Faculty and Staff

headshot of Dr. Peter  Smallwood
Associate Professor of Biology
Chair, Department of Biology

Specialties:
  • Ecology
  • Science Policy
  • Conservation Biology
  • Environmental Studies
Contact:
(804) 289-8803
headshot of Dr. John  Warrick
Associate Professor of Biology
Assistant Chair, Department of Biology
Co-coordinator, Neuroscience Program

Specialties:
  • Genetic and Molecular Basis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
  • Neurogenetics
  • Drosophila models
Contact:
(804) 289-8231
Post Baccalaureate Research Assistant
Contact:
headshot of Ms. Kirstin   Berben
Laboratories Manager Biology Department

Specialties:
  • Coastal Ecology
  • Field Research Techniques
Contact:
804-289-1704
Integrated & Inclusive Sciences - Post-Bac Fellow
Contact:
headshot of Dr. Linda M. Boland
Professor of Biology

Specialties:
  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Physiology
  • Integrative Biology
  • Leadership Development
  • Mid-Career Faculty Development
  • Building Effective Partnerships to Promote Institutional Effectiveness
Contact:
(804) 289-8571
headshot of Ms. Emily  Boone
Senior Teaching Faculty of Biology

Specialties:
  • Marine ecology
  • Physiological ecology
  • Environmental studies
Contact:
(804) 287-6831
headshot of Dr. Jory  Brinkerhoff
Professor of Biology

Specialties:
  • Disease ecology
  • Epidemiology of vector-borne diseases
  • Host-parasite relationships
Contact:
(804) 484-1592
headshot of Dr. Colleen  Carpenter-Swanson
Assistant Professor in 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. Priscilla  Erickson
Assistant Professor of Biology

Specialties:
  • Evolutionary genetics and genomics
  • Quantitative genetics
  • Evolutionary developmental biology
Contact:
804-484-1591
headshot of Dr. Stephen  Ferguson
Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology

Specialties:
  • Stress Physiology
  • Behavioral Ecology
  • Biological Timing
  • Ornithology
Contact:
(804) 289-8542
Post Baccalaureate Research Assistant
Contact:
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
Teaching Faculty of Biology
Director of SMART and URISE Programs
Interdisciplinary Program Coordinator, Integrated Inclusive Science

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 Geography, Environment, & Sustainability
Interdisciplinary Program Coordinator, Environmental Studies Program
Professor of Biology

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 Dr. John  Peters
Assistant Professor of Biology

Specialties:
  • Cell and Molecular Biology
  • Neuroscience
  • Learning and Memory
  • Structural Biology
Contact:
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
Teaching Faculty of Biology

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, Coston Family Fellow in Molecular Biology

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

Specialties:
  • Conservation Biology
  • Environmental Science
  • Wildlife Trafficking
  • Capacity Building
  • Environmental Education
Contact:
(804) 287-6691
headshot of Dr. Isaac  Skromne
Associate Professor of Biology

Specialties:
  • Development
  • Neuroscience
Contact:
(804) 289-8235
headshot of Dr. Amy  Treonis
Associate Professor of Biology

Specialties:
  • Soil Ecology
  • Microbiology
  • Nematology
Contact:
(804) 287-6493
headshot of Dr. John  Vaughan
Teaching Faculty of Biology
Director of Pre-Health Education
Contact:
(804) 287-6484
Animal Care Specialist

Specialties:
  • Exotic Animals
  • Veterinary Medicine
  • Labratory Animal Science
  • Animal Welfare
Contact:
(804) 287-6509
headshot of Ms. Abigail  Whitford
Adjunct Instructor of Biology

Specialties:
  • Immunology
  • Virology
Contact:
headshot of Dr. Carrie  Wu
Associate Professor of Biology

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

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
Visiting Director of Biological Instruction
Contact:
(804) 287-6850

Emeriti Faculty

headshot of Dr. Rafael O. de Sá
Professor of Biology, Emeritus

Specialties:
  • Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity
  • Phylogenetic, Systematics, and Taxonomy
  • Developmental Biology
Contact:
headshot of Dr. Krista  Stenger
Associate Professor of Biology, Emerita

Specialties:
  • Cell and Molecular Biology
  • Immunology
  • Regulation of the inflammatory response/macrophage activity
Contact: