Vice Provost for Academic Personnel Appointed from the Biological Sciences School

Dr. Diane O’Dowd has accepted the position of Vice Provost for Academic Personnel, effective October 1, 2014.   Dr. O’Dowd has provided exemplary leadership and service to the Biological Sciences School as the chair of the Department of Developmental and Cell Biology. Her research in neuroscience, as well as her nationally-recognized work researching and improving science education, have earned her numerous honors including the highly prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Professor award.

Chair Transition in Developmental and Cell Biology

Dr. Thomas Schilling has been selected as the new chair of the Department of Developmental and Cell Biology effective September 1, 2014.  A faculty member at UCI since 1998, Dr. Schilling is an active participant in a number of Biological Sciences School centers and professional associations, including the Society for Developmental Biology and the Society for Craniofacial Genetics and Developmental Biology. His research focuses on developmental genetics of the skeleton and nervous system using zebrafish as a model system.

New Director of the Center for Neurological Learning and Memory

Dr. John Guzowski was appointed as the new Director of the Center for Neurological Learning and Memory effective July 1, 2014, succeeding outgoing director Dr. Craig Stark.  An Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Behavior, Dr. Guzowski holds the James L. McGaugh Endowed Chair in the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory.  He previously served as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Neurobiology of Learning and Memory.  His laboratory focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in cognition and memory storage in the mammalian brain, including research into the role that certain genes play in stabilizing neural networks that encode long-term memories.  Congratulations to Dr. Guzowski on his appointment as Director of the CNLM.