The Department of Biology held their Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 7, 2026. Two faculty and two staff received Career Achievement Awards for their dedication and service to the department. Read about the career of Instructional Services Specialist, Olga Miakotina. Congratulations to Olga on her hard work and achievements!
STAFF CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Olga Miakotina
Dr. Olga Miakotina, Instructional Services Specialist, joined the Department of Biology as a Laboratory Specialist in 2008 and since then has supported several of our upper-level laboratory courses such as Neurobiology Laboratory, Neurogenetics Laboratory, Animal Behavior Laboratory, Developmental Biology Laboratory, and Human Biology.
She completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Biochemistry at the Moscow State University in Russia in 1981 and later completed her Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the Russian Academy of Sciences and defended it at the Moscow State University in 1989. She went on to do postdoctoral work in Moscow and then moved to Iowa City in 1995 where she worked as a postdoc in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and in the Pulmonary Division of the Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa.
Her work as a bench scientist spanned neuroscience, molecular biology, pulmonary biology, and cell signaling, publishing over 20 papers. Olga brought the intensity, creativity, and intellectual curiosity of a career scientist directly into the courses she supported. She is energetic, enthusiastic, and constantly engaged. She never simply maintained courses — she helped to create and shape them.
Dr. Dan Eberl, Professor of Biology, shared his observations on Olga’s contributions, stating, “I have enjoyed working with Olga over the years in the Animal Behavior Laboratory course and appreciate her dedication to student learning and engagement. Whenever I think ‘this lab is working pretty well,’ I find Olga saying, ‘we can improve it this way and that way.’ She embraced and implemented new pedagogical ideas, and I have benefited greatly learning with her and from her. Her commitment to excellence is seen not only in the teaching lab but also in her contributions to publishing some of the student projects. The impact on our students has been transformative, and overall, Olga has made a huge difference in the Biology department’s teaching success.”
Whether it was designing new laboratory exercises, introducing new pedagogical approaches, or helping students troubleshoot experiments, Olga has attacked every challenge with energy and conviction.
Dr. Mike Dailey, Associate Professor of Biology, had this to say about Olga, “I had the privilege of teaching alongside Olga in the Neurobiology Laboratory course for the past 18 years and during that time I saw firsthand how deeply committed she was to students. She expected students to think critically, ask questions, and engage with science as a process of discovery rather than simply learning technical skills.”
She mentored volunteer teaching assistants and undergraduate researchers, helped students carry projects through publication, and created hands-on scientific experiences that many students still remember years later. One former student described Olga as “a pillar” in her academic career and said Olga constantly encouraged students to deepen their understanding and explore the “why” behind science. Another student recalled how Olga went far beyond her formal responsibilities to help her succeed during a difficult semester in lab.
She also brought science into the broader community through many outreach programs, K-12 science activities, mobile labs, and summer camps across Iowa.
Dr. Dailey summed it up best about Olga, “What I will remember most about Olga is that she cared deeply — about science, about teaching, about students, and about doing things with rigor. She brought passion and personality into every classroom she entered, and our department is unquestionably better because of her.”
We congratulate Olga on her retirement and thank her for her friendship, dedication, inquisitiveness, and many contributions to generations of students and colleagues.
