After 28 years dedicated to biological research, teaching, and climate education, Dr. Sara Via is retiring from the University of Maryland.
Sara’s distinguished career started well before her arrival on our campus. She earned her B.A. in Zoology from Duke University in 1974, an M.Sc. in Insect Neurobiology from the Australian National University in 1976, and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Duke in 1983. Following her postdoc in Evolutionary Genetics at the University of Chicago she held faculty positions at the University of Iowa and Cornell University. In 1997, Sara joined the University of Maryland faculty as a Professor with the Dept of Biology and Entomology, later adding Extension Specialist to her title.
Over the years Sara’s research has contributed to our understanding of ecological and quantitative genetics, speciation, and insect–plant interactions, particularly through her work on the pea aphid system. Her scholarly work highlights her impact in the scientific community with 52 peer-reviewed papers, seven book chapters, and over 15,000 citations.
Beyond her research achievements at UMD, Sara has educated thousands of students through large introductory courses in Evolutionary Biology and advanced seminars. Her dedication to teaching ultimately inspired a second career focused on climate change education. Since 2016, she has led UMD Extension's climate education efforts, teaching Marylanders about the impacts of climate change, adaptation strategies and available solutions. Her widely watched webinar series, available at “The Climate Corner”, and hundreds of invited talks empower individuals to adopt science-backed actions to curb climate change. These extension efforts have earned Sara recognition from the broader community, including the Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland, who honored her with the Award of Appreciation for Actions to Mitigate Climate Change.
As Dr. Sara Via heads into retirement, we hope you will join us in celebrating her contributions to research, teaching, and climate education and wish her all the best in her next chapter!
