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The Department of Biology oversees three programs of mentored student research: the Dr. Arnold T. Borer Summer Research Program, the John L. & Léone E. Worden Research Program, and the Lawrence A. & Dolores M. Weider Jr. Student Achievement Award.

Faculty members carry on their own research, often assisted by students in the Borer, Weider, or Worden programs.

The Department of Biology offers summer research opportunities in the areas of cellular and molecular biology. This program, supported by the Dr. Arnold T. Borer Summer Research Endowment, provides selected students with a stipend, free room and board, and a travel allowance.

Erin McNell, 2019 Borer and Worden award winner, at the Society for Developmental Biology summer 2019 meeting.

Recent Recipients

• 2022
  • Madelyn Dziezgowski (Biochemistry major), working with Dr. Kaitlyn Dykstra.
  • Anshu Punreddy (Biology major), working with Dr. Kaitlyn Dykstra.
• 2021
  • Kira Dewey (Biology major), working with Dr. Johanna Schwingel and Dr. Sean Ryan.
  • Courtney Fox (Biochemistry major), working with Dr. Kaitlyn Dykstra.
  • Nishtha Tripathi (Biology/Behavioral Neuroscience major), working with Dr. Sean Ryan.
• 2020
  • Mary E. Esposito (Biochemistry major), working with Dr. Kaitlyn Dykstra.
  • Katharina Heitzman (Biochemistry major), working with Dr. Xiao-Ning Zhang.
• 2019
  • Jordan McDonald (Biology major), working with Dr. Johanna Schwingel.
  • Erin E. McNell (Biochemistry major), working with Dr. Sean Ryan.
  • Claire S. Schaef (Biochemistry major), working with Dr. Xiao-Ning Zhang.
• 2018
  • Nicholas Jodush (Biochemistry major), working with Dr. Xiao-Ning Zhang.
  • Zinal Trivedi (Biology major), working with Dr. Sean Ryan.

John Worden earned a Ph.D. in physiology from St. Bonaventure University and taught here from 1933-1973, serving as Professor of Biology for most of that time. He was also chair of the department from 1937-1947 and acting dean of the graduate school from 1943-1945.

This award itself is a distinction, as only the top juniors in the Biology and Biochemistry programs are invited to submit an application. One Worden Award of $1200 is given each year to support a mentored research project in the senior year.

Recent Recipients

• 2022
  • Arden Bui (biochemistry major), “The Effects of the Splicing Regulator Serine/Arginine-rich 45 on Arabidopsis thaliana Reproduction,” with Dr. Xiao-Ning Zhang.
• 2021
  • Claire Schaef (biochemistry major), "Discovering the role of SAP18 in transcriptional regulation in Arabidopsis thaliana,” with Dr. Xiao-Ning Zhang.
• 2020
  • Anna Hu (biochemistry major), "An investigation of the role of AtSAP18-associated DNAs in the function of the ASAP complex,” with Dr. Xiao-Ning Zhang.
• 2019
  • Erin McNell (biochemistry major), "Effects of Disinfectant Byproducts (DBPs) on Embryonic Zebrafish Development," with Dr. Sean Ryan.
• 2018
  • Samuel Chen (bioinformatics major), "Synthetic Serotonin Smoothies," with Dr. Xiao-Ning Zhang.

Lawrence J. Weider, Ph.D., earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from St. Bonaventure University in 1978. He established this award in his parents’ memory to support students doing research with Biology faculty.

One Weider Award of $1200 is given each year to support a student performing mentored research within the biology department in their junior year.

Recent Recipients

• 2022
  • Tharini Nagarkar (health and society major), “Investigating Potential Effects of FEZ1 Upregulation in MLL1–Rearranged Acute Myeloid Leukemias,” with Dr. Kaitlyn Dykstra.

Each faculty member's name is linked to their personal research website.