Congratulations to Vincent A. Connors, Ph.D., professor of Biology at USC Upstate, who received the 2016 Commemorative Medal of the Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice December 14, 2016.

Professor RNDr. Pavol Sovák, Rector of the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, presented Connors with the award for his contributions to science and education at the university during the completion of his sabbatical stay.

Connors traveled to the Slovak Republic during the fall to teach graduate seminars and classes in Symbiosis and Parasitism at Pavel Jozef Safarik University in Kosice. He also conducted research on fish parasitic diseases at the Slovak Academy of Science’s Institute of Parasitology, also in Kosice. His teaching and research focused on parasitic diseases of humans and wildlife, both of which are extensions of his long-term studies of a wide range of parasites, ranging from a deadly human pathogen to parasites that effect the performance and health of economically important fish along the East coast.

Connors was named the 2015-2016 recipient of the USC Upstate Annual Award for Faculty Excellence in Scholarly and/ or Creative Pursuits. His scholarly focus is on immunobiology, with special emphasis on host-parasite relationships. His research holds significant potential for advancing studies in human parasitology and also contributes to our knowledge of the natural environment of coastal South Carolina. Based on an invaluable body of data collected over decades of meticulous fieldwork, Connor’s interpretations and analytical insights have contributed greatly to complex, large-scale studies that monitor the vitality of our regional ecosystem.

Congratulations to Vince Connors on his most recent publications, presentations and lectures. Connors also was recognized as a Fulbright Scholar and for Excellence in Scholarly/ Creative Pursuits.

Recent Publication:

Taliercio, M. A., T. L. Darden, V. A. Connors, W. A. Roumillat, I. de Buron. 2016. Striped Bass, Morone saxatilis: A New Host for a Parasite of Potential Public Health Concern. Comparative Parasitology. 83(1):29-35.

Recent Presentations of Research:

Kristina M. Hill-Spanik, Isaure de Buron, Vincent A. Connors, Mary Frances Babrowicz, and William A. Roumillat. 2015. Donax variabilis: a vector for a digenean of the Florida Pompano, Trachinus carolinus. Presented at the 90^th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Parasitologists, June 6-10, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A.

 Recent Invited Lectures and Research Seminars Presented (5 total):

Invertebrate immunity and precursors to the vertebrate immune system. Univerzity veterinárskeho lekárstva a farmácie v Košiciach, Slovakia (University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Slovakia). November 24, 2016.

The World is Flat: That’s why I study snails. Department of Biology, Univerzita Pavla Jozefa Safarika V Kosiciach, Kosice, Slovakia, November 9, 2016.

Parasite impacts on hosts: beyond pathophysioloy. Department of Biology, Univerzita Pavla Jozefa Safarika V Kosiciach, Kosice, Slovakia, November 3, 2016.

Factors involved in modulating the host’s immune response in the schistosome-snail interaction. Parazitologický ústav SAV, Košice, Slovensko (Institute of Parasitology, SAS, Košice, Slovak Republic). October 24, 2016

The evolution of the immune system – how certain invertebrates respond to pathogens. Department of Biology, Univerzita Pavla Jozefa Safarika V Kosiciach, Kosice, Slovakia, September 28, 2016.

Publishing Do’s and Don’ts. Parazitologický ústav SAV, Hlinkova 3, Košice 040 01 Slovensko (Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Science), Hlinkova 3, Košice 040 01 Slovak Republic). December 15, 2016.

Recent Awards and Fellowships Obtained (2 total):

Fulbright Scholar Award, 2016-2017. To do cooperative instruction between the Pavla Jozef Safarik University and the Slovak Academy of Science’s Institute of Parasitology in the Slovak Republic and to do research on fish parasitic diseases.

Recipient, 2015-2016 Award for Excellence in Scholarly/ Creative Pursuits. USC Upstate’s highest award for excellence in scholarly accomplishments.

Recipient: 2016 Commemorative Medal of the Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice. Awarded by the rector of the Pavol Jozef Safarik University, Kosice, Slovakia, for contribution to the development of the University via the completion of a Fulbright Fellowship. Awarded December 14, 2016.

 

 

 

It is the things we don’t see that often have potential for the greatest harm, but thanks to the work of Dr. Vince A. Connors, professor of biology, that prospect is held in check. His study of important human parasites has produced significant results leading to his participation in worldwide lectures and seminars in the United States and Europe, including an invitation to speak at the prestigious Pasteur Institute in Lille, France.

His research of parasites and parasitic diseases is instrumental in developing stronger understandings of biological forces that shape our lives and are keys to keeping USC Upstate ahead of the curve.