David Morrison, a highly successful researcher and policy analyst, who is currently a foreign service officer with the U.S. Department of State, will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology (GDCB) at a ceremony on Thursday, October 21, 2021, in Ames. The award recognizes outstanding alumni from the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State.

David Morrison, a highly successful researcher and policy analyst, who is currently a foreign service officer with the U.S. Department of State, will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology (GDCB) at a ceremony on Thursday, October 21, 2021, in Ames. The award recognizes outstanding alumni from the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State.

Three students affiliated with genetics, development and cell biology (GDCB) received Graduate College Teaching Excellence (TEX) awards in spring 2021: Mark Bouska, Hao Jiang and Yosia Mugume.

Mark Bouska
Mark Bouska, a molecular, cellular and developmental biology major, received a TEX nomination from his major professor, GDCB Assistant Professor Hua Bai.

Dior Kelley, genetics, development and cell biology assistant professor, and Olga Zabotina, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology professor,  are exploring fundamental, yet-unanswered questions about how hormones regulate cell wall properties during plant development with support from a new National Science Foundation grant. In the process, they plan to engage college students and foster an appreciation for plants among Iowa’s youngest learners.

Learn more about their research in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences article, "The root of the matter: National Science Foundation supports plant development research, learning opportunities."

Raquel Espin Palazon, genetics, development and cell biology assistant professor, will receive $381,385 over three years from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust of Muscatine, Iowa, to support research that could contribute to fundamental knowledge and treatment of blood disorders, including leukemia, anemia and hemoglobinopathies.

In an Iowa State University Foundation article, "Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust supports Iowa State University research related to blood disorders such as leukemia."

“This gift will provide me with the necessary resources needed to identify new genes essential for the generation of blood stem cells," Espin Palazon said. I feel that this knowledge will one day make it possible to generate patient-specific blood stem cells for the cure of many blood diseases.”