College of Arts and Sciences
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY
Welcome From the Chair
Dr. Hernandez was beloved by the hundreds of students she taught every semester, from
introductory biology to advanced courses in genetics, developmental biology, or histology. Her
dedication to the student and passion for all things biology is legendary among department
members. We were fortunate to have her among our ranks and wish her well in her retirement.
Our faculty and students continue to build on their impressive list of accomplishments in
research and service. In what is now becoming routine, we acknowledge Dr. Judith Van Houten,
Distinguished University Professor, on being elected fellow of The Vermont Academy of Arts &
Sciences, another one in a long series of recognitions to one of Biology’s most dedicated faculty
members. Professor Alison Brody, fresh from a sabbatical that took her from the heights of the
Rockies to the savannahs of Africa, published a landmark study on species interaction that was
highlighted on the cover of Ecology, the standard bearer of the Ecological Society of America.
Professor Nicholas Gotelli’s research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, showed that species distribution is scale-dependent, a result that puts into focus large
volumes of information that had previously escaped synthesis. These are just but a few of the
many individual accomplishments that together weave the sturdy fabric of our research-teaching
foundation. As these pages will attest, our present is bright and our future knows no boundaries.
Jim Vigoreaux, PhD
Chair