Faculty and Staff

headshot of Dr. Jory  Brinkerhoff

Professor of Biology

Interim Chair, Department of Biology


Specialties:
  • Disease ecology
  • Epidemiology of vector-borne diseases
  • Host-parasite relationships
Contact:
(804) 484-1592
headshot of Dr. Peter  Smallwood

Associate Professor of Biology

Assistant Chair, Department of Biology


Specialties:
  • Ecology
  • Science Policy
  • Conservation Biology
  • Environmental Studies
Contact:
(804) 289-8803
headshot of Ms. Kirstin   Berben

Laboratories Manager Biology Department


Specialties:
  • Coastal Ecology
  • Field Research Techniques
Contact:
804-289-1704
headshot of Dr. Linda M. Boland

Professor of Biology

Associate Provost for Faculty


Specialties:
  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Physiology
  • Mid-career Faculty Development
  • Inclusive Practices
  • Leadership Development
  • Building Effective Partnerships to Promote Institutional Effectiveness
Contact:
(804) 289-8571
headshot of Ms. Emily  Boone

Director of Biological Instruction


Specialties:
  • Marine ecology
  • Physiological ecology
  • Environmental studies
Contact:
(804) 287-6831
headshot of Dr. Colleen  Carpenter-Swanson

Assistant Professor in Biology, Coston Family Fellow in Molecular Biology


Specialties:
  • Neuropharmacology
  • Genetics
  • Epilepsy
  • Addiction
  • Zebrafish modeling
Contact:
(804) 287-6339
headshot of Dr. Stacey  Criswell

Director of Microscopy and Imaging


Specialties:
  • Confocal microscopy
  • Biological sample preparation and imaging for electron microscopy
Contact:
(804) 804-484-1541
headshot of Dr. Rafael O. de Sá

Professor of Biology


Specialties:
  • Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity
  • Phylogenetic, Systematics, and Taxonomy
  • Developmental Biology
Contact:
(804) 289-8542
headshot of Dr. Joseph

Visiting Research Scholar


Specialties:
  • Neural bases of behavior
  • Chemoreception in insects
  • Sensory physiology of arthropod vectors of disease
Contact:
(804) 289-8871
headshot of Dr. Priscilla  Erickson

Assistant Professor of Biology


Specialties:
  • Evolutionary genetics and genomics
  • Quantitative genetics
  • Evolutionary developmental biology
Contact:
804-484-1591
headshot of Dr. Kristine  Grayson

Associate Professor of Biology


Specialties:
  • Population ecology
  • Physiological ecology
  • Conservation of amphibians and reptiles
  • Spread of invasive forest pests
Contact:
(804) 484-1623
headshot of Dr. John  Hayden

Professor of Biology


Specialties:
  • Anatomy, morphology, and systematics of vascular plants, especially family Euphorbiaceae, in the context of regional floristics, ethnobotany, systematic monographs, and revisions
Contact:
(804) 289-8232
headshot of Dr. Angie  Hilliker

Associate Professor of Biology


Specialties:
  • Molecular Genetics
  • Gene Expression
  • RNA Biology
Contact:
(804) 484-1423
headshot of Dr. Shannon Z. Jones

Director of Biological Instruction

Program Coordinator, URISE

Coordinator, Integrated Inclusive Science Program


Specialties:
  • Cellular and Molecular Immunology
  • Toxicology of inhaled pollutants
  • Development of novel evidence-based teaching strategies
Contact:
(804) 287-6568

Manager, Biology/Chemistry Stockroom

Contact:
(804) 484-1598
headshot of Dr. Todd  Lookingbill

Professor of Biology

Professor of Geography, Environment, & Sustainability

Chair, Department of Geography, Environment, & Sustainability


Specialties:
  • Battlefield Ecology
  • Landscape Fragmentation and Connectivity
  • Park Management
  • Conservation
  • Forest Community Ecology
Contact:
(804) 289-8265
headshot of Dr. Eugene G. Maurakis

Visiting Research Scientist

Adjunct Professor, Liberal Arts


Specialties:
  • Climate Change
  • Biodiversity
  • Behavior
Contact:
(804) 289-8133
headshot of Ms. Jennifer  O'Donnell

Manager of Biological Laboratories


Specialties:
  • Immunology and Human Biology
  • Animal Care
  • Tarrant the Tarantula
Contact:
(804) 289-8238
headshot of Ms. Emily  Phaup

Academic Administrative Specialist

Contact:
(804) 289-8871
headshot of Dr. B.  Daniel Pierce

Associate Professor of Biology


Specialties:
  • Molecular Biology
  • Bacterial Pathogenesis
  • Tumorigenesis
  • Synthetic Biology
Contact:
(804) 289-8107
headshot of Dr. Omar  Quintero-Carmona

Associate Professor of Biology


Specialties:
  • Cell Biology
  • Cytoskeleton/molecular motors
  • Quantitative fluorescence microscopy
Contact:
804-287-6892
headshot of Ms. Maren  Reiner

Director of Biological Instruction


Specialties:
  • Environmental Biology
  • Human Biology
Contact:
(804) 289-8954
headshot of Dr. Jonathan   Richardson

Assistant Professor of Biology


Specialties:
  • Urban ecology & evolution
  • Wildlife biology
  • Conservation genetics
  • Freshwater biology
Contact:
804-287-6628
headshot of Dr. Laura  Runyen-Janecky

Professor of Biology


Specialties:
  • Microbiology
  • Genetics
  • Bacterial Symbioses
Contact:
(804) 287-6390
headshot of Dr. Jennifer   Sevin

Visiting Lecturer of Biology

Contact:
(804) 287-6691
headshot of Dr. Isaac  Skromne

Associate Professor of Biology


Specialties:
  • Development
  • Neuroscience
Contact:
(804) 289-8871
headshot of Dr. Krista  Stenger

Professor of Biology Emerita


Specialties:
  • Cell and Molecular Biology
  • Immunology
  • Regulation of the inflammatory response/macrophage activity
Contact:
(804) 287-6570
headshot of Dr. João F. R. Tonini

Postdoctoral Research Associate


Specialties:
  • Phylogenetic Systematics
  • Statistical Biogeography
  • Macroevolution
Contact:
(804) 852-3280
headshot of Dr. Amy  Treonis

Associate Professor of Biology


Specialties:
  • Soil Ecology
  • Microbiology
  • Nematology
Contact:
(804) 287-6493
headshot of Dr. John  Vaughan

Director of Pre-Health Education

Contact:
(804) 287-6484
headshot of Dr. John  Warrick

Associate Professor of Biology

Co-coordinator, Neuroscience Program


Specialties:
  • Genetic and Molecular Basis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
  • Neurogenetics
  • Drosophila models
Contact:
(804) 289-8231
headshot of Dr. Carrie  Wu

Associate Professor of Biology

Coordinator, Environmental Studies Program


Specialties:
  • Evolutionary ecology
  • Local adaptation and speciation
  • Plant population biology and genetics
  • Evolutionary genetics of invasive species
Contact:
(804) 289-8712
headshot of Dr. Eugene  Wu

Associate Professor of Biology and Biochemistry

Program Coordinator, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology


Specialties:
  • Viruses
  • Biochemistry
  • DNA replication
Contact:
(804) 287-6449
headshot of Dr. Melinda  Yang

Assistant Professor of Biology

Data Science Advisory Board Member


Specialties:
  • Population Genetics
  • Human Evolution
  • Computational Genetics/Bioinformatics
  • Ancient DNA-based analyses
Contact:
(804) 662-3126
headshot of Ms. Kathy  Ziegenfus

Adjunct Lecturer of Biology

Contact:
(804) 287-6850