Persistence and Pursuit “Countering biodiversity loss and speeding up the rate at which we catalogue new biodiversity relies on education, well-trained scientists and a commitment to fund this kind of research.” When associate professor of biology Brian Arbogast began his research on flying squirrels, he knew the results wouldn’t materialize overnight. Beginning his research as a Louisiana State University graduate student in the mid-1990s, Arbogast had to work another 20 years before finding what he was looking for. His patience paid off. Arbogast, in collaboration with a team of researchers including former UNCW graduate student Katelyn Schumacher ’12M, analyzed the DNA of 185 flying squirrels from across North America and verified that the northern flying squirrel is actually two distinct species. “We were finally able to show that the Pacific Coastal populations were not interbreeding or exchanging genes with the other populations of the northern flying squirrel, even where the two forms occurred together in the Pacific Northwest.” Arbogast said. “Those results were a ‘eureka-like’ moment. All of the pieces of the puzzle came together, and we finally realized that we were looking at a new species. We named it Humboldt’s flying squirrel in honor of the eminent naturalist Alexander von Humboldt.” – M.S.
She’s Got Game Rebekah Banks ’18 had no idea she was in the running for the Colonial Athletic Association Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award until the winner was announced. “We were on the bus to our first tournament game and my coach called me to the front and told me I had won,” she said. A 3.96 grade point average and seven appearances on the dean’s list helped the Durham native earn the prestigious accolade. She double-majored in economics and business administration with a minor in Spanish. When she wasn’t learning plays on the court, Banks was taking a closer look at the effects of corruption on economic development across the globe for her honors research project, working alongside her project advisors Adam Jones, associate professor of economics; Daniel Soques, assistant professor of economics; and Ethan Watson, assistant professor of finance. “I used data from upward of 200 countries to estimate whether or not economic development, as defined through health, education and income, increases or decreases based on increased corruption,” she said. Banks is the proud recipient of the following donor-funded scholarships: the Dr. Fred Eshleman SAA Scholarship Endowment; the Henry Alexander Martindale Merit Scholarship Endowment; and the James E.L. Wade Scholarship Endowment. – C.C.
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