Department of Biology

Lester Newman Seminar Series

Welcome to the PSU Biology Department Lester Newman Seminar Series. Seminars are Mondays 4-5pm in SRTC Room 247.

Please see this spreadsheet for past and future seminar topics.

Spring 2026

DateSpeakerInstitutionTitleHost
3/30/2026Pietro D'AmelioReed CollegeDeciphering what Influences Competitive and Cooperative Social InteractionsRuedas
4/6/2026Alonso DelgadoHarvard UniversityDeep dive into Ancient Marine VenomsMasta
4/13/2026Johanna VarnerColorado Mesa UniversityBetween a Rock and a Hot Place: Pika Persistence at the Edge of Their RangeRuedas
4/20/2026Marshal HedinSan Diego State UniversityThe Natural History and Evolution of Trapdoor Spiders and RelativesRuedas
4/27/2026Sam Díaz-MuñozU.C. DavisThe Social Life of VirusesStedman
5/4/2026Heidi LiereLewis & Clark CollegeInsect community interactions and ecosystem services in urban community gardensMasta
5/11/2026John FrankLinfield CollegeEnhancing viral surveillance by studying the evolution of vertebrate sarbecovirus entry receptorsStedman
5/18/2026Michelle SheroWoods Hole InstituteAcoustic Sensory Ecology of Diving Alcid Seabirds and Potential Noise ImpactsBuckley
5/25/2026Memorial Day No Seminar 
6/1/2026Bret PaschUniversity of ArizonaOn the Biology and Fate of Endangered Mt. Graham Red Squirrels in a Changing ClimateRuedas

Winter 2026

DateSpeakerInstitutionTitleHost
1/5/2026Christopher MarxUniversity of IdahoRapid eco-evolutionary dynamics within closely related strains during community assembly.Thompson
1/12/2026Katrina GundlachPacific UniversityZooming in on Host-Microbe Interactions in the Squid–Vibrio SymbiosisThompson
1/19/2026
MLK Jr. Day 
(UNIVERSITY CLOSED)  
1/26/2026Alonso DelgadoHarvard UniversityDeep dive into Ancient Marine VenomsMasta
2/2/2026Carson HedbergBrown UniversityBridging Paleo and Conservation Ecology to Understand Human Impacts to Mammal DiversityRuedas
2/9/2026Thomas E. Lee, Jr.Abilene Christian UniversityBiogeography of the Mammals of EcuadorRuedas
2/16/2026Melissa WhitmanPortland State — SEESInvestigation of Rhododendron Flower Characteristics and Pollinator Biogeography Across a Tropical ArchipelagoReddy
2/23/2026Adrienne GodschalxLower Columbia CollegeMicrobiology Cultivates Food Security for Public & Planetary HealthReddy
3/2/2026Arthur Charles-OrszagU.C. DavisSubcellular organization in archaeaStedman
3/9/2026J. Jeffrey MorrisUniv of Alabama, BirminghamImpacts of Reactive oxygen species on marine ecosystemsThompson

Fall 2025

DateSpeakerInstitutionTitleHost
9/29/2025
No Seminar! BI Faculty/Student Welcome Reception
   
10/6/2025Verity MathisFlorida State UniversityBiodiversity of Pocket Gophers Revealed by Integrative StudiesRuedas
10/13/2025Edson AbreuAngelo State UniversityDocumentation and Description of Mammalian Diversity based on Field and Museum workRuedas
10/20/2025Jeremy CoateReed CollegeGene Specialization Following Whole Genome Duplications  Courcelle
10/27/2025Amy SchmidDuke UniversityRegulation of Extreme Stress Response in ArchaeaStedman
11/3/2025Kenneth StrothkampPSU Chemistry Ruedas
11/10/2025Katie EversonOregon State UniversityInsights on Species Diversification from Madagascar and BeyondRuedas
11/17/2025Margaret MetzLewis and Clark CollegeRegeneration of Biodiversity in the Pacific Northwest Old-Growth ForestsCourcelle
11/24/2025Glenna CliftonUniversity of PortlandNature's Machines: What we can learn from marching ants, grasping crabs, and paddling birdsRuedas
12/1/2025Tracy BurkhardLewis and Clark CollegeFrom Sexy Songs to City Living: The Evolution of Complex Behaviors in Wild MiceCourcelle