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Sara Isgate, a first-year Ph.D. student in the Indiana University Bloomington Department of Biology, has been awarded the 2024-25 Holland Fellowship. She is focusing on behavior within the Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior (EEB) program as a member of the Rosvall lab.
Isgate grew up in Ringtown, a small borough in the coal region of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. She earned her bachelor's degree in 2016 from Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania, where she dual-majored in digital media and biopsychology, concentrating on evolution and animal behavior. Her senior honors thesis, supervised by Dr. Justin Couchman in the psychology department, investigated how breed and pose influence the perceived personality traits of shelter dogs.
Recently, Isgate completed her master’s degree in wildlife and fisheries science at Penn State University, with a minor in forestry. Under the guidance of Dr. Jason Keagy in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, she wrote a thesis examining the effects of anthropogenic noise on learning performance and reproductive success in cavity nesting birds.
Growing up in a rural area surrounded by domestic and wild animals sparked Isgate’s interest in the impact of humans on animal behavior and welfare. This curiosity evolved into a research question during her time at Albright, where she studied human-animal interactions in domestic dogs. Following her graduation, she gained experience at the Byrnes-Vassoler lab at Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, where she explored reward-seeking behavior in rodent models using molecular neuroscience and operant conditioning techniques. During this period, Isgate also volunteered for wildlife conservation initiatives, including Connecticut’s Osprey Nation and the wildlife rehabilitation team at Cummings School. These experiences deepened her understanding of the challenges wild animals face in the Anthropocene and the role humans can play in addressing these issues.
At Penn State, Isgate began investigating innovation potential and cognitive performance in wild birds. Now at IU, she is eager to study the intersection of animal behavior, physiology, and anthropogenic interference in wild tree swallows exposed to heat stress.
Isgate chose IU for its strong research credentials and welcoming atmosphere. She was particularly impressed by Kim Rosvall’s enthusiasm for her research ideas and the hospitality shown by Rosvall's students during her initial visit. Isgate looks forward to integrating her diverse interests in cognitive psychology, conservation biology, and molecular neuroscience within IU’s emphasis on interdisciplinary science.
Endocrinologist James Holland earned over two dozen teaching and service awards during his 31-year career at IU. Among his many awards, he received the Student Choice Award for Outstanding Faculty, the Herman B Wells Lifetime Achievement Award, Indiana University Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching Award, the President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching, and the Chancellor’s Medallion for his “transcendent service to the Bloomington campus.” Between 1979 and 1998, Professor Holland was also a seven-time recipient of the Senior Class Award for Teaching Excellence in Biology and Dedication to Undergraduates, an award voted on by senior biology majors.
He worked tirelessly to address the needs of minority students on the Bloomington campus. Professor Holland joined forces with Professor Herman Hudson to found the Minority Achievers Program and the Mathematics and Science Scholarship Program. The programs were renamed in 2003 to honor the efforts of these two men: MAP became the Herman C. Hudson Scholars Program, and MASS is now the James P. Holland Scholars Program. Holland worked with other biology staff members to create the Summer Enrichment Program, which was designed to interest Indiana minority high school students in science by bringing them to campus for classes and hands-on laboratory experience. He led the program, which was renamed in his honor in 2000, from its inception. Prior to his death in 1998, a one-time-only minority fellowship was created in Holland’s name. This award was used as the model for the endowed fellowship that exists today.
The fellowship is not open for applications; the award is presented to a first-year Ph.D. student from a group that is underrepresented in the life sciences. Holland was a champion for minority students in science and believed that advanced degrees were crucial to their success. The fellowship provides the tuition, stipend, and health insurance for the selected student.
The James Holland Graduate Fellowship in Biology was established in honor of one of Indiana University’s most beloved professors. The late Jim Holland was a mentor and role model for all students throughout his more than 30 years of service to IU.
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