Mission Statement

The students and faculty of the Biology Department are a community of learners who use inquiry-based methods to investigate the breadth of biology, its connection to other disciplines, and its relevance to individuals and to society.

As a community of learners, faculty and students will work collaboratively to expand their understanding of biology.

• Faculty members will maintain research programs that involve mentoring students.
• Faculty members and students will collaboratively explore current scholarship in biology.
• Faculty members and students will communicate their scholarship with their peers and the public.

Students will recognize biology as a diverse discipline unified by fundamental themes.

• Students will explain the process of evolution and how it underlies both the diversity and unity of life.
• Students will recognize and explain relationships between structure and function in biological systems.
• Students will understand that interactions within biological systems can produce complex, novel properties.
• Students will explain how biological systems use energy and materials.
• Students will explain how living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information.

Students will use inquiry-based methods to investigate biological systems.

• Students will analyze, evaluate, and apply information from the Biological literature.
• Students will develop a diverse collection of investigative skills that they will use to study biological systems.
• Students will communicate their conclusions effectively both orally and in writing.

Students will recognize that a comprehensive understanding of biological systems requires the application of knowledge and skills from multiple disciplines.

• Students will receive training in a variety of disciplines that will improve their abilities to effectively engage in biological inquiry.
• Students will apply their competence in these disciplines to investigate biological systems.

Students will recognize the linkages between the discipline of biology and human social systems.

• Students will explore the impact of the biological sciences on society and individuals.
• Students will explore how social influences impact biological investigation.
• Students will explore ethical issues raised by advances in biological understanding.
• Students will investigate and assess societal challenges from a biological perspective in order to contribute to solving these problems.