September 18-19, 2026
Alumni Center, Florida State University
Organizers:
Scott Stagg (co-chair), Beth Stroupe (co-chair), Kenneth Taylor, Hank Bass, and Douglas Storace.
Featured Speakers:
David Veesler (Washington University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute),
Jochen Zimmer (University of Virginia and Howard Hughes Medical Institute),
Melody Campbell (Washington University),
Tessa Burch-Smith (Donald Danforth Plant Science Center),
Laura Ann Metkas (Purdue University).
Description:
The Department of Biological Science is pleased to host the fourth Fowler Symposium to highlight recent advancements in Biological Imaging Across Scales. This year’s program will explore innovative approaches to multi-scaled biological imaging, including integrative applications of cellular cryo-EM with correlated light microscopy, atomic-resolution cryo-EM studies of viruses and chemoreceptors, and advanced light microscopy techniques for visualizing plant organelles. Together, these sessions highlight the rapidly evolving tools transforming how we observe life at every level.
The Fowler Chair in Biological Science was established in 2006 through a generous bequest from Frank and Yolande Fowler, honoring their longstanding connections to Tallahassee and the Florida State University Department of Biological Science.
Yolande Jaquelin Fowler was born near the end of World War I in a small French village. Following World War II, she married Frank Fowler, an American working for International Harvester. His work took the couple to Africa and later to Paris. They relocated to the United States in the late 1940s, settling in Tallahassee several years later.
During their time in Tallahassee, the Fowlers developed close relationships with members of the Florida State University faculty that fostered a deep interest in the university’s academic mission. Following Frank’s passing in 1983, Yolande cultivated their shared commitment to supporting scientific research and ultimately established a charitable bequest to the Department of Biological Science, creating the Fowler Chair.