Graduate Programs
The Biological Sciences graduate program is designed to allow students, with the guidance of their advisors, to mold and focus their program of study on professional interests and specific needs. Our students can draw from a broad range of graduate courses and select from a diverse and well-trained group of faculty for direction in research.
Faculty in our department advise graduate students in three distinct Master of Science (MS) degree programs. Click on the following links to learn more about the requirements and elective options: Biology MS and Biology Education MS.
Graduate Faculty and Their Research Interests
As an interdisciplinary department with roots in an array of research fields, faculty research programs can be organized into clusters that span several biological disciplines. Based on expertise and research focus, faculty will be associated with one or more clusters indicated below.
BioLOGy EDUCATION
Bethann Lavoie - Science Education: professional development, assessment, diverse cultures and problem solving
Brittany Smith - biology education
Biomedical Science and Physiology
Lois Anderson - Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus within the community
Rachel Cohen - the role of gonadal steroid hormones (testosterone and estrogens) in the brain
Geoffrey Goellner - polyglutamine proteins and neurodegenerative disease
Kennan Hartert - genomics; personalized lymphoma therapeutics
Penny Knoblich - physiology of blood flow as it relates to hypertension
Allison Land - innate immunity to viral infections, host-pathogen interactions, and potential sequelae to infection
David Sharlin - developmental biology, thyroid hormoen action, brain development, cochlear development (hearing)
Cell and Molecular Biology
Rachel Cohen - the role of gonadal steroid hormones (testosterone and estrogens) in the brain
Geoffrey Goellner - polyglutamine proteins and neurodegenerative disease
Keenan Hartert - genomics; personalized lymphoma therapeutics
Allison Land - innate immunity to viral infections, host-pathogen interactions, and potential sequelae to infection
Timothy Secott - molecular mechanisms used by mycobacteria to initiate and establish intestinal infections in mammals
David Sharlin - developmental biology, thyroid hormoen action, brain development, cochlear development (hearing)
Robert Sorensen - ecological, behavioral, and evolutionary interactions between animal parasites and their hosts
Daniel Toma - behavioral genetics
Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
Mriganka De - soil ecology and soil health; soil biogeochemistry; water quality; sustainable agroecosystems
Matthew Kaproth - plant functional trait adaptation, stress tolerance, species conservation, invasive species
John Krenz - ecology, evolution and behavior of animals
Beth Proctor - assessing surface water quality and sources of pollution, using chemical and biological monitoring
Christopher Ruhland - effects of global climate change on Antarctic ecosystems and the effects of UV light on plant production
Robert Sorensen - ecological, behavioral, and evolutionary interactions between animal parasites and their hosts
Daniel Toma - behavioral genetics
Ryan Wersal - plant ecology and lake ecology for aquatic plant management and methods of treatment
Microbiology, Immunology, and Food Science
Lois Anderson - Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus within the community
Allison Land - innate immunity to viral infections, host-pathogen interactions, and potential sequelae to infection
Timothy Secott - molecular mechanisms used by mycobacteria to initiate and establish intestinal infections in mammals
Robert Sorensen - ecological, behavioral, and evolutionary interactions between animal parasites and their hosts
