Skip to main content
Skip to main menu Skip to spotlight region Skip to secondary region Skip to UGA region Skip to Tertiary region Skip to Quaternary region Skip to unit footer

Slideshow

October 2019: Margot Popecki of Stanger-Hall Lab Receives Laerm Award

Margot Popecki is one of two recipients of the 2019 Joshua Laerm Academic Support Award for Graduate Students! Margot conducts her doctoral research under the direction of Dr. Kathrin Stanger-Hall, Department of Plant Biology, and Dr. John Wares, Department of Genetics. Margot will use Laerm funds to study the genetic basis for mating signals in big dipper fireflies (Photinus pyralis). Fireflies emit flashes of green or yellow bioluminescent light to attract mates. Her work combines field studies, genetic analysis, and bioinformatics to study how they produce and receive these visual signals. Firefly abundance is declining and this research may clarify the roles of ambient light and urbanization on firefly reproduction rates and migration patterns. Way to go, Margot!

Support us

We appreciate your financial support. Your gift is important to us and helps support critical opportunities for students and faculty alike, including lectures, travel support, and any number of educational events that augment the classroom experience. Click here to learn more about giving.

Give Now

Every dollar given has a direct impact upon our students and faculty.