معرفی
Cassia Oliveira is a Professor of Biology and Associate Dean of Faculty at Lyon College, located in Batesville, Arkansas. She earned her B.S. and M.S. in Biology from São Paulo State University (Brazil), and her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arkansas. Her research focuses on evolutionary genetics, speciation mechanisms, and microbial diversity in extreme environments like Ozark caves. She has secured over $150,000 in grants from agencies including Arkansas INBRE and the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium.
Dr. Oliveira teaches courses ranging from introductory biology to advanced topics like Evolutionary Medicine and Genetics. She is committed to undergraduate research mentorship, having collaborated with over 20 student researchers on projects published in journals like BMC Evolutionary Biology and Agronomy. Her leadership roles include serving as Chair of the Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee and member of the Promotion and Tenure Committee.
- Awards: Arkansas Professor of the Year (2020), Lamar Williamson Prize for Faculty Excellence, and Lyon Football Honorary Captain (2022)
- Community Engagement: Former Kiwanis Club member, AARP presenter on Brazilian culture, and advocate for STEM education
- Key Research: Ozark cave microbiome studies, Drosophila speciation genetics, and agricultural genomics
Her work bridges laboratory research with field studies, emphasizing global biodiversity conservation and hands-on learning for students.
