[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ background_enable_color=”off” use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_stops=”rgba(255,245,112,0.1) 0%|#adbaff 100%” custom_margin=”-30px|||||” custom_padding=”6px|0px|6px|0px|false|false” top_divider_color=”#EAAA21″ top_divider_height=”200px” top_divider_repeat=”1x” top_divider_flip=”vertical” bottom_divider_color=”#00687f” bottom_divider_height=”82px” bottom_divider_arrangement=”above_content” border_color_all=”#EAAA21″ border_width_top=”30px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”36px||||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”||on|on|||||” header_text_color=”#192957″ header_font_size=”31px” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”right” sticky_limit_top=”section” sticky_limit_bottom=”body” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ use_custom_gutter=”on” make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” custom_padding=”2%||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”|800|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”#192957″ header_font_size=”70px” header_letter_spacing=”1px” header_line_height=”1.2em” custom_margin=”||20px||false|false” custom_padding=”10px|10px|10px|10px|false|true” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”top” border_radii=”on|50px|50px|50px|50px” border_radii_tablet=”on|50px|50px|50px|50px” border_radii_phone=”on|50px|50px|50px|50px” border_radii_last_edited=”on|phone” inline_fonts=”Miltonian” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.17.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”1906,1905,1907,1908,1904,1909,2156,2154,2153,2152,2151,2150,2149″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h1″ title_font=”||||||||” background_enable_color=”off” background_layout=”dark” width=”100%” module_alignment=”center” auto=”on” border_radii=”off||||50px” text_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}” text_shadow_blur_strength__hover_enabled=”on|desktop” background_layout__hover_enabled=”on|desktop” background_layout__hover=”dark”][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ background_enable_color=”off” use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_direction=”0deg” background_color_gradient_stops=”rgba(255,245,112,0.1) 0%|#adbaff 100%” custom_margin=”-1px|0px|-1px|0px|true|true” custom_padding=”10px|0px|30px|0px|false|false” bottom_divider_style=”waves2″ bottom_divider_color=”#adbaff” bottom_divider_height=”130px” bottom_divider_arrangement=”above_content” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider color=”#000000″ divider_style=”dashed” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_testimonial quote_icon_color=”#000000″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” body_font=”||on||||||” body_text_align=”center” body_text_color=”#000000″ body_font_size=”16px” background_enable_color=”off” use_background_color=”off” custom_padding=”25px|30px|10px|30px|false|true” global_colors_info=”{}” background__hover_enabled=”on|hover” use_background_color__hover=”on” background_color__hover=”#FFFFFF” background_enable_color__hover=”on” quote_icon_background_color__hover_enabled=”on|hover” quote_icon_background_color__hover=”#adbaff”]<\/p>\n
My greatest experience at Carnegie Mellon has been the interaction with my students \u2014 graduate students, research undergraduates and the students in the courses I taught.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_divider color=”#000000″ divider_style=”dashed” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” animation_style=”fold” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_enable_color=”off” border_radii=”off|20px||20px|” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ custom_padding=”10px|10px|10px|10px|false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
On the cusp of his retirement, A. Javier L\u00f3pez returned to his roots. During his 30 years at Carnegie Mellon University, L\u00f3pez wore many hats in his lab \u2014 geneticist, biochemist, bioinformaticist \u2014 and taught a range of courses, including genetics and modern biology. But, just as he was set to retire, Carnegie Mellon launched a new program in environmental science and sustainability studies, and the Department of Biological Sciences<\/a><\/span> planned to offer an ecology course. It turns out that L\u00f3pez was just the man to help develop and teach it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I was an undergraduate, I majored in biochemistry and minored in ecology. And I worked in tropical ecology during the summers with the U.S. Forest Service in the tropical forest in the Caribbean,\u201d said Lopez, associate professor of biological sciences.<\/p>\n L\u00f3pez taught the new ecology course in 2020 and 2021, and the course just added a new component \u2014 a field laboratory course in Costa Rica focused on tropical forest research. The first group of students spent eight weeks in Costa Rica last summer. L\u00f3pez plans to join the students there in the future.<\/p>\n Even retirement can\u2019t dim L\u00f3pez\u2019s dedication to undergraduate education.<\/p>\n \u201cMy greatest experience at Carnegie Mellon has been the interaction with my students \u2014 graduate students, research undergraduates and the students in the courses I taught.\u201d<\/p>\n Over the years, L\u00f3pez designed new courses and modified the curriculum in directions that he thought were important, especially with an emphasis on quantitative methods in biology. He was one of the co-instructors for the Phage Genomics Research course, a nationwide genomics course supported by Howard Hughes Medical Institute in which first-year students conducted authentic research.<\/p>\n Working with students in the lab, whether first-year students or graduate students, was one of L\u00f3pez\u2019s greatest joys.<\/p>\n \u201cThe students in my lab were fantastic,\u201d recalled L\u00f3pez, who mentored 12 grad students and dozens of undergraduates during his career. \u201cThey were smart and creative and fun to interact with. The atmosphere in the lab was always collegial and collaborative.\u201d<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_image=”https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/07\/Lopez-Retirement_10.jpg” parallax=”on” filter_opacity=”70%” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_4,3_4″ make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_image=”https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/07\/Lopez-Retirement_8.jpg” parallax=”on” filter_opacity=”70%” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_enable_color=”off” border_radii=”off||20px||20px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#000000″ custom_padding=”10px|10px|10px|10px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In fact, that collaborative creativity led to one of the L\u00f3pez lab\u2019s biggest research contributions \u2014 the discovery of the mechanism of recursive splicing and how it\u2019s used for the control of alternative splicing.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember the very group meeting when we came up with the hypothesis. It was a group effort, graduate students, undergrads, we came up with it together, and together we figured out what kinds of experiments to do to test this hypothesis. It was really important, the way we all interacted in that discussion,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n L\u00f3pez\u2019s discovery of recursive splicing solved a problem that had puzzled scientists for years \u2014 how a cell\u2019s molecular machinery eliminates long introns without making errors.<\/p>\n \u201cJavier came up with a solution that was completely outside-of-the-box and counterintuitive to what everyone was thinking,\u201d said Biological Sciences Professor John Woolford<\/a><\/span>. \u201cHe attacked the problem using ideas from molecular biology, genetics, evolution, and computational biology and bioinformatics. His thorough, broad and deep thinking led to a creative solution to an important, complicated problem.\u201d<\/p>\n Outside of the lab, L\u00f3pez was instrumental in shaping new directions for the department, specifically neuroscience and computational biology. He was the department representative when the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition<\/a><\/span> launched, and he led the searches for the first three neuroscience hires. He also was involved in starting the Lane Center for Computational Biology, which later became the Department of Computational Biology<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n As he heads into retirement, L\u00f3pez is excited to have more time to enjoy two of his favorite hobbies \u2014 biking and sailing. He\u2019s already logged a 120-mile biking trip and has plans to travel to remote locations for biking events. An avid sailor and sailing instructor, L\u00f3pez recently sailed around the Virgin Islands with his wife and two other couples. For L\u00f3pez, after a wonderful 30-year career, he truly is sailing into the sunset.<\/p>\n \u25a0 Amy Pavlak Laird<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#1f4c4c” custom_padding=”30px|0px|30px|0px|false|false” box_shadow_style=”preset6″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0|0px|0|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_button button_url=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9saW5rX3VybF9wYWdlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsicG9zdF9pZCI6IjE5NjQifX0=@” button_text=”New Master\u2019s Degree Programs” button_alignment=”left” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _dynamic_attributes=”button_url” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”18px” button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_border_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0)” button_icon=”#||divi||400″ button_icon_color=”#ffffff” button_icon_placement=”left” button_on_hover=”off” background_layout=”dark” button_text_size_tablet=”18px” button_text_size_phone=”16px” button_text_size_last_edited=”on|phone” button_border_color_hover=”rgba(0,0,0,0)” button_bg_color_hover=”#719f94″ global_colors_info=”{}” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”on” button_border_color__hover=”rgba(0,0,0,0)” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”on” button_bg_color__hover=”#719f94″ button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_button button_url=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9saW5rX3VybF9wYWdlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsicG9zdF9pZCI6IjE3OTIifX0=@” button_text=”Biologists Awarded Grants” button_alignment=”right” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _dynamic_attributes=”button_url” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”18px” button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_border_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0)” button_icon=”$||divi||400″ button_icon_color=”#ffffff” button_on_hover=”off” background_layout=”dark” button_text_size_tablet=”18px” button_text_size_phone=”16px” button_text_size_last_edited=”on|phone” button_border_color_hover=”rgba(0,0,0,0)” button_bg_color_hover=”#719f94″ global_colors_info=”{}” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”on” button_border_color__hover=”rgba(0,0,0,0)” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”on” button_bg_color__hover=”#719f94″ button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Faculty NotesSailing int\u263c the SunsetMy greatest experience at Carnegie Mellon has been the interaction with my students \u2014 graduate students, research undergraduates and the students in the courses I taught.On the cusp of his retirement, A. Javier L\u00f3pez returned to his roots. During his 30 years at Carnegie Mellon University, L\u00f3pez wore many hats in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":1732,"menu_order":9,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1899","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1899"}],"version-history":[{"count":80,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1899\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3903,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1899\/revisions\/3903"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.mcs.cmu.edu\/bio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}