Peters finds active learning engages biology students of every career path
John Peters, assistant professor of biology, published "Getting students excited about introductory biology" in ASBMB Today.
BMB Seminar Series
The BMB Seminar series features presentations by students in the Senior Seminar course. Current students are actively conducting research with BMB faculty and will showcase their research experiences and findings at these Tuesday seminars.
Our seminar series has wrapped up for the spring semester. We hope to update the fall 2026 schedule in early summer.
Annual Giving Day
April 8-9!
Your support provides invaluable resources to give students the opportunity to study life processes at the molecular level and gain an understanding of biological organisms from a chemical and physical basis.
Congrats 2026 BMB Award Winner
- Cole Memorial Scholarship Award: Nandita Hareesh
- Clarence Denoon Award: Chris Carr
- BMB Sophomore Research Award: Alice Wu, Julian Burke
- BMB Junior Research Award: Luke Surrusco, Rain Tela
- BMB Senior Service Award: Remi Graff
- BMB Senior Research Award: Aine Macdermott, Gavin Clausen, Julia Krichev
- BMB Senior Academic Award: Lily Strauss
- American Chemical Society Division of Biochemistry and Chemical Biology Undergraduate Award: Zack Ruighaver
- David C. Evans for Outstanding Scholarship Award: Phoebe Rubio
- Most Outstanding Senior BMB Major Award: Phoebe Rubio
Congrats to all BMB majors, award winners, and graduating seniors!
Gottwald Science Center
The Gottwald Center for the Sciences is the home of the biology, chemistry and physics departments.
With 22 teaching laboratories and 50 student-faculty research laboratories, the space includes lab facilities for organic chemistry, biochemistry and neuroscience; a quantitative science center; a nuclear magnetic resonance center; and a digital biological imaging center.
Chemists in the Kitchen!
In the latest episode, Julie Pollock, associate professor of the chemistry, and colleagues from other institutions test which method is best — deep fry, air fry, or pan fry. Dr. Pollock leads a lab that studies breast cancer and inflammatory disease development and progression.
"Chemists in the Kitchen" is a YouTube series by the National Academy of Science that follows a rotating cast of chemists who cook, experiment, and tinker with all types of recipes and ingredients.
Dr. Pollock was also featured on the Quick Pickles and Fermentation episode.
Upcoming Events
Faculty Highlights
Carpenter-Swanson and students publish on how zebrafish models uncover hidden comorbidities in pediatric epilepsy
Colleen Carpenter-Swanson, assistant professor of biology, published “Employing zebrafish to understand genetic drivers of epilepsy-related comorbid behaviors” in Frontiers in Pharmacology along with Kharma Hall, '24, and Olivia Beatty, '24.
Peters publishes on ChatGPT performance and life sciences assessment design
John Peters, assistant professor of biology, published "Designing life science assessments in the era of generative artificial intelligence" in PLOS ONE.
Parish publishes on unusual bonding in cage-like silicon containing molecules
Carol Parish, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Chair in Chemistry, published “Instability of Octahedral Symmetry in Si8O12H8 and Ge8O12H8: Consequence of the Pseudo-Jahn-Teller Effect” in the Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials.
Feature Stories
UR Now: Research & Innovation
Students have front-row access to scientific discovery at University of Richmond
At the end of the spring semester, students observed sea urchins alongside an unexpected lab partner, Provost Joan Saab.
UR Now: University News
Volunteers dig in for a more sustainable future at the University of Richmond
Students and other community members come together to plant a farmette in the Eco-Corridor.
Student Scholars
Eight University of Richmond Students Awarded Gilman Scholarships to Study Abroad
Eight University of Richmond students have been offered Gilman Scholarships to support their study abroad experiences.
UR Now: UNIVERSITY NEWS
University of Richmond student embraces roles as patient, advocate, and researcher
Senior Paxton Mills receives prestigious Susan Skinner Scholarship for spotlighting bleeding disorders like her own.
Resources
Contact Us
Mailing address:
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gottwald Center for the Sciences
138 UR Drive
University of Richmond, VA 23173
Program Coordinator: Dr. Julie Pollock
Academic Administrative Specialist: Emily Phaup
Follow us on Instagram urichmondbmb