Mangum Distinguished Speakers & Fellows
The legacy of Charlotte Mangum, a distinguished biology professor who taught at William & Mary for over three decades (1964-1998), lives on through three vital academic initiatives: the Charlotte Preston Mangum Prize for outstanding senior research, the annual Mangum Lecture series, and the Mangum Fellows program.
Established through the generosity of devoted alumni, these programs honor Professor Mangum's extraordinary commitment to student research and mentorship. The Mangum Fellows program, launched in 2025, supports promising students during the pivotal summer between their junior and senior years, continuing Professor Mangum's tradition of nurturing the next generation of scientists.
Below, you'll find a comprehensive listing of Mangum Speakers who have delivered our annual lecture series, along with our distinguished Mangum Fellows. Each speaker and fellow represents the academic excellence and research innovation that Professor Mangum championed throughout her career at William & Mary.
2025
The 2025 Mangum Lecture featured Dr. Christopher Lowe, a distinguished professor of biology from Stanford University's School of Humanities and Sciences. Dr. Lowe's expertise lies in the evolution of development in marine invertebrate animals. We are also proud to celebrate our inaugural cohort of Mangum Fellows: Grace Hussey '26, who studies embryonic nervous system development in African clawed frogs in the Developmental Biology Lab; Macie McGraw '26; Jenna Jablonski '26; Elisabeth Fink '26; and Rebecca Zheleznyak '26, who contributes to the William & Mary iGEM team. These exceptional students embody the spirit of academic excellence and research innovation that the Mangum program seeks to foster.
2024
Mangum Speaker Dr. Sönke Johnsen, the Ida Stephens Owens Distinguished Professor of Biology at Duke University, is a renowned expert in visual ecology and marine biology. Dr. Johnsen's pioneering research explores how marine organisms interact with light in the open ocean, combining mathematical analyses with behavioral and morphological studies. His innovative work bridges the fields of biology, physics, and mathematics to understand vision and camouflage in marine environments.
2023
Mangum Speaker Dr. Sheila Patek, Professor of Biology at Duke University, is a pioneering researcher in evolutionary biomechanics. Dr. Patek's groundbreaking work examines the dynamic relationship between evolutionary processes and organismal mechanics, with particular focus on ultra-fast movements in marine creatures. Her innovative research on mantis shrimp and other organisms has revealed remarkable insights into nature's fastest movements, earning her prestigious recognition including a Guggenheim Fellowship. The Patek Lab's work bridges the fields of biology, physics, and engineering to understand how organisms achieve extraordinary feats of speed and power.