Rollins

Albrecht ’69 Pledges $858,929 for Student-Faculty Biology Research

September 28, 2020

By Rob Humphreys ’16MBA

Rollins’ Student-Faculty Collaborative Scholarship Program has been engaging our industrious students and inventive faculty in original scholarly research for more than 20 years. Photo by Scott Cook.Photo by Scott Cook.

Gene Albrecht ’69 has made a planned gift to Rollins to establish an endowed fund for the College’s esteemed Student-Faculty Collaborative Scholarship Program.


Dr. Gene H. Albrecht ’69 has made plans in his estate to provide over $850,000 to establish the Gene Albrecht Endowed Student-Faculty Collaborative Research Fund in Organismal Biology.

Albrecht is a retired professor emeritus of cell and neurobiology at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, where he served from 1978 until his retirement in 2016. His research examined why primates’ anatomy varies across different habitats, as well as the quantitative methods used for analyzing data in evolutionary studies.

At Rollins, Albrecht majored in biology and was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon. He credits Professor Emeritus of Chemistry Erich Blossey, “a tough but effective teacher,” for piquing his interest in organic chemistry. In 1976, Albrecht earned his PhD in anatomy at the University of Chicago under the supervision of Professor Charles Oxnard.

“I always contributed to Rollins because I was on scholarship and wanted to give back,” says Albrecht. “And now, through a legacy gift, I can support students with a drive to excel in biological research.”

The Student-Faculty Collaborative Scholarship Program is a hallmark of a Rollins education, offering undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in high-level scholarly research and scholarship that is typically only available at the graduate-school level.


Read More

March 27, 2024

Rollins Inducts 24 New Members of Phi Beta Kappa

On March 19, the Rollins chapter of Phi Beta Kappa—known as Theta Chapter of Florida—inducted its third class of members.

March 27, 2024

Florida's Chaplain Bill Addressed

Kathryn Norsworthy, a professor in the Rollins graduate counseling program, weighs in on a bill that would allow chaplains to serve as school guidance counselors.

March 21, 2024

Walking Tour Celebrates Mister Rogers

Jo Marie Hebeler, associate director of External Relations, discusses the annual five-stop self-guided Mister Rogers Walking Tour that honors Rollins’ most famous alumnus, Fred Rogers.