From: Ada Maxwell Date: March 18 Subject: Biology Department Newsletter - March 2026
March Newsletter!
This is a packed one! Jump to Field Notes to learn about a new Biology course for Fall 2026. There are tons of things to do in the Events section, from Women in STEM Trivia to the City Nature Challenge hosted by the National Aquarium. Club Corner is our newest newsletter section. Core Club has updates! And finally, there are great internship and abroad opportunities in this issue. Does researching turtles on Poplar Island sound cool to you? Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom!
Do you have something you'd like featured in our newsletter? Please email me at amaxwell2@loyola.edu
BL200: New Professional Development in Biology Course Available in Fall 2026
Check out the new BL200 Professional Development in Biology when you sign up for fall classes! This 1 credit course offers biology majors and biology interdisciplinary majors the opportunity to explore career possibilities in the field and the requirements needed to follow these career paths. The course will include information on a diverse array of career paths as well as practical guidance on taking the necessary steps to prepare for each, including preparation of application materials such as a resume/CV. Additionally, the course will include guest speakers offering insight into their unique career paths.
The Details:
Fall 2026
Mondays, 6-7pm
1 credit
Pass/Fail
Biohealth Major Accepts Prestigous Johnson & Johnson Internship
Junior Biohealth major, Nina Francois-Saint-Cyr, is one of 30 interns selected out of 8,000 applicants for the 2026 Johnson & Johnson Oncology Clinal Scientist Summer Internship in Philadelphia, PA.
As an intern Francois-Saint-Cyr will contribute to Cross-Functional Trial Team (CFTT) activities, including but not limited to developing the clinical trial protocol, clinical trial materials, literature searches and review, medical review of trial data, coordinating completion of clinical study reports and providing support (as needed) for preparation of relevant documents for regulatory filings. She will have one primary research project and may have additional assigned projects as determined by the mentor and team.
Francois-Saint-Cyr, who is also a business minor, is the first student from Loyola University Maryland to be selected for the program.
Congratulations Nina!
New Clinical Orthopedics & Rehabilitation Education Student-led Group
Students pursuing careers in physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, or orthopedics are invited to join CORE (Clinical Orthopedics & Rehabilitation Education)—a new student-led organization dedicated to helping members explore and achieve their professional goals in these fields.
CORE plans to offer informational sessions on graduate and professional programs, host career talks with local practitioners, and provide guidance on securing valuable clinical and hands-on experience.
University of Kentucky MS in Forensics Toxicology and Analytical Genetics
University of Kentucky Master’s in Forensic Toxicology & Analytical Genetics program is a professional degree program, which educates and prepares students to enter the workforce as working professionals
No GRE requirement
This program has 2 concentration focuses:
Forensic Toxicology/Chemistry
Forensic/Analytical Genetics
The program curriculum contains two internships, which will provide our students with hand-on experiences necessary to exit the program and be competitive in the job market
Graduates are competitive for workforce deployment in the areas of:
Drug Testing and Analysis
DNA/ Genetic Testing & Analysis
Forensic Governmental Divisions
Hospital Clinical Labs
Cancer Genetics
Genealogy
Crime Laboratories
Research and Developmental Laboratories
Tuition for this program is assessed at a special tuition rate for all students (in- and out-of-state), which represents a significant savings for out-of-state students
Application Deadline: Applications received before April 1, 2026 will receive priority consideration. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, meaning, once you submit your application we will review it within a few weeks and let you know a decision shortly after.
The Maryland Stream Restoration Association is hosting a Stream Restoration Seminar & Job Fair at the University of Maryland on Saturday, April 11th (9:00 AM - 2:00 PM). With the implementation of the Chesapeake Bay TMDL, the stream and ecological restoration industry is hard at work planning, assessing, designing, constructing, and monitoring projects to restore our streams and watersheds. With this increase in work, the demand for smart, trained, and technologically savvy college graduates has never been higher across the industry. The MSRA has hosted this event for several years now and every year several college graduates have found positions with some of the industry leading companies that attend the event.
The MSRA Sring 2026 Stream Restoration Seminar and Job Fair will consist of presentation from a diverse group of speakers from the Stream Restoration industry within the state of Maryland, and a job Fair focused on Stream Restoration internships and entry level positions.
Please join the Biology Department for a dinner event featuring industry speaker Eric Hamrock, co-founder of StoCastic. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the Biohealth major, network with classmates, and gain insights from a professional in the field. You are invited to bring a friend interested in Biohealth (a plus one or two).
Please join the Biology Department for a dinner event featuring industry speaker Eric Hamrock, co-founder of StoCastic. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the Biohealth major, network with classmates, and gain insights from a professional in the field. You are invited to bring a friend interested in Biohealth (a plus one or two).
You’re invited to Women in STEM Trivia sponsored by the Clare Boothe Luce Program.
Please join us at 3:30 PM on March 31st on the 3rd floor of Donnelly for snacks and networking as your form your trivia team.
Teams may have up to 6 people, and we’ll start trivia after 4. All trivia will be related to women and other underrepresented groups in STEM. Interdisciplinary teams are encouraged.
We will have prizes for the winning team(s) in addition to the bragging rights. See you March 31!
City Nature Challenge with the National Aquarium - April 24-27th
The City Nature Challenge is a collaborative effort involving cities all over the world to identify as many wildlife species as possible in their urban setting over a 4-day period using theiNaturalist platform. The National Aquarium is the regional coordinator for the City Nature Challenge for the Baltimore Metropolitan Area, and we are inviting you and your organization to promote and participate in this exciting challenge.
The 2026 challenge takes place from Friday, April 24th through Monday, April 27th. With Loyola and the help of many other organizations, and over 800 volunteers, last year Baltimore had more than 12,000 observations of more than 1,800 species! You can check out some of the observations from last year in the infographic below. This year we are looking to build on that success.
Lily Pacheco & Anabela Martins, CORE Club Co-Presidents
We successfully hosted 2 tabling sessions last week, during which we challenged the Loyola community to participate in hands-on tasks used in rehabilitation. Through this tabling, we connected with students on a personal level, answered questions about the club, and promoted a fun learning environment we expect in our meetings.
We will be introducing the club through a deeper lens to any Loyola student who wants to learn more! We are excited to welcome and get to know new members to this club, explain our values and goals, and answer any questions that you may have. The Kickoff meeting will be held this Wednesday, March 18th, from 6:00-7:00 PM in Beatty 108.
If you are unable to attend but still want to be a member, please join us on the bridge or reach out to lmpacheco@loyola.edu and amartins2@loyola.edu to get the recap of the meeting!
The summer 2026 community engaged intern will engage with scientific research and storytelling about the Baltimore Harbor environment. Using data and expert knowledge from scientists studying this area, and working in collaboration with science communicators, the intern will develop several web-based communications products informing general audiences about this unique environment. The intern will also collect and interpret videographic data from invertebrate community substrates deployed in the Baltimore Harbor as part of an international marine biodiversity project. While working on these projects, the intern will have opportunities to participate in professional development and networking activities. The intern will be based at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology in Baltimore, with occasional visits to Maryland Sea Grant in College Park.
Program Duration: June 1-August 7, 2026 Deadline: Monday, March 30, 2026
The Spatial Ecology and Conservation Lab at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) is seeking a field assistant starting May 2026. The field assistant will support multiple components of a research project that examines the responses of the diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) population to an active island restoration project.
The Paul S. Sarbanes Ecosystem Restoration Project at Poplar Island (Poplar Island) presents a unique opportunity to understand how large-scale ecological restoration projects affect terrapin populations. The two focal components of the project are (1) evaluating the current terrapin population on Poplar Island and how the population responds as the Poplar Island’s restoration progresses, and available habitat increases and (2) continue the Terrapin Education and Research Partnership (TERP), which places hatchlings into local classrooms and evaluate the success of released hatchlings into the population.
The intern will support the project by participating in field work including (1) field capture and release of diamondback terrapins using fyke nets and modified crab traps, (2) marking individual captured terrapins using Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags and collecting morphometric data on adult and hatchling terrapins (3) conducting terrapin nest surveys, protecting intact nests and collecting emerged hatchlings and (4) capturing eastern kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getula), eastern rat snakes (Pantherophis alleghaniensis), eastern mud turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum) and common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) when encountered and collecting morphometric data including marking with PIT tags. Other responsibilities may include organizing and cleaning gear for field work, entering data and working with volunteers or other interns, and communicating project activities.
The field assistant will have the opportunity to develop a broader understanding of diamondback terrapin ecology and conservation, obtain field experience working on a long-term monitoring project, learn about research design and methods for ecological data collection, gain hand on experience handling reptiles.
We are seeking applicants with some (but not necessarily all) of the following:
Bachelor's degree or current undergraduate in ecology, environmental science, wildlife biology or related field
Experience with fieldwork, in hot, humid conditions with biting insects
Experience in data management (collecting, recording, entering, organizing)
Experience in capturing and handling reptiles
Written and verbal communication skills
Ability to work independently
Ability to work as part of a team
Compensation: $700/week Program Duration: 16 weeks Deadline: April 3, 2026, but will continue to receive applications until the position is filled.
A mutually agreeable start date will be determined with the selected applicant. We anticipate a start date in early May 2025. This will be an in-person internship with field work taking place on Poplar Island, Maryland. The candidate will be transported via boat to Poplar Island from Tilghman Island. The candidate will need own transportation to and from the boat and will need to find housing within the Easton, St. Michaels, Tilghman Island areas. A stipend up to $1,000 per month will be available to offset housing cost.
To apply, please email a resume that highlights relevant experiences to Patricia Levasseur (levasseurp@si.edu).
Study, snorkel, and scuba dive on the Caribbean coral reef or study, hike, and camp in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Learn in-demand skills and scientific research methods while immersed in an incredible ecosystem setting.
Caribbean program duration: May 20-June 9, 2026
Colorado program duration: June 19-July 9, 2026 or July 17-August 6, 2026
