Raven Harrison ’23 dove right into her STEMM majors at Florida Southern College

Feb 1, 2023

Marine biology and biotechnology major Raven Harrison ’23 chose to leave her Gainesville, Fla. home to attend Florida Southern College because she wanted to attend a small college where she could have one-on-one interactions with professors.

Black women are underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine, and Math (STEMM), making Harrison’s double major in STEMM fields noteworthy. Both her majors require hands-on experience and FSC prides itself on experiential, engaged learning.

“FSC has given me a lot of opportunity to gain skills that I can fully utilize in my field,” Harrison said.

Her memberships in Rho Rho Rho (Tri-Rho), the marine biology honor society, and the Scientista Foundation, an organization for women in STEMM, are indicative of her desire to interact with others who are interested in marine biology and biotechnology as much as possible. Harrison’s interest in those two fields was piqued at an early age.

“When I was three years old, my mom took my sister and me to SeaWorld for the first time,” Harrison said. “We went to see the orca show ‘Believe.’ During the first half of the show, I saw the orca breach the water in all of its majesty and instantly fell in love with marine biology. Since then, my interest in the field has changed to be more elasmobranch (a subclass of Chondrichthyes or cartilaginous fish, including sharks, rays, skates, and sawfish) and microbe (organism that can be seen only through a microscope) based, which is how I chose my second major, biotechnology. I wanted to take more classes that were lab-based to help me learn more about microbiology.”

Raven and members of the executive board of the Black Student Union at Florida Southern College.

“This is the time in your life where you are free to genuinely explore who you are and what you value in your lifetime,” she said. “Don’t be scared to do something new or meet new people. You never know what those interactions will lead to, especially if you put your genuine self forward.”

She is an excellent example of a student who came to campus and got involved. She is the current president of BSU and the Vice-President of Tri-Rho. She lives on campus and is a Resident Advisor for one of the Star Apartments buildings.

Harrison is equally invested in preserving and sharing Black culture as she is in her STEMM pursuits. As the president of FSC’s BSU, she has spearheaded events and activities that focus on sharing Black History. After researching the Harlem Renaissance, she initiated a “modern Harlem renaissance” at the College. She brought the idea to highlight Black artists forward to the BSU executive board, and eventually organized and hosted two Harlem Renaissance events at the Polk Museum of Art in collaboration with Dr. H. Alexander Rich, Executive Director of the Polk Museum of Art and the George & Dorothy Forsythe Endowed Chair in Art History & Museum Studies.

“The reason I wanted to put on the Harlem Renaissance is to be able to highlight Black artist from all across our campus,” Harrison said. “More often than not, Black creatives aren't given their flowers until they are well into the grave and the BSU wanted to make sure the students and faculty would be able to get theirs now.”

Students from Florida Southern Start 2023 Off Right Presenting at The Society for Integrative & Comparative Biology Research Conference

Jan 19, 2023

by FSC Staff

More than 2,100 scientists from around the world gathered in Austin, Texas from January 3 – 7, 2023, to participate in The Society for Integrative & Comparative Biology (SICB) Research Conference.

Among them were five current marine biology students from Florida Southern College who shared their research findings completed under the guidance of Assistant Professor of Marine Biology, Dr. Jason Macrander.

As the SICB Student/Postdoctoral Affairs Committee chair, Dr. Macrander hosted the new student orientation, which was filled with jokes and icebreaker examples in hopes of putting first-time presenters at ease. As an organization SICB is incredibly welcoming to new and young scientists, which is why Dr. Macrander continues to bring students to the conference.

"Going to SICB and presenting in the poster session was an amazing opportunity to meet and interact with others in my field, both at and above my schooling level, as well as make connections for my future," Abiageal Ketchersid '23 said. "It also gave me the opportunity to gain experience presenting in front of larger groups."

Not only were FSC students able to share their exciting research results, but they used the research conference to make connections with other students, postdocs, and faculty through various social and networking activities.

"My favorite thing about attending SICB was being able to learn about a bunch of new research in a variety of fields," marine biology major Zaphillia Yost '24 said. "I attended a lot of talks related to fields I am already familiar with but some of my favorite talks were ones about topics that I am interested in but don't know a lot about."

Reef Safe Sunscreens

Sea Anemone Venom

Ketchersid and fellow marine biology major Sophi Brice '25 presented results from their previous summers research project entitled "What happens when you take the sting out of venom?" Their results demonstrated the ecological consequences following a genome rearrangement that resulted in the almost complete loss of a key venom component in the starlet sea anemone (Nematostella vectensis). Their research was made possible by the faculty-student collaborative research grant program provided by Florida Southern College.

"Attending the SICB conference this year was an invaluable experience that allowed me not only to learn about current research being done in the biology field, but also to present my own research poster and greatly strengthen my presentation skills in doing so," Brice said. "I also got to network with scientists at completely different career stages in their life, allowing me to explore career paths and job opportunities I may have never known about otherwise."

Within the realm of sea anemone venom, Dr. Macrander also presented ongoing research on behalf of 2022 FSC graduates Alyah Bennett, Katie Statile, Kerry Broderick, and Lanier Whitton. Their research focused on sea anemone venom and changes in venom repertoire among clownfish hosting sea anemones.

Abiageal Ketchersid and Sophi Brice present their research results.

Science Communication

The SICB Student/Postdoctoral Affairs Committee hosted a roundtable workshop on science communications strategies. As part of the workshop, marine biology major Rowan Marshall '23 volunteered advice on blog writing, general social media, and posting on TikTok. During the poster session, Marshall also presented science communications research on the impacts of SICB's associated journal blog posts. Her findings demonstrated that blog posts focusing on social topics had the highest viewership, supporting the concept that scientists care about social issues.

Rowan Marshall presents her research results.

"Going to the SICB conference was a really great experience that provided opportunities for networking and professional growth," Marshall said. "I was able to present my honors thesis research on science communication during a poster session, which was really fun. There isn't much prior research on science communication, so people were very excited to see what I had found in my results. I had a lot of engagement with my research and many people asked questions about my next steps and gave me ideas for how to move forward with the research. I also got to participate in a science communication workshop as a social media expert. This was really fun because I got to meet a wide variety of people and teach them about how they can use social media to find science communicators and to create their own scientific content. I really enjoyed getting to share my knowledge while also learning from the other scientists in the room."

Florida Southern College Medical Laboratory Sciences Program Earns National Accreditation

Jun 6, 2022

by Tangela Walker-Craft
Senior Writer

The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), the premier agency for the international accreditation and approval of educational programs in the clinical laboratory sciences and related health care disciplines, has fully accredited Florida Southern College’s Medical Laboratory Sciences program.

Florida Southern is one of only two private, not-for-profit institutions in Florida accredited by the NAACLS to offer the MLS degree. First introduced to FSC students in 2017, the MLS program earned accreditation in the first year it was eligible.
 

“We are so excited for this amazing achievement,” said Dr. Nancy Morvillo, Professor and Chair of the Department of Biology and Nelson C. White Chair in the Life Sciences. “Up to 70 percent of decisions about a patient’s health care are based on the laboratory tests done by MLS professionals. There is currently a huge shortage of MLS professionals, and the field is growing as more and more types of medical testing become available. NAACLS accreditation will greatly help attract students to our program and address this shortage, not only in Florida, but nationwide.”

Medical laboratory scientists work as detectives, investigating and working as vital members of a patient’s health care team to determine the cause of illness. They use the instrumentation to perform diagnostic analyses on patient samples and provide laboratory results to clinicians and commonly work in hospital clinical laboratories, commercial laboratories, pharmaceutical, chemical, or biotechnology companies, and in research and teaching institutions.

The Medical Laboratory Sciences program is part of the Healthcare Professional and STEM (HPSTEM) curriculum at Florida Southern. It is an allied health career opportunity for students interested in working in a clinical laboratory. The FSC Medical Laboratory Sciences program is a licensed training program by the state of Florida.

Unlike other clinical laboratory programs, Florida Southern offers MLS training as a four-year program leading to a Bachelor of Science degree. Students spend their first two years in small classes taught by FSC faculty, building an extensive foundation in the basic biological sciences. They take courses in anatomy and physiology, biology, biochemistry, chemistry, immunology, microbiology, and parasitology. After gaining advanced laboratory skills, students transition to Lakeland Reginal Health to complete their specialized medical laboratory courses, clinical internships, and a capstone course requiring an original research project.
“Smaller class sizes means that students have basically one-on-one interactions with the FSC faculty,” said Dr. Morvillo. “Our faculty get to know our students very well, so we can work with them and help them on their journey.”
  A four-year program provides FSC students the opportunity to pursue higher paying jobs and affords them more opportunities as they advance in the field. A Bachelor of Science degree allows them to continue their education in Master’s and Doctoral programs. That can be an avenue to continue on to medical school. There are many more options available with a four-year degree than with a two-year certification program. 

LRH approached FSC to start this program as they found MLS professionals with Bachelor’s degrees were better prepared for the lab, and had better analytical, critical thinking and communications skills than their counterparts who had not obtained a Bachelor’s degree.

“The FSC/LRH MLS program provided me with comprehensive classroom instruction and amazing hands-on experience in the laboratory,” Katherine Hall ’22 said. “The faculty and clinical instructors were always willing to help students and ensure our success. I am extremely proud to be a graduate from this program!”

The classes FSC students take at LRH are with outstanding FSC faculty who are practicing MLS professionals. Each of them has advanced degrees and certifications in their area. They work in the hospital lab facilities and are responsible not only for the extensive testing that occurs, but also for the management of the labs. FSC students get to work in the heart of these amazing facilities with outstanding professions. There are employment opportunities for current students in the LRH hospital labs, so students can work in the labs, gaining valuable experience, even before they complete the program. 

“The engaged learning in these classes allows students to work in laboratory settings, study real world examples, and understand the essentials in each of these disciplines,” Dr. Morvillo said. “Our faculty are well versed in these areas and dedicated to engaged learning.”

“The students work with the analytical instruments, quality control, maintenance, etc. They are exposed to new technologies and procedures before they start with their clinical rotations,” said Dr. Maridaliz Rodriguez Rosado, Ph.D, MLS(ASCP)CM, Education Specialist/Medical Laboratory Scientist Coordinator, and MLS Program Director. “In addition, they have the opportunity to work at the hospital as Laboratory Assistants, that helps them to have the skills in the pre-analytical area of the lab. That makes our program very promising in comparison with other institutions.”

Medical laboratories preferentially seek graduates of NAACLS programs to assure quality, value, innovation, and safety for healthcare consumers. Approval by the NAACLS requires external peer review in which the NAACLS grants public recognition to education programs that meet established education standards in the clinical laboratory science disciplines of Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS), among other clinical laboratory disciplines.

Human Anatomy & Physiology

After much anticipation, the house sorting is complete for the upcoming semesters Human Anatomy & Physiology 1’s lecture sections with Professor Tim Moore. Students completed a survey and from those results, were sorted into one of four houses for the entire semester. Students also received a custom sticker for their house commemorating the occasion.  The house options were as follows:

Each house is inspired by an organism and a scientist representing one of the organ systems covered in
A&P 1. These scientists are currently active in the research community and excelling, some even
becoming CEOs of their own companies! Their work includes new research on pain in the nervous
system, groundbreaking research on the evolution of limb development, harnessing a compound
discovered in molluscs to create a new line of bioskincare products for all skin types, and attempting to
revolutionize the treatment of bone injuries.
When reached for comment, student Linda Erlanson had this to say, “I like the house sorting process
and contest because it is a fun way to actively engage in class.” Additionally, Linda praised the
competitive aspect of the houses, saying it spoke to her own competitive nature. She also stated that it
was helping her practice active recall with the material that helped her identify troublesome areas when
studying.
Another student, Natalie Bauman, shared the following, “I think what Professor Moore did was original,
fun, and included a lot of thought on his part." Natalie enjoyed the sorting quiz (which was heavily
inspired by pop culture) and how it helped create groups with students of similar vibes. Like Linda,
Natalie also enjoys the competitive aspect and enjoys how it helps motivate the students to participate.
So what’s next for Linda, Natalie, and the rest of their peers? An intense semester-long competition to
earn the most points. There will be blood, sweat, and even some tears but come December… there will
only be one CHAMPION.
UPDATE: At the end of the W.O.M.B.A.T. 1 Exam Period, we have our first set of champions!
In the 001 section, House Tandon won a decisive victory against the others. Section 003 was much closer
and narrowly won by House Martin. Will these teams continue their success and win again during the
T.H.O.R. 2 Exam Period or will another house rise up and seize the victory? Only time will tell!

One of the first professors Harrison met when she came to FSC was Assistant Professor of Marine Biology Dr. Jason Macrander Ph.D., who has contributed to many of the positive experiences she has had on campus, from trips to the Florida Keys, to helping her with graduate school discussions, and the first ‘Pie Your Professor’ event hosted by the College’s Black Student Union (BSU).

Having the right support is important when there are imperceptible barriers in one’s academic and career paths.

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

This week we are getting to know Florida AFS Student Member, Catherine Fox, a little better! Catherine is a former Marine Biology & Environmental Science Student at Florida Southern College who has a serious passion for science!!! Also make sure to check out Catherine's recent blog "A Summer Spent Catching Sharks? Count Me In!" which details her summer research experience studying sharks in Florida!

https://flafsstudentsubunit.wordpress.com/

Now, let's get to know Catherine a little better!

1.) What is your favorite part about being a member of AFS?

Being a part of AFS has given me a wonderful opportunity to meet others in the field and feel supported by a large network of researchers with similar interests. Everyone I have met has been so friendly and helpful!

2.) Why did you choose to go into the aquatic sciences?

Having grown up near the beach, I’ve always been curious about the ocean and it’s inhabitants. This curiosity led me to follow my dreams of learning more about the ocean by getting my degree in Marine Biology and Environmental Sciences.

3.) What is your favorite fish? And why?

My favorite fish is the yellow headed jawfish!! They’re so cute, and I love that the males take care of the eggs for the females.

4.) What is a fact about yourself that others may find interesting?

I’m moving to South Korea in August to teach English for a year!

5.) What kind of music are you listening to while you're in the field/lab?

I listen to 80s rock!! It’s the one thing everyone agrees on :)

Developing Future Biologists

Florida Southern College Biology Professor Dr. Macrander Receives Grant to Research Florida’s Coral Reefs

Jun 29, 2022

Florida Southern College Assistant Professor of Marine Biology Dr. Jason Macrander, Ph.D. has been awarded a research grant by the "Protect Our Reefs" Program through Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium. The project is titled “Can Coral Venom Expression Predict Propagule Growth,” and is a collaborative research grant between Florida Southern College and the University of South Florida.

 
Florida Southern College will lead the research project, receiving two-thirds of the grant funds. The project involves opportunities shared between the two schools, specifically benefiting and involving two undergraduate students from each institution. Florida Southern students enrolled in their capstone research for fall and spring semesters in 2022-23 will collect genetic signatures of coral propagules in a high-food and low-food environment to determine the role venom may have on coral propagule health and long-term coral reef recovery efforts.
 
“The grant includes providing financial compensation for students as they are expected to contribute additional time outside of class to meet the project objectives,” Dr. Macrander said.
 
FSC student Rose Laconto ‘23 will be able to work with corals, but also gain new skills in genetic and bioinformatic analysis to meet the objectives of the proposed research. Laconto, who is from Oxford, Mass., is involved with the Tri-Rho Marine Biology Honors Society.
 
"I’m super excited to be learning more about coral biology through this project,” Laconto said. I’m hoping that our findings can really make a difference in restoration efforts!

 
Research will begin during the summer of 2022, with coral propagule growth analysis and tissue sample collections taking place in Tampa, with RNA extractions happening in Lakeland. In the fall, RNA samples will be shipped to an off-campus sequencing facility in New Jersey for comparative cnidarian RNA-sequencing analysis. Students will begin preliminary data analysis collaboratively between both institutions.

In January, the students will present their preliminary findings at the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) conference in Austin, Texas. Students will begin to finalize data analysis in the spring semester, with the results to be published in a peer review journal next summer.
 
The collaboration with USF is “essential to establishing connections among other institutions and provide opportunities for students to network and be exposed to new ideas and form collaborative research projects like this one,” Dr. Macrander said. “We have complementary skills to accomplish the goals of the grant, with a shared interest in coral reef restoration and coral biology.” 
  The project is one of the many examples of engaged learning opportunities afforded to FSC students. The multi-institutional collaboration will provide training opportunities for future coral reef restoration scientists. Macrander expects that this current grant will serve as a seed grant for a larger National Science Foundation (NSF) or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grant in the future.

  “The Mote grant is for one year; I anticipate our results will be published in a scientific journal summer 2023, with students taking lead author positions,” Dr. Macrander said. “A main focus is student training in this area as there is so much that needs to be done to restore our coral reefs.”
 
The grant is funded by the state of Florida through the Mote Marine Laboratory. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles sells vehicle specialty license plates for a variety of causes.

Biology Honors students spend their summer nights conducting behavioral research with owl monkeys

Florida Southern Student Dives Into Internship

Jun 27, 2022

Molly Kennedy ’25 is used to spending time in the water as a member of Florida Southern’s swim team but this summer she was in unfamiliar waters. The Marine Biology major and rising sophomore spent two months in Sodwana Bay, South Africa interning with Sharklife Conservancy. Established in 2005, Sharklife addresses the exploitation of both shark populations and ocean fisheries in South African waters. 

Sharklife’s three aims are to develop a compassionate desire to conserve sharks by removing the stigma, reduce anthropogenic threats to over exploited marine species by increasing awareness and encouraging sustainable seafood choices, and evolving shark populations into sustainable living resources by promoting educational ocean experiences for all South Africans. 

“We educate the public about real shark behavior and not what people assume sharks are,” Molly said. 

During her internship, Molly assisted in monitoring shark and marine animal movements by maintaining Baited Remote Underwater Video cameras and cataloging footage obtained from the BRUVs. 

She was also able to achieve her advanced Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) certification as part of the internship process. 

This was a unique and once in a lifetime experience, as Sharklife operates within a marine protected area, known as a sanctuary. Those involved in Sharklife are the only people allowed access to the protected area of the ocean. 

“It’s an extremely unique opportunity that allows me to gain field and data collection experience,” Molly said. “I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to get their foot in the door with shark research.”

It didn’t hurt that Molly was surrounded by a stunning location and wonderful people to do her internship with.

Although Sodwana Bay is a small town, the people Molly met there were one of her favorite parts of the overall experience. 

“Upon landing in Durban, I met people from all over the world who were all conservation minded and extremely smart,” she said. “They have taught me that no matter where we come from, that everyone has something in common that can lead to a beautiful conversation and potentially a friendship.”

Molly not only got to put her passion for marine biology to work, but witnessed marine life in a way most will not have a chance to in their lifetime. 

While diving she observed sharks, rays and a pod of humpback whales traversing the bay. Molly was also able to visit iSimangaliso Wetland Park and spend time with land creatures such as rhinos, elephants, hippos, giraffes and zebras.   

FSC Inspired Internship

  Molly credits Florida Southern academic advisor Dr. Gabriel Langford for helping her identify and pursue the incredible opportunity. 

“Dr. Langford asked me to look into summer opportunities/internships that were related to my major,” she said. “Naturally I wanted to find something that would have me doing hands on work in the field!”

When she found Sharklife, Molly felt like she hit the jackpot. The engaged learning opportunity was imperative to her education and something she could never have experienced in a classroom.   
“It allows aspiring marine biologists, or whatever major you want to be, to see what a day in the life really looks, feels, and, in the case of shark research, smells like – and spoiler alert: it’s sardines,” Molly said.

At Florida Southern we encourage you to be an active participant in your education by being involved with internships throughout the college experience. 

This was Molly’s first internship, and she even made the decision to extend her time in Sodwana because she was not ready for it to be over.

“Experience oriented internships are the best way for a student to test the water when they’re considering a career path; and can help them avoid getting stuck in a job that they don’t actually enjoy down the line,” Molly said. “I cannot encourage college students enough to take advantage of experienced based internships; there’s truly nothing else like it!”
 
Let’s Go Mocs!
 

Promoting Primate Conservation Across the Globe

One FSC faculty member is working to help local communities understand the importance of primate conservation through children’s books.

Dr. Christy Wolovich, Associate Professor of Biology, recently co-authored a children’s book about the ecology and conservation of the critically endangered Temminck’s red colobus monkeys in West Africa.  A GoFundMe campaign raised funds to print and ship the books to the Gambia, West Africa where a local non-profit organization, The Communities for Red Colobus Project (C4RC) has been using the books in schools around the country to sensitize children and their families to the need to protect these primates. 

Funding Grants Expand Research Capabilities of Florida Southern's Marine Biology Program

The Mosaic Company is partnering with Florida Southern College for the second time in two years to support the purchase of a shallow draft boat to be used by marine biology faculty and students to collect samples and conduct research in Tampa Bay and related water ways!

Marine Biology Research Grant to Fund Study of Environmental Impacts on Florida Stone Crabs

A grant sponsored by the Tampa Bay Environmental Restoration Fund (TBERF) will support important student/faculty research on Florida's stone crab fisher, to be conducted in summer 2021 by Florida Southern College's Department of Biology

FSC Marine Biology Students Participate In An International Conference

Students conducting research with Marine Biology professor Dr. Jason Macrander had the opportunity to participate in their first ever international conference at the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) meeting, which took place in Austin, Texas from January 3rd to January 7th, 2020. 

Macrander Lab Summer Research

What happens when you take the sting out of venom? Well, Assistant Professor of Marine Biology Jason Macrander and two undergraduate student researchers set out to explore just that as part of their Faculty-Student Collaborative research project this past summer. Sophomore Sophi Brice `25 and Rising Senior Abigail Ketchersid `23 ventured into the estuaries surrounding Marineland, Florida to capture the elusive starlet sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. This population is of particular importance as they had experienced a significant gene loss through genomic reshuffling, resulting in the nearly complete loss of an essential Nv1 venom gene. Although the species had been reported to be found there previously, Dr. Macrander and his long-term collaborators failed to recover any in the wild despite multiple sampling attempts. After surveying numerous mudflats and temporary ponds, Dr. Macrander and his students finally happened upon an isolated population, indicating that the species distribution did in fact reach this far south. Further evaluation in the lab indicated that the gene loss negatively influences the populations’ ability to capture prey and potentially defend against predators. Reflecting on the summer research experience Sophi Brice stated "I really enjoyed the connection between going out in the field and designing experiments in the lab.” Upon returning to campus for fall semester, the students have continued their research in this area by attempting to characterize toxin gene expression of the elusive Florida population. Dr. Macrander hopes that this research will gain insight into how complex venom cocktails evolve across taxa, and help scientists better understand consequences of genomic reshuffling resulting in toxin gene loss.

Past Events

Past Highlights

This spring Marine Biology and Environment Studies major Sophi Brice ('25) was awarded the NOAA Hollings Fellowship. 

April 18, 2023

By participating in the NOAA Hollings Fellowship, students like Sophi can gain the skills and knowledge needed to make a significant impact in environmental conservation. This program provides an excellent opportunity for students branch out beyond FSC to develop their leadership abilities and contribute to important environmental initiatives, while also building a strong foundation for future academic and career success.

Biology Department Intramural Soccer Spring 2023

April 19, 2023

Interested in joining Water Bear Don’t Care for future intramural competitions? Email the team captain, Dr. Durland (adurland@flsouthern.edu), or just stop by her office (PS 128). We would love to have you join us!