Department of Biology

Farewell, congratulations, and best wishes!

Posted on August 4, 2022

The Department of Biology bids a bittersweet farewell to the following faculty and staff:

Dr. Bob Stavn – Dr. Stavn retired from UNCG after 44 years as a faculty member in the Department of Biology at UNCG.  Dr. Stavn will be an Emeritus Professor starting this fall. He is continuing his research at the U.S. Naval Research Station Research institute in the John C. Stennis Space Center, Mississippi. 

Dr. Bruce Kirchoff – Dr. Kirchoff retired from UNCG after 35 years as a faculty member in the Department of Biology at UNCG. Dr. Kirchoff will be an Emeritus Professor starting this fall at UNCG.  He has recently published a book titled “Presenting Science Concisely” based on his extensive knowledge and expertise in science communication.

Dr. Christina Moreira – Dr. Moreira retired from UNCG after 5 years of service as a faculty member in the Department of Biology at UNCG. A popular lecturer at UNCG, she will be missed by faculty, staff, and students, and we wish her all the happiness she deserves in her retirement.

Dr. Joseph Santin – Dr. Santin leaves UNCG to start a faculty position at University of Missouri, taking along his entire laboratory crew, Drs. Lara do Amaral Silva, Michael Gray, and Sandy Saunders, and recent MS graduate Nikolas Bueschke.

Dr. Tsz-Ki Martin Tsui – Dr. Tsui leaves UNCG to return to his country of origin, Hong Kong as a Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Dr. Han Li – Dr. Li, a long time Research Scientist and visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology takes a faculty position at University of Nebraska Omaha as an Assistant Professor.  He is an international expert on bat behavior and communication.

Dr. Rada Petric, a Biology BS, MS, and Ph.D. graduate, faculty lecturer, and Postdoctoral Scholar who worked closely with Drs. Matina Kalcounis Rueppell and Malcolm Schug takes a position at UNC Chapel Hill Institute for the Environment as the field director of Highlands Biological Station.

Dr. Seoghyun Kim, a Postdoctoral Research Scholar who worked closely with Dr. Akira Terui takes a position at University of Tennessee Knoxville as a postdoctoral research fellow focusing on how climate and landscape changes affect multiple species distributions.

Merideth Porter – Our Administrative Assistant for many years took a job in the UNCG Specialized Education Department as the Office Manager.