Scholar Profile: Rachel Penczykowski
Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Rachel Penczykowski knew early on that she was drawn to science. Over time, her interest narrowed—first to biology, then ecology. One upper-level parasitology course changed her trajectory. A guest lecture on environmental conditions shaping host–parasite interactions was, as she describes it, a “life-changing light bulb moment.” In that lecture, she […]
Scholar Profile: Zach Zheng
Zack Zheng Scholar Profile Zhiling “Zach” Zheng is an assistant professor of chemistry and principal investigator of the Deep Synthesis Lab, a research team integrating AI with synthetic chemistry to accelerate the discovery of framework materials. Zheng’s interest in chemistry began early. As a middle school student, he was fascinated by crystallization – a process […]
Environmental Research & Creativity Week 2026
February 23-27, 2026 Environmental Research and Creativity Week 2026 was the culmination of months of hard work and collaboration with all of our partners. The week was a vibrant showcase of our community’s ingenuity and collaboration that sparked connections that will last well beyond the event. Across five days, the week featured fifteen events, highlighted […]