COSAM Student Spotlight: Natalie Williams

"Dr. Mark Liles has taught me that many of our best choices and opportunities in life are the ones we may stumble upon. Take time to discern decisions, but don't discount an opportunity just because you didn't necessarily seek it out yourself. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone - that opportunity may change your life." 

Researchers switch off gene to switch on ultraviolet in butterfly wings

“It was remarkable that by using a combination of approaches in a single study, we could identify the gene that turns UV on/off in a common North American butterfly," said Brian Counterman, an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Sciences and Mathematics at Auburn University. “By understanding the evolution of butterfly wing patterns and using genetic tinkering with CRISPR, we changed the wing colors of a butterfly species commonly found in our own backyards.”

Fall 2021 Dean's List

"I am proud that 30 percent of all COSAM students were on the Fall 2021 Dean's List," said Robert Boyd, COSAM's Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. "What’s more impressive is that 67 percent of the Dean’s List student, a total of 458, had a perfect 4.0 GPA!"

Auburn graduate teaching assistant contributes to mathematics book chapter

Kim Holman, a graduate teaching assistant in Auburn University’s College of Sciences and Mathematics’ Department of Mathematics and Statistics, recently contributed the first chapter of the book “Practices and Policies: Advocating for Students of Color in Mathematics.”

A solution to dark matter: New evidence for hydrogen’s second flavour

Following on from his previous research, Professor Eugene Oks at Auburn University, Alabama, presents even further evidence that an explanation for dark matter could lie with a ‘second flavour’ of hydrogen atoms. This time, he analyses the results of an extensive survey of millions of galaxies to assess the characteristics of ‘gravitational lensing’: a light-bending effect, first predicted by Einstein. Again, his results uphold the idea that undetectable hydrogen atoms can at least partially explain the enigmatic source of mass, without any need to break with our current understanding of fundamental physics.

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COSAM Today is published by COSAM's Office of Communications and Marketing. Questions? Send an email to mcg0052@auburn.edu.