In May, we honored and recognized our outstanding undergraduate and graduate students at the Department of Biological Sciences’ 2026 Awards, Recognition and Appreciation Ceremony. We are so proud of all of our award winners. They all exemplify the very epitome of excellence — active in research, fully engaged in their learning, and giving back to their community.
Morgan Jacobellis will graduate this week with her M.S. in environmental toxicology. We asked her to reflect on her time here at Clemson in the Baldwin lab through a short Q & A.
Research?
This work leveraged biomonitoring data (ECHO-FGS) that associated a specific set of chemical mixtures in maternal serum with adverse birthweight in the children of those mothers. The mixtures consisted of different concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs): DDE, PCB153, BDE47, and PFOS.
We found that environmentally relevant concentrations of mixtures induce mitochondrial and catabolic pathway perturbations in a muscle cell model. Results suggest that mitochondrial perturbation and disruption to the AMPK pathway may be a mechanistic link between real-world exposure to POP mixtures leading to metabolic dysregulation relevant to adverse child health outcomes.
What’s next?
Consulting at ToxStrategies! I will be moving to Asheville, North Carolina!
What will you miss the most?
The Clemson Family. From day one, I was treated like I belonged, and that meant more than I can put into words. There really is something special in these hills. The people I’ve been lucky enough to meet along the way are what made this experience so meaningful. That’s something I’ll carry with me and be grateful for the rest of my life.
Advice for students?
Your peers are some of your best resources, and if you’re lucky, they will become your best friends. The moments you share over meals and laughter matter more than you think.
Memorable people
I really appreciate my committee, Dr. Bill Baldwin, Dr. Lisa Bain and Dr. Subham Dasgupta, and their impact on this experience. Having the privilege to talk through science and life with them added a lot of value to my growth as a scientist and as a person. I’m looking forward to keeping in touch with them.
Trevor Brewington will graduate this week with his M.S. in biological sciences. We asked Trevor to reflect on his time here at Clemson in the Blob lab through a short Q & A.
Research?
I studied comparative biomechanics and functional morphology. For my thesis I used polydactyl alligators as a model for early tetrapod locomotion. Late Devonian tetrapod lineages were noted to have more than five digits and since those lineages are extinct, alligators with polydactyl can act broadly as modern analogs to infer locomotor patterns and provide insights into evolutionary trends such as, why pentadactyly is the common condition among extant vertebrate lineages.
What’s next?
I will continue to study comparative biomechanics and functional morphology while attending the University of Tennessee, Knoxville for a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution starting in August 2026.
What will you miss the most?
I will definitely miss the community the most. I’ll miss chatting with people in the grad office or doing something on a random weekend like going to the rodeo with all these really cool people. The number one piece of community I’ll miss are my lab mates because it always felt like more than a workspace where we helped each other out, it was true friendship and I am going to miss those moments.
Memorable moment
For a selected topics course on comparative biomechanics, we were discussing the challenges of suction feeding on terrestrial environments compared to aquatic environments due to the differing fluid flows of air versus water. As an example, we were given the task to try consuming a Cheeto/Goldfish using suction feeding to observe why that is not an efficient method of feeding on land. Determined (and stubborn) to prove it was possible; I spent 30 minutes after class videoing multiple “trials” of myself trying to ingest Cheetos of varying sizes using suction feeding. Proud of this accomplishment I went up to my instructor’s office and in disbelief they watched how I successfully showcased terrestrial suction feeding which then led to us just laughing about how ridiculous the videos looked. Then Dr. Parkinson walked into the office with a university guest while I was showing more videos.
Proud moment
One of my first talks at a conference was at the Society for Vertebrate Paleontology. Paleontology is a bit outside of my usual field, but my thesis had elements that could really benefit from the perspective of the conference attendees while also strengthening a bridge between fields from some of my own input. The scientific society is international, so the conference’s venue was in the United Kingdom which required me to get my first passport for my first trip away from the states. With help from my advisor, I was in a different country, at a conference for a different field of study, and I gave one of what I think was one of the best first presentations one can give.
Ramses Alejandro Rosales Garcia will graduate this week with his Ph.D. in biological sciences. We asked Ramses to reflect on his time here at Clemson in the Parkinson lab through a short Q & A.
Research?
I studied venom evolution, focusing on how gene duplication helps to develop new phenotypes. I focused on the PLA2 toxin family in pitviper venom, as a strong neurotoxin encoded by two PLA2 genes shared among several pitviper species in the Americas and one species in Asia. I used a phylogenomic approach to study how the genes underlying this toxin arose and how the current pitvipers’ venom types evolved through the loss of these genes. We also found evidence of a second origin of one of the genes in the lineage of the horned Mexican pitvipers.
What’s next?
I will be taking a postdoctoral position in the lab of Marjorie Matocq at the University of Nevada, Reno. I will research how gene duplications enable woodrats to resist specific plant toxins in their diet and how this varies across populations.
What will you miss the most?
The people.
Advice for students?
Look for support in others, either for help on your program or to keep your mind healthy, it will help you to succeed.
Sophie Millard will graduate this week with her Ph.D. in microbiology. We asked her to reflect on her time here at Clemson in the Seekatz lab through a short Q & A.
Research?
My research looked at how the gut microbiome influences the success of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in clearing C. diff infection using different mouse models. We found that even when similar microbes are present, their activity differs depending on the recipient microbiome and determines whether the infection is cleared. Overall, this work showed that microbial function, not just composition, is important when evaluating the success of microbiome based treatments such as FMT.
What’s next?
I will continue as a postdoctoral fellow in the Seekatz lab while searching for industry positions as a microbiologist.
Advice for students?
Make sure to build relationships with those around you and don’t hesitate to ask for help. The people around you will shape your experience as much as the research itself.
Lessons learned?
Don’t get stuck waiting until you “know enough” to begin. Go ahead and try out an experiment even when it feels uncomfortable. Seek out advice to prepare but recognize that you’ll learn the most by doing, especially when things don’t go as planned.
Kelly Willemssens has been recognized with Clemson’s Global Classroom Teaching Award for her outstanding Education Abroad course in Costa Rica, BIOL 4490/4491 Field Ecology, which gives students the opportunity to experience science in a global context while conducting field-based learning.
Follow Willemssens and her students during their adventures in Costa Rica on Instagram —@EcoAbroadWithDrW — where she’ll share the science, the fieldwork, the behind-the-scenes chaos and the magic of learning ecology in the places that teach it best!
The Relentless Challenge grant will support Clemson University’s project, “Bridging STEM and Entrepreneurship: A Paired Course Model for Commercialization Readiness.” The initiative connects STEM and business students through a coordinated two-course sequence that takes ideas from scientific discovery through market validation, prototyping, and investor-ready pitches. By integrating experiential training, mentorship from industry and startup leaders, and direct connections to South Carolina’s innovation ecosystem, the program aims to help students translate research into high-impact, investable ventures and strengthen the state’s pipeline of commercialization-ready talent.
Jazmine Eccles-Miller will graduate this week with her Ph.D. in biological sciences. We asked her to reflect on her time here at Clemson in the Baldwin lab through a short Q & A.
Research?
I investigated the effects of dietary fatty acid derivatives and the environmental toxicant PFOS on metabolism, mainly focused on fatty liver and skeletal muscle metabolic effects.
What’s next?
Post-doctoral research position at University of Arkansas Fayetteville.
What will you miss the most?
All the wonderful friends I’ve made over the years.
Memorable person?
John Cummings, who was a major supporter of mine as soon as I arrived at Clemson and who I’ve had the pleasure of teaching with during my entire grad school career. I don’t think I could have made it through without him!
Proud moment?
Overall, the growth I was able to achieve with the support of my advisor Bill Baldwin. I have grown not only as a scientist but also as a person in my confidence, and his support in that means the world to me.
Twenty wonderful and inquisitive “plant” campers visited the Clemson Herbarium facilities this summer to learn more about how botanical science works and how plant collections support research and inform society. Herbarium curator Lorena Endara consulted on the curriculum, provided plant materials and opened the Herbarium for tours. Kudos to the Science Outreach Center that makes the Botanical Wonders camp possible!
Jennifer Apland (M ‘23 biological sciences) is now the collections coordinator at the Michigan State University Herbarium. Apland and associate professor Matt Koski recently published two studies showing that flowers with traits that help them thermoregulate have advantages over those that don’t when it comes to reproduction and ability to attract pollinators.
In this Functional Ecology blog post, Apland speaks to her love for plants and fascination with flower traits and pollination and reminds us to invest in our local communities – they can often lead us towards our calling!
Detailed findings on the floral shape and color study were published in the journal American Journal of Botany in an article titled, “Floral shape and color impact heat accumulation and thermal stability of the floral microenvironment in a subalpine meadow.”
The findings of the study on floral temperature and pollinator visits were published in the British Ecological Society journal “Functional Ecology in an article titled, “Isolating the effects of floral temperature on visitation and behavior of wild bee and fly pollinators.”
Clemson News article, “Plants with traits that help them thermoregulate have advantage in a warming world.”
