RUSSELL MINTON, Ph.D., Chairperson

CHRISTOPHER DEMPSEY, Ph.D., Associate Director

FACULTY: Professors: Gregory M. Andraso, Michael Ganger, Elisa M. Konieczko, Russell Minton, Steven J. Ropski, Mary C. Vagula. Associate Professors: Quyen Aoh, Christopher Dempsey, He Liu. Assistant Professors: Prasad Dalvi, Matthew Gacura, Gary Vanderlaan. Associate Teaching Professor: Melanie Gustafson- Ropski. Assistant Teaching Professors: Renee Foradori, Michelle Kuns, Tia Young.

Aims and Objectives

The Biology Department is an academic community of faculty members and students engaged in the responsible pursuit and communication of biological knowledge. We provide students with a diverse curriculum to explore and study life in the classroom, laboratory, and field. We offer students a wide range of opportunities to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to become competitive and excel in their chosen fields. Faculty members within the Biology Department work one-on-one with their advisees to guide their academic progress and advancement toward their individual career goals.

Students can major in Biology (program), Freshwater and Marine Biology (program), or Biology-Secondary Education (program or program). Students have the option to minor in Biology (program).

Biologists study living organisms and their life processes. They are concerned with the origin, function, and preservation of life, from the smallest cell to the largest ecosystem. Students with a degree in Biology can continue their education to pursue careers in research or medicine, or students can gain employment in industry, non-profit organizations, or government agencies with their knowledge of the biological sciences. Students with a degree in Freshwater and Marine Biology can continue their education or gain employment in fields dedicated to understanding, monitoring, and restoring water resources and the organisms that inhabit them. Students who complete their degree in Biology-Secondary Education can pursue a career teaching biology in secondary schools.