A message from Department Chairs, Markus Friedrich and Haidong Gu, January 2024
Dear BioRhythms reader,
This communication reached you later than you are used to, an interruption of our circannual biorhythm that is partly explained by a transition of leadership. After five years of guiding the department through exceptional challenges including a global pandemic, former Chair Vicky Meller and Associate Chair Dan Kashian stepped down from their administrative posts as announced in last year’s edition of the newsletter.
Dr. Meller is now reconnecting with the flies in her lab while Dr. Kashian serves as General Education Faculty Coordinator for the University, besides enjoying feedback on the fifth edition of “Forest Ecology” (Wiley) published in 2023, a classic text he curated as lead editor. The grateful heirs of their legacies include me, with a multifaceted background in the evolution of insect visual systems and our new Associate Chair, Dr. Haidong Gu, who studies the intricate mechanisms by which the Herpes simplex virus sabotages our immune response.
It is with a great sense of gratitude that we will continue the tradition of having a team with complementing experiences to approach challenges ahead, which include the COVID-19 incurred academic achievement lag, changes in the learning culture of the smartphone-accustomed Generation X in the freshmen classroom, the new opportunities and challenges that arrived with artificial intelligence in the form of ChatGPT, overdue repair of infrastructure in the Biological Sciences Building, and the sadly non-competitive stipend amounts for our graduate students. As if this wasn’t enough, an entire lab unit was destroyed by fire in the wee hours of Thanksgiving Day morning on Nov. 23.
Fortunately, not all is gloom. Our start of leadership coincided with the thrilling arrival of the first woman to lead Wayne State University, Dr. Kimberly Espy, marking a historic milestone and filling the campus with expectations about new initiatives to break ground. And indeed, in declaring a focus on mentoring students from “College to Careers,” Dr. Espy confirmed her dedication to leading an institution from the inside out.
It is with a great sense of gratitude that we will continue the tradition of having a team with complementing experiences to approach challenges ahead.
We are equally pleased to report the fact that Dr. Espy visited our department not only once since her arrival, but three times. Within the department, we can draw strength and inspiration from the continued breakthroughs and successes of our faculty and students, as this newsletter will provide ample testimony.
In addition, we are excited to introduce a new initiative meant to entice you to visit us soon. As a first step to forming ties with the abundance of biology-inspired works of art that surround us within walking distance, we entered an alliance with the historic Scarab Club of Detroit. If you ever wondered how a beetle could become a symbol in Egyptian mythology and iconic enough to be adopted by artists thousands of years later, check out “How the Scarab joined the Club,” or, even better, swing by on-site for a double dip of culture and science. We would love to host you. The tour will start in our refreshed lobby, where QR code-updated showcases inform visitors about important work in the department’s present and past.
Looking forward to seeing you in 2024,
Dr. Markus Friedrich, chair and Dr. Haidong Gu, associate chair