Category: Natural Sciences

Stories about UCCS LAS Natural Science topics.

LAS Faculty Receive CRCW Seed Grants

LAS faculty several natural and social science departments were recently awarded funding from the UCCS Committee on Research & Creative Works (CRCW):

Christine Biermann, Geography and Environmental Studies
& Emily Mooney, Biology
Tracking Change in the Mountains: Alpine Insects and Treeline Ecosystems as Indicators of Climatic Shifts

Justin Cole, Mathematics
Approximation of Topological Insulators in Photonic Lattices

Elizabeth Daniels, Psychology
Social Media and Sexualization among Adolescent Girls from Diverse Backgrounds

Dylan Harris, Geography and Environmental Studies
Seeing the Changing Climate in Changing Cultures in Georgia & Colorado

Karin Larkin, Anthropology
Chasing the Cure: Archaeology and Material Culture of the Navajo Era of Cragmor Sanatorium

Diana Selmeczy, Psychology
The Development of Adaptive Help-Seeking in Children

LAS Faculty Participate in Town Hall to Confront Anti-Asian Stereotypes and Violence

Stephen Cho Suh, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Women’s and Ethnic Studies, Sandy Ho, Assistant Dean & Director of Student Affairs, College of Education Assistant Professor attendant rank of Languages & Cultures, Yang Wei, Associate Professor of History, and George Bayuga, Instructor of Anthropology took part in the town hall. Learn more by reading the recent article in the Communique, written by Mark Belcher. You can also watch a recording of the town hall.

Faculty Research Spotlight: Dr. Escasa-Dorne of Anthropology

Michelle Escasa-Dorne

Dr. Michelle Escasa-Dorne, Associate Professor of Anthropology, was an author on the following recent publication: Swami, V., Escasa-Dorne, M. et al. (2020). The Breast Size Satisfaction Survey (BSSS): Breast Size Dissatisfaction and its Antecedents and Outcomes in Women from 40 Nations. Body Image, 32:199-217. Keep reading to learn more about this study.

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Research of Tara Cepon-Robins from Anthropology Featured in High Impact Outlets

Tara Cepon-Robins

The research of Dr. Tara Cepon-Robins, Associate Professor of Anthropology, was recently published in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), and also featured in the journal Science. Dr. Cepon-Robins’s scientific article in PNAS, “Pathogen disgust sensitivity protects against infection in a high pathogen environment,” was described for a broader audience in Science: “Disgusted by spoiled food? You may be protecting yourself from disease,” by Ann Gibbons. This research was also featured recently in the UCCS Communique in an article written by Anna Squires: “Cepon-Robins: A healthy sense of disgust can keep you from getting sick.”

New Staff Members in LAS

Beckie Munoz, Chemistry/Biochemistry
Rosy Mora de Mondragon, Biology

LAS recently hired 2 Finance and Business Professionals. Beckie Munoz replaces Tish Fleener, who recently retired, in the Chemistry/Biochemistry department. Rosy Mora de Mondragon replaces Ruth Jackson, who retired, in the Biology department.

Keep reading to learn more about our newest staff members Beckie and Rosy…

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Geography & Environmental Studies (GES) Faculty: Making Local and Global Impacts

Irina Kopteva

Dr. Irina Kopteva, Assistant Professor of Research in GES, received an award from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Western Region program. In partnership with the Douglas County School District, Dr. Kopteva will work on the project entitled Remote Teaching of Earth and Environmental Science with Primary Sources. The project team will address challenges of distance education during pandemic and will develop curriculum that connects social studies and science with the use of primary sources. The curriculum will be presented to high school environmental science teachers at the professional development online workshops. 

David Havlick

Dr. David Havlick, Professor of GES, will be giving a talk at a UN conference in December. He will be speaking during the “Diverse approaches to harmony with nature in the context of peace making in borderlands” session of the Development, Environment and Peace Nexus (DEEPEN): Peace Making In Borderlands international conference in Cheorwon, South Korea. For more information see the conference website.

The Chemistry of Whiskey Revisited: Janel Owens on CU On The Air

Janel Owens

Last year the LAS New Feed featured Janel Owens, Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Chemistry & Biochemistry, and her research on the chemistry of whiskey: “Live Better with Science: The Chemistry of Whiskey”

This year, CU On the Air interviewed, and toasted, Dr. Owens: “Sláinte! We Toast UCCS Professor Janel Owens’ Whiskey Research”

LAS Faculty in the Communique: Making an Impact

Dr. Stephany Rose Spaulding, Women’s & Ethnic Studies

The faculty of the College of Letters, Arts & Sciences continue to make an impact through their research, creative works, teaching and service, activities. Three of our faculty members were recently highlighted in the Communique. Click the links for each story to read more.

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Chemistry/Biochemistry Faculty Member Receives Federal Funding for Project

Dr. Andy Klocko

Dr. Andy Klocko, Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, just received notification that his grant proposal to the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS, an institute within the National Institutes of Health, NIH) was successful. The award for the project, entitled “Genome topology in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa: organizing factors and impact on genome function,” is for $420,000 over 3 years. This competitive award was funded through the R15 AREA (Research Enhancement Award) mechanism; from the NIH website: The R15 mechanism “supports small-scale research projects at educational institutions that provide baccalaureate or advanced degrees for a significant number of the Nation’s research scientists but that have not been major recipients of NIH support.”

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