Biology
Dr. Daniel Kuebler, chair
Dr. Derek Doroski
Dr. Eric Haenni
Dr. Kyle McKenna
Dr. Joseph Pathakamuri
Dr. John Perozich
Fr. Joseph Yelenc, TOR
Mission
The biological study of living organisms is an important aspect of a liberal education. Developing an appreciation and comprehension of living organisms is essential if one is to fully understand the human person in relationship to both the Creator and His Creation. In the Department of Biology, course offerings are intended to provide students with an understanding of the following: the fundamental organization and function of living organisms, the diversity of life forms, the interdependence and interrelationships between organisms and their environment, and the biological aspects of the human person. This information, when integrated by the student with knowledge gained from other disciplines, provides a deeper appreciation of God and His works.
While there are common courses that are required of all biology majors, programs of study are individually tailored to the needs of the student in order to prepare the student for his or her particular career choice. Biology Majors may choose to pursue a course of study leading to graduate study in various fields of biological research, graduate study in professional programs such as medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, podiatry, veterinary medicine, optometry, and other allied health fields. Students may also tailor their studies for post-graduate employment in life science education, research laboratories, or allied health laboratories.
Assessment Learning Goals
A graduating biology major is able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of living organisms and biological diversity.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental organization and function of organisms and living systems.
- Integrate information from other divisions of knowledge to address biological issues.
- Use critical thinking skills to analyze biological problems, as demonstrated in written and oral presentations.
Statement of Undergraduate Research and Professional Experience
The essence of true science cannot be obtained strictly from books, classrooms, or predetermined laboratory assignments; it must be experienced through the successes and failure of scientific research. The goals of BIO 400: Internship and BIO 404: Special Problems in Biology are to provide the more advanced biology students an opportunity to engage in undergraduate research or the opportunity to experience other investigations in a professional laboratory or setting.
Such undergraduate experiences foster critical thinking, creativity, resourcefulness, and self-reliance. Successful completion of a project develops skills students need to succeed in a research career. It is also an excellent way for students to distinguish themselves from other students, to demonstrate a higher level of thinking ability and seriousness of purpose. The nature of scientific research requires the student to integrate concepts, knowledge and skills from many subject areas.
Students interested in BIO 404 should be a junior or senior and must have a minimum QPA of 3.0 in science and math. This course would typically be taken after the completion of the majority of required courses in the biology major.
Students with any interest in doing basic research should discuss their ideas as soon as possible with their advisor or any biology faculty member with some expertise in the area of interest. The appropriate faculty member becomes the student’s research advisor, who will discuss and assist in developing a proposal for the research project. This proposal should be submitted prior to the start of the semester in which the student will register for the course.
Once the research proposal is accepted by the Biology Department, the student and the research advisor determine the expectations for the project, the number of credit hours to be attempted and sign a contract. The signing of the contract and the registration for the course should be completed by the last day for late registration. Students may register for 1 to 3 credits, dependent on the complexity of the problem and the number of hours a student will be spending on the research per week. A student will be expected to work 3 hours per week (42 hours per semester) per credit hour. The student will be expected to follow the scientific method in natural science to collect and analyze data and either prepare a paper in a format that would be suitable for publication in a scientific journal, give an oral report (seminar) on their work, or submit an abstract, paper, or poster presentation to the Ohio Academy of Sciences, as agreed prior to the beginning of the project. Successful completion of the course will require some form of presentation for critical review.
Accomplished students (juniors or seniors with a QPA of 3..0 in science and math) who develop any interest in doing an internship (BIO 400) should discuss their ideas as soon as possible with their advisor or any biology faculty member with some expertise in the area of interest. The appropriate faculty member becomes the student’s internship advisor. The student must contact the Career Planning and Services Office and complete the application forms. In order to receive a grade for the experience the student will 1) have the supervisor’s evaluation, 2) the student’s self-evaluation, and 3) a written or oral summary report, which will include a description of the type of work, techniques, and procedures learned submitted to their advisor for evaluation. The advisor may require a public presentation of the summary report. Credit for biology internships will usually be considered by the Biology Department as general elective credit.
Biology Course Descriptions