SOLS Magazine

Now, more than ever, critical conservation issues must not be viewed through a singular lens. Rather, they must be approached jointly through the dedicated and concerted efforts of researchers, policy makers, global treaties, economic changes, educational opportunities, sustainability practices and more. At ASU’s School of Life Sciences, innovative efforts to address these issues at the intersection of science and society are well underway.

Generations of researchers at Arizona State University’s School of Life Sciences have been seeking answers and making discoveries for decades. As those findings are shared with others, we hope to inspire future generations in their quest for knowledge. Take a deeper look into some of our exciting research stories in the Spring/Summer 2015 issue.

American author Bryant H. McGill said, “Curiosity is one of the great secrets of happiness.” Certainly this must be true, as curiosity, along with unending determination and the thrill of finding an answer, has spurred some of the world’s most important discoveries about life. Join us as we explore "natural curiosity" in the Summer 2014 edition of SOLS magazine.

New discoveries, technologies and ideas often stem from looking at problem in a new light. Students and faculty in the School of Life Sciences are doing just that. Join us as we explore "inspiring visions" in the Spring 2013 edition of SOLS magazine.

Delving into nature’s mysteries comes naturally to students and faculty at Arizona State University’s School of Life Sciences (SOLS). Learn the secrets of biomimicry, disappearing rabbits, and "alien" plant species, in this classic thriller.

A new director in SOLS ushers in this "Green" issue of SOLS magazine. Join us as our SOLS grads take us to thermals in China, with the great bustard; follow the road less traveled in search of the last Grizzly in California and meet scientists and teachers who are driving research and discovery in biofuels, natural sunscreens, novel food crops and unfurling a greener future for the generation coming up.

In this issue of SOLS Magazine, we invite you to share a journey of discovery. Sit in on an advanced bee course and wield a smoker in a colony of Africanized honey bees. Climb from a bus with high school students questing for science careers. Come as we meet Life, hands-on with our alumni, students, staff and faculty.

This issue of the School of Life Sciences Magazine looks at the pioneering work being done in biomedicine and biotechnology by our alumni, faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students. Come see how we are working toward solutions to meet the challenges ahead in human rights, global health, education, sustainability and understanding our origins.

Did you know that School of Life Sciences’ faculty, students, alumni, and emeriti are conducting research on all seven continents and across the oceans? Their bold ideas are bringing about fundamental change and meaningful partnerships globally. Come with us as we travel from Gabon to China to Costa Rica working with communities, advancing education, informing policy and opening new vistas in aging and emergent disease, sustainability, evolution, biodiversity, and understanding ancient earth, here-and-now cooperation, and our future life on planet Earth.

The heart of SOLS is its people. With more than 600 faculty and staff and nearly two thousand undergraduate students, life sciences takes a lesson from ecosystems: that collaborative relationships connect and propel us all forward in our research, careers, and self-discovery. So come with us on a collective journey as we build an arboretum, imagine organisms from space, develop an entomology course, create a dog show star, and celebrate marriages, anniversaries, creative partnerships, and who and what we love in life.

As you can tell from our cover, finding ways to communicate is essential in our ever–changing, fast-paced world. Comic books traditionally delve into the world of superheroes and fantasy, but we increasingly see the boundaries between science fact and fantasy shift as what was once extraordinary becomes a commonplace foundation fueling the next breakthrough. Open the cover and see how differences in media and technology offer new tools to educate students and examine science.

We invite you to ring in spring with our newest issue about new research that is blooming in School of Life Sciences and how our students and alumni have contributed to their communities, locally and worldwide. Come globetrot with alumnus Gary Jahn, see how Emeritus professor Winifred Doane promotes science in Arizona, and look over our graduate students’ shoulders as they help shape learning experiences for children in public school and undergraduates at ASU. Review how assistant professors Stephen Pratt and Shelley Haydel open our eyes to the fantastic on earth.

We have a new look! We hope that you like where we are headed with our graphics and our stories. In these next two issues of the SOLS Newsletter, we introduce a section that highlights faculty whose creative lives extend from and are partnered with their artistic endeavors. We hope that you enjoy reading how the students, faculty and staff of the School of Life Sciences, along with our alumni and emeriti are engaged in innovation, creation, and discovery that will shed light on the mysteries and wonders of our shared life on Earth.

School of Life Sciences was formed by the consolidation of three academic departments, Biology, Plant Biology and Microbiology, with the objective of generating a core structure that would facilitate interdisciplinary interactions within Life Sciences for teaching, research and outreach. (Newsletter format)

It’s arrived. The first issue of the SOLS Newsletter is here and ready for your viewing. You can click on the link below to grab your own PDF copy of the newsletter. Share it with colleages, and alumni by sending the link to this page or the PDF file as an attachment. We hope you enjoy the first issue and we welcome your comments for future issues. For questions or comments, please contact the Managing Editor, listed below. (Premiere Issue Fall 2005, newsletter format)