Paiton Funderburk, who majors in Biology at Winthrop University, conducted an ecological research on
the woodland box turtles on the Catawba Indian Reservation where she lives. Paiton
presented her research at the Catawba Internship Symposium on August 10th and received
the first place price with a $500 scholarship.
Winthrop University President Edward A. Serna (pictured) spoke at a memorial reception
for Luckett V. Davis, Ph.D., former Chair of the Department of Biology, held in the
atrium of Dalton Hall on August 14, 2023. The gathering was organized by the Winthrop
Foundation; the Louise Pettus Archives prepared an extensive display of materials
on boxing history that Dr. Davis donated to their collection. Retired former colleagues,
former students, and current faculty and staff gathered to remember Dr. Davis, a faculty
member from 1964 to 1998, and chair of the Biology Department for 21 years, who passed
away December 1, 2022.
Winthrop University President - Edward A.Serna, Ed.D.
Emerita Faculty - Paula Mitchell, Ph.D.
In addition to President Serna, others who provided remembrances of Dr. Davis were
former Chairs Dwight Dimaculangan, Ph.D. (pictured) and Jim Johnston, Ph.D., CAS Dean
Takita Sumter, Ph.D. (pictured), former student and close friend Lyle Back, and several
emerita faculty including Janice Chism, Ph.D., Paula Mitchell, Ph.D., and William
Rogers, Ph.D. In addition to his donations to the Archives, Dr. Davis contributed
extensively during his lifetime to fund the Luckett Davis Biology Endowment, which
provides support for undergraduate and graduate research and travel, and provided
a generous bequest to the Winthrop Foundation. Photo credits: Brittany Pigford, Louise
Pettus Archives.
Former Department of Biology Chair - Dwight D. Dimaculangan, Ph.D.
Dean of The College of Arts & Sciences - Takita F. Sumter, Ph.D
Paiton Funderburk, who graduated from Winthrop University last year, won a People’s Choice Award for
her poster at the 2024 Native American Fish & Wildlife Society Annual National Conference held last weekend. She did turtle research on her Catawba Indian Reservation last
year and presented her findings at this national conference.
On April 12, students from across the campus presented their research at Winthrop’s
annual Showcase of Undergraduate Research & Creative Endeavors (SOURCE). Several Biology majors won awards for their posters, including Jessica Morgan (Best in SOURCE, mentored by Victoria Frost, Ph.D.) and Lannea Brown and Melanie Williams (Best in Science and Mathematics, mentored by Daniel Stovall, Ph.D.). Lidia Peralta and Alexis Atkinson (also mentored by Victoria Frost, Ph.D.) won runner-up for their poster in Science
and Mathematics.
Dwight D. Dimaculangan, Ph.D. - Final BIOL480 Class
After 30 years of remarkable service to the Winthrop University Biology Department,
Dwight D. Dimaculangan, Ph.D. will be retiring at the end of the Spring 2024 semester.
Dr. DImaculangan has marked this momemtus occasion with a picture of his BIOL480 for
the last time.
Michelle Aguilar-Gaspar & Ryan Harris were awardedthe coveted Sullivan Foundation Awards
The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation sponsors the presentation of the two awards to seniors from college campuses in the
Southeast and recognizes individuals who demonstrate noble character and who act as
humble servants.
Michelle Aguilar-Gaspar, a senior from Georgetown, South Carolina, was presented the Mary Mildred Sullivan
Award. Involved in the TRiO academic booster program for several years, she has shown
a commitment to service that can be seen in her desire to mentor and tutor students.
Staff members said she approaches each student with kindness and tries to find ways
to adapt to their needs and learning styles. As a McNair Scholar, she wants to conduct
research in the STEM field and plans to pursue a Ph.D. to work in cancer research.
She also was instrumental in starting the Latinos Unidos student organization on campus
late in her academic career and wanted to provide a safe space for this community.
Ryan Harris, a Rock Hill native who is working on a biology major with a minor in educational
studies, was presented the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. Active in many areas on
campus, he serves as a biology department ambassador and participated in the Korean
Wave Association and Tri Beta. He volunteered on campus as an Orientation Leader,
a Student Orientation Coordinator, was a Council of Student Leaders member and an
Admissions Assistant. Harris worked hard to create a welcoming environment for prospective
students and their families with his calm, kind and thoughtful demeanor.
The Finding Your Future program is a 4-week intensive shadowing experience at the University of South Carolina
School of Medicine to help students plan for careers in medicine. The Winthrop University
students selected for the 2024 Finding Your Future program are Jamia White and Lannea Brown. This was a particularly competitive year with many excellent students applying for
the program. The committee made its decision based on the strengths of the overall
submissions that included academic performance, previous medical/research experiences,
and personal statements.
