a minor in geology; Michael J. Boucher, dual major in microbiology and biochemistry and molecular biology; Kate Liedell, major in chemistry with a minor in education; Ankur Sheel, double major in biochemistry and molecular biology and neuroscience; Michael Veling, double-majored in chemistry and biochemistry and molecular biology. News Release
Four CNS faculty members received the highest campus honors: Elizabeth Connor, Biology, and Catherine Benincasa, Mathematics and Statistics were two of four recipients of the Distinguished Teaching Award. Margaret Riley, Biology, received the Distinguished Academic Outreach Teaching Award. Jeffrey D. Blaustein, Psychology, was one of three recipients of a Samuel F. Conti Faculty Fellowship. News Release
Philip Anderson, Biology, along with an international research team, have tested and confirmed evidence that early land vertebrates developed legs for land travel before their feeding systems and dietary habits changed to accommodate the new habitat. UPI, News Release
Duncan Irschick and Craig Albertson, Biology, are lead co-authors of a new paper that proposes a new investigative roadmap for the field of evolutionary developmental, or “evo devo.” In the May issue of Trends in Ecology and Evolution, they propose a set of hypotheses, including strengthened collaborations among evo devo disciplines “to consider all links from genes to resource use.” Trends in Ecology and Evolution, News release
Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Psychology, praises a Princeton ageism study as making important contributions to the field. She says the researchers “unpack the stereotypes toward older adults and show how their stereotypes vary in their causes and effects.” MedicalXpress.com
