The faculty of the Biology Department are dedicated to enhancing their students’ understanding of the living world. They teach a wide variety of Biology courses, mentor students in field and lab research and serve as academic advisors. The Benedictine value of hospitality is seen in the open door policy – if you need to talk with a professor, consider an open door an invitation to drop in for a chat.

Dr. Gordon Brown

terrestrial ecology, plant-animal interactions

Dr. Eric Bruger

Dr. Manuel Campos

human and exercise physiology, signal transduction in cells and its relation to disease

Dr. Katharine Cary

plant physiology and ecology

Dr. Philip Chu

ornithology, systematics

Dr. Clark Cotton

animal physiology, hibernation biology

Dr. Ashley Fink

microbiology, immunology

Ms. Carol Jansky

coordinator of introductory laboratories

Dr. Trevor Keyler

physiology, fish ecology

Dr. William Lamberts

aquatic ecology, phycology, plankton dynamics

Dr. Demelza Larson

quantitative genetics, cell biology of the cornea

Dr. Jeanne Marie Lust OSB

developmental biology, amphibian deformities, hematology

Dr. Barb May

(currently serving as Academic Dean)
immunology, microbiology, cell and molecular biology

Dr. David Mitchell

protein structure, biochemistry

Dr. Michael Reagan

molecular biology, DNA repair mechanisms

Dr. Stephen Saupe

plant taxonomy, secondary metabolism of plants and fungi

Dr. Jennifer Schaefer, Department Chair

neuroscience, electrophysiology, science of teaching and learning

Ms. Kristina Timmerman

wildlife ecology, conservation biology, plant-animal interactions

Ms. Pu Wang

Emeritus professors:

• Dr. Marcus Webster – physiological ecology, energetics of birds
• Dr. James Poff – entomology, behavioral ecology of social wasps
• Dr. Elizabeth Wurdak – biology of rotifers, histology, cell biology
• Dr. Larry Davis – geology, paleontology
• Dr. Charles Rodell – genetics
• Dr. Cheryl Knox – biochemistry