The Department of Environmental Science & Policy is unquestionably enriched with Dr. Cassill’s scientific wisdom. Aside from holding a doctorate in biology and boasting more than a decade’s worth of experience, the professor has done extensive research on fire ants and pest management, written a myriad of scholarly papers as a result, received almost $25,000 in grants for various research projects, won a handful of distinguished awards, and appeared in numerous noteworthy science publications. Despite her star status in the world of science, Dr. Cassill is a down-to-earth, energetic and engaging professor. As clichéd as it sounds, she really does make learning fun — she has a natural ability to translate ideas and information without losing her students’ attention, and spices up typically tedious data with hands-on labs, field trips to nearby parks and a genuine enthusiasm for what she’s doing.
This article appears in Sep 14-20, 2005.