Seminars Fall 2026
The Department of Biology will hold online or in-person seminars during Fall 2026 semester. Seminars start at 4:00 pm unless otherwise stated. All in-person seminars are located in Life Sciences and Biotechnology 1006. Links for online-only seminars will be available in the “format” column below, or you can contact the host. Please contact Dr. Rebecca Asch, Seminar Committee chair, for details.
Seminar Schedule
| Date | Speaker | Speaker Affiliation | Format | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-Aug | Robert Driver | Duke University | On-site | Evolution and functional characterization of olfactory receptors in birds |
| 27-Aug | Xiaomei He Elizabeth Ables Rebecca Asch Heather Vance Chalcraft | ECU Biology | On-site | Biology Faculty Open Mic Session - from molecules to modern biology education |
| 3-Sep | Roger Pechous | ECU Dept. of Microbiology & Immunology, BSOM | On-site | Defining key mediators of the progression of primary pneumonic plague |
| 10-Sep | Allen Hurlbert | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill | On-site | Bugs on branches as canaries in the coal mine for global change |
| 17-Sep | Andy Read | Duke Marine Station | On-site | Unfathomable - ecology and behavior of the strange and wonderful goose-beaked whale off Cape Hatteras |
| 24-Sep | Jim Costa | Highland Biological Station | On-site | "Crushed under a mountain of facts" - Darwin, Wallace, and the Shaping of The Descent of Man |
| 1-Oct | ||||
| 8-Oct | Andrea Presotto | ECU Dept. of Earth, Environment, & Planning | On-site | How hunting changes animal navigation: implications for conservation |
| 15-Oct | Jon Sellars | ECU Pirate Alumni | On-site | Eye in the Sky: Emergency response in the digital age |
| 22-Oct | Benjamin Rice | Princeton University | On-site | Extreme weather and the ecology of human and wildlife disease |
| 29-Oct | JP Balmonte | Lehign University | On-site | Polar, Pressure, and Polymers: microbial structure and function in response to environmental and anthropogenic stimuli in coastal, high-latitude, and deep-sea settings |
| 5-Nov | Juliet Wong | Duke University | On-site | Biological responses of sea urchins to biotic and abiotic stressors |
| 12-Nov | Sean Charles | ECU Dept. of Biology | On-Site | Coastal wetlands in a changing world: Monitoring ecosystems in coastal North Carolina as climate change, conservation and development converge |
| 19-Nov | Joey Ruestle | Hampton University | Online | Big cities, small reefs? The ecology of impaired yet resilient urban oyster reefs |
ADA Accommodations
Individuals requesting accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should contact ECU’s ADA coordinator at least 48 hours prior to the event at 252-737-1018 or ada-coordinator@ecu.edu.