Professor of Biology Joseph Ayers is is participating in a collaborative research project on “Robobees,” which will artificially simulate the collective behavior and “intelligence” of a bee colony. The project will focus on the construction of small-scale flying devices, and cultivate new ideas regarding the creation of an electronic surrogate nervous system.

Professor Albert-László Barabási, a pioneer in the new branch of science called “network theory,” was featured in a documentary exploring the science behind the pop culture phenomenon “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.”  Barabási has garnered international attention for his research on cell-phone patterns and his complete mapping of the World Wide Web.

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Penny Beuning was a recipient of the prestigious Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation New Faculty Award. This award is given to faculty members who demonstrate the potential to produce an outstanding independent body of scientific scholarship that will make significant contributions to overall education in the chemical sciences.  Of late, Professor Beuning discovered a new and unique DNA binding property of a protein in E. coli.

Associate Professor of Biology Rebeca Rosengaus was honored at the White House as one of the nation's top young scientists. Dr. Rosengaus was recognized with a PECASE Award (Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers), the nation's highest honor for professionals at the beginning of their research careers.