Tara Scully

Current Research

Tara A. Scully is the Director of the Sustainability Minor Program and an Assistant Professor of Biology at the George Washington University. At GW, she regularly teaches introductory biology and sustainability courses and laboratories to non-science majors. Currently, she teaches five different courses: Introduction to Sustainability; The Biology of Nutrition and Health; The Ecology and Evolution of Organisms; Food, Nutrition, and Service; and Understanding Organisms through Service Learning. Dr.

Scully received her MS, specializing in forensic science research with a concentration on fiber evidence and a PhD with a research focus on developmental biology from The George Washington University. She has authored many research articles along with the book: Discovering Biology in the Lab: An Introductory Laboratory Manual as well as Why We Eat Food. Dr. Scully works with many different DMV area community partners on topics ranging from nutrition to invasive species. Her service and instructional work has resulted in being award the university-wide Faculty Engagement Award 2016 from the Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service and this year is received the 2019 Morton Bender Teaching Award.

Education

Ph.D., Developmental Biology, The George Washington University, Washington D.C., 2012 Dissertation: Serotonin in Early Sea Urchin Embryogenesis. Advisor: Professor Ken Brown

Masters of Forensic Science, The George Washington University, Washington D.C., 2004

Bachelor of Science, Biology, Loyola University of New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana; 1997

Publications

Scully, Tara. Why We Eat Food. Kendall Hunt. 2016

Scully, Tara. Discovering Biology in the Lab: An Introductory Laboratory Manual. Second Edition. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012.

Carroll, K.N., Scully, T.A., Brown K. Serotonin signaling initiates gastrulation in the sea urchin. 69th Annual Developmental Biology Conference. August 2010, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Scully, Tara. Discovering Biology in the Lab: An Introductory Laboratory Manual. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2009.

Scully T., Carroll KN., Brown K. A serotonin-mediated signaling mechanism initiates cell movements during sea urchin gastrulation. Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. January 2009, Boston, Massachusetts. 

Carroll KN., Scully T. Brown K. A preneuronal serotonergic system drives morphogenesis in sea urchin embryos. Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. January 2009, Boston, Massachusetts.  

Scully T., Carroll KN., Brown K. Serotonin synthesis is necessary for gastrulation in the sea urchin, Lytechinus pictus. 67th Annual Developmental Biology Conference. July 2008, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Carroll KN., Scully T., Mateer E., Cheng Y., Dzirlo-Ayvaz M., Brown K. Role of serotonin in sea urchin embryo morphogenesis. 67th Annual Developmental Biology Conference. July 2008, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Deadman H. and Scully T. Frequency of Occurrence Data for Textile Fibers. American Academy of Forensic Scientists Annual Meeting. February 2004, Colorado Springs, Colorado.  

American Prosecutors Research Institute. (2002). Combating Gun Violence: Promising Practices for America’s Prosecutors.

American Prosecutors Research Institute. (2001). Combating Gun Violence: An In-depth Look at Richmond's Project Exile.

Musatov, S.A., Scully, T.A., Dudus, L., Fisher, K. F. (2001). Induction of Circular Episomes during Rescue and Replication of Adeno-Associated Virus in Experimental Models of Virus Latency. Virology 275 No. 2,  pp. 411-432.

Musatov, S.A., Dudus, L., Parrish, C.M., Scully, T.A., Fisher, K. F. (2000). Spontaneous Mobilization of Integrated Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus in Cell Culture Model of Viral Latency. Virology 294 No.1, pp. 151-169.