KU Mammalogy trains next generation of "full stack" biologists

A Hub of Discovery 

LAWRENCE - In the Spring 2024 issue of KU Giving magazine, Jocelyn Colella, Robert W. and Geraldine Wilson Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and curator of mammalogy at the KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, discusses the benefits of offering "full stack" biology experiences to students looking to have dynamic, modern careers in biological science. The Colella Lab combines elements of museum collections with molecular biology, fieldwork and computer science to help students develop career-relevant skill sets.

Intergenerational interactions among students, faculty, collaborators and community members on campus and in the field sets the Colella Lab apart, and takes students across Kansas and around the world to participate in cutting-edge molecular research.

Colella is a collections-based evolutionary biologist and is actively mentoring several students working in her lab, including Ben Wiens (EEB PhD Candidate), Catherine Dhority (MUSE MA Graduate Student), Alex Hey (EEB MA Graduate Student), Xavier Murray (EEB Undergraduate), Bailey Dixon (BioGEMs Postbaccalaureate Scholar), Priscilla Muñoz (KU Undergraduate Emerging Scholar) and Daniel Ibañez IV (EEB MA Graduate Student). Learn more about Mammalogy students' research and experiences working in the Colella Lab in the latest issue of KU Giving magazine.

To support mammal research, visit kuendowment.org/colella to designate a gift to Mammalogy (12550), or contact Curator of Mammals, Jocelyn Colella, at colella@ku.edu or contact Michael Arp, AVP, Development at 785-832-7410 or marp@ku.endowment.org.