Anna Burke ('16) earned the Frank G. Brooks Award for Excellence in Student Research presented by the North Central District of the Beta Beta Beta National Biological Honor Society.

Tim Johnson, Seed Savers seed bank manager, will discuss the biology of seeds, seed storage, a brief history of agriculture and the cultural practice of seed saving as the first step toward agriculture in the lecture "Garden Hackers, Rogue Biologists, and Agricultural Anarchists:  The Biology and Culture of Seed Saving" at 9:40 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, in Valders Hall of Science, Room 206 on the Luther College campus.

Michael Sorenson, a 1984 Luther grad and Biology major, will be the speaker for the 43rd Annual Sherman Hoslett Memorial Lecture on Saturday, October 11th.

Amy Morey, Luther College class of 2006, was awarded the 2014 Monsanto Research Grant Award. The research grant provides funds to outstanding Entomological Society of America student members who are undertaking research projects.

Wind energy is becoming a prominent feature of both economic and visual landscapes across the United States. Wind turbines, like the one here in Decorah, are a sustainable energy resource, and help keep our air clean by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But what effects do they have on the local wildlife, and how can any threats be minimized?

In June, four Luther biology students competed in a college quiz-bowl type of contest known as the Linnaean Games during the North Central Branch meetings of the Entomological Society of America.

The biology department has routinely been burning the prairies for more than 20 years and this year is no different.

Luther College senior Katrina Okerstrom from Decorah, Iowa, was awarded a $30,000 graduate fellowship from the R.J. McElroy Trust.

Luther associate professor of biology Beth Lynch, was awarded a $4,980 grant from the Iowa Science Foundation in August 2013. The grant is allowing her to document the occurrences of rare plant species and habitats in Iowa to better observe the impacts of ongoing environmental changes, including invasive plant species, deer herbivory and climate change on rare plant taxa and communities.

Luther College recently installed Kirk Larsen, Luther professor of biology, as the Russel R. Rulon Endowed Chair in Biology.

Forty-second Annual Sherman Hoslett Homecoming Lecture

Luther College will host the 14th Iowa Prairie Conference with the theme "Prairies on the Edge" July 18-20. This is the first time the conference, which moves to different sites in Iowa, will be held in northeast Iowa. The conference is open to anyone interested in prairies and is attended by a broad mix of prairie enthusiasts, educators, students, researchers and land managers.