About me

This is the web site for Laura Runyen-Janecky.  I grew up in a military family and spent most of my childhood in and around San Antonio, Texas.  Education was one of the cornerstones of the Runyen family growing up.  My mother and father both believed in the power of education in opening doors for their children, and my mother just retired after 40+ years of being a preschool teacher.  I have three amazing siblings, each of whom obtained college degrees and have super interesting lives and jobs.  Currently, I spend most of my days as a professor at the University of Richmond in the Department of Biology  (CV).  The web site for my research group is https://blog.richmond.edu/rjlab/  if you want to find out more about my scientific interests.  You might also find me taking adult ballet classes at the School of the Richmond Ballet to reconnect with my first love … ballet.  As a child and teenager, I trained with the (now defunct) San Antonio Ballet Company.  You also might find me making homemade cheese, running, or hanging out with my husband at our “swamp shack” on the Chickahominy River.  You can contact me at Lrunyenj@richmond.edu