06/22/2026
The inspiration behind my Tardigrade Art Camp comes not only from my love of science, which serves as a major inspiration for my personal artwork, but also from my love for my Uncle Chip, professionally known as Dr. Frank Romano.
Prior to his passing in 2012, Dr. Frank Romano served as the Chair of the Biology Department at Jacksonville State University.
Listening to him speak about his passion for biology and his love for teaching at our many Romano family reunions, and hearing him discuss his research on tardigrades served as the inspiration for this art camp.
Below is a biography highlighting Dr. Romano’s time at JSU:
Dr. Romano joined the JSU faculty in 1989 and became department head in 2002. He retired in May 2012.
Throughout his career, his expertise, professionalism, and rapport with his students and colleagues were unparalleled.
In addition to his life’s work in the classroom and his numerous presentations, workshops, and publications, Dr. Romano conducted extensive research on the physiological ecology of limno-terrestrial, freshwater, and marine invertebrates, with an emphasis on tardigrades and mollusks. In recent years, he worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service on northern Gulf of Mexico deep-sea microscopic animal communities, with an emphasis on tardigrades. This work led to the discovery of four new species of tardigrades.
Among his many accolades was his selection for the Association of Southeastern Biologists 2010 Meritorious Teaching Award. Earlier that same year, Dr. Romano and a team of colleagues were awarded a Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) grant supporting studies on the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Dr. Romano received his Ph.D. in Physiological Ecology from Syracuse University and was a member of Beta Beta Beta, the biology honor society. He held professional memberships in the Alabama Academy of Science, the Association of Southeastern Biologists, the American Microscopical Society, the International Tardigrada Society, and the International Meiofauna Association.
In addition to the ASB Meritorious Teaching Award, his honors included a Syracuse University Summer Fellowship (1977), selection to Men and Women in American Science (1984), Leadership Kennesaw State College (1987), the Jacksonville State University College of Letters and Sciences Distinguished Teaching Award (1994), a Service Award from the U.S. Forest Service for his continued activities with personnel from the Shoal Creek District of Talladega National Forest (2004), and his nomination as the 2005 International Scientist of the Year.
