On Thursday September 23, Dr. Jared Heffron visited the Hampden-Sydney College Biology Department to give a seminar entitled “Reawakening Anthrax Spores” which focused on his recent research involving the pathogenic bacterium Bacillus antrhracis.  Dr. Heffron graduated from H-SC in 2004 with Honors in Biology and recently earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology at Virginia Tech.  Dr. Heffron delivered an exciting, enthusiastic talk about his research on B. anthracis, particularly as it related to the role of the SleB protein in germination of bacterial endospores into active microorganisms.  Dr. Heffron’s research has led to several publications in peer-reviewed journals, and he recently received a National Academy of Science Research Associate Fellowship to continue his work as a postdoctoral fellow in the Bacteriology Division of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, where he will be working toward the generation of a combined vaccine against Bacillus anthracis and Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of Bubonic plague.  Dr. Heffron was also quick to point out in his talk just how well he had been prepared as a scientist, a writer, and a speaker during his time at H-SC.  He is living proof that as the saying goes, “You really can do anything with a degree from Hampden-Sydney!”