FACULTY BRIEFS

Sarah Sell

DEEP SEA EXPLORATION LEADS TO DISCOVERY OF NEW SPECIES OF SQUID

After teaching biology for nearly three decades, Heather Judkins still gets excited about conducting field research. An associate professor of Integrative Biology, Judkins is part of a team of scientists who participate in research cruises in the Gulf of Mexico.

The five-year research initiative is conducted by the Deep-Pelagic Nekton Dynamics (DEEPEND) Consortium, which consists of 47 scientists from 11 universities and research organizations across the country. The goal is to identify and quantify long-term trends in fishes, crustaceans and cephalopods, such as squid, in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that occurred in 2010.

“For me to be able to bring in deepsea specimens, stories and data that we have collected and then use them for my undergraduate and graduate students is amazing. I feel fortunate that I can share the experiences with them because I am still naturally excited about it,” Judkins said.

The team has discovered three new species of squid, and a fourth is currently in review at the Bulletin of Marine Science.

In addition to discovering new species, the DEEPEND team continues to gather important data on marine life in the Gulf that they hope to publish shortly.

POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR NAMED DUCKWALL PROFESSOR OF FLORIDA STUDIES

For the first time in its 25-year history at the St. Petersburg campus, a political science professor has been named the Duckwall Professor of Florida Studies. The newest recipient for the 2022-2024 academic years is Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan, an associate professor in political science, a Fulbright Scholar and founding director of the Center for Civic Engagement.

“This provides our Florida Studies students with the opportunity not just to follow Florida politics and campaigns in the media but to have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the scholarly literature, to conduct research related to Florida politics, to travel to Tallahassee and other field trips, to interact with Florida legislators and policymakers, and to intern on Florida campaigns and government offices,” Scourfield McLauchlan said.

NEW JOHN HOPE FRANKLIN PROFESSOR USES ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES TO TEACH HISTORY

Erin Stewart Mauldin, an associate history professor who uses the lens of the environmental sciences to examine the major issues of the 19th century in the American South, has been named the John Hope Franklin Professor of Southern History.

“It is an honor, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to hold this position,” said Mauldin, who has been teaching at USF’s St. Petersburg campus since 2018. “The professorship will allow me to further conduct research, especially archival research, into this vital period of history where race, equality and the environment intersect. It will also provide the resources to bring speakers to campus, host events and hopefully bring together history students from across all of USF.”

The professorship will aid Mauldin’s research into her next book project, which chronicles the rise of extractive industries in southern cities after the Civil War. The book will investigate how industrial pollution, from waste to air quality, drove residential segregation, forcing many minority and working-class populations to disproportionately bare the environmental and health risks of industrialization.

UNCOVERING HOW BEER INFLUENCED THE WORLD

A new book written by USF anthropology professor John Arthur traces the deep history of beer and its start in ancient civilizations.

In his book, “Beer: A Global Journey through the Past and Present,” Arthur sheds light on the drinks’ historical impact while showing readers how the innovation of ancient brewers inspires today’s booming craft beer industry. The book, which is published by Oxford University Press, presents beer through archaeological and historical contexts, documenting how beer factors into societies’ health, economy, religion and technological development.

Arthur’s inspiration came from his own travels around the world, where he saw evidence of beer production during a research trip to Southern Ethiopia to study the relationship between pottery and food.

“I asked them what was going on; why was the pot completely eroded on the inside? They would always say that the beer was eating the pot,” Arthur said. “The lactic acid in the beer eroded the ceramic material, which became a tell-tale sign of beer production in the archaeological record. We can go to archaeological sites and see the same use-wear and erosion on these ancient pots.”