Clubs and Activities
Biology Club
The Biology Club is a registered student organization open to all students interested in biology. Activities center around promoting biology at Berry, and organizing field trips and social events. All students are eligible to enroll in the Biology Club with a minimal dues payment. Past activities have included trips to the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Tennessee Aquarium, and Cumberland Island. The current advisor is Dr. Martin L. Cipollini (E-mail: mcipollini@berry.edu)
Biology Seminar Series
The biology department hosts a weekly seminar series called "Biology Seminar Series." This unique program provides opportunities for undergraduate students to hear talks given by a variety of off-campus speakers, generally focusing on recent advances in biological research. This series also provides a forum for students to speak about their research projects and summer internships, and to share information and announcements with fellow biology students. Past Seminar speakers have included these:
Dawn Roellig, University of Georgia, Dept. of Infectious Diseases and Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Dept. of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, "Scavengers, Parasites, and Genes: Uncovering the Epizootiology of T. cruzi in the United States"
Dr. Ron Woodruff, Distinguished Research Professor, Bowling Green State University, "Mutation, Evolution and Human Health: Mutation is Not Just Loose Change"
Dr. Michael Owren, Assoc. Professor of Psychology, Georgia State University, "Mechanism, Function and Evolution in Spontaneous Human Laughter"
Dr. Melissa Booth, University of Georgia, Marine Institute, Sapelo Island, "The Microbial Life Aquatic: The Function of Marine Microbes from Georgia's Salt Marshes to the Polar Oceans"
Dr. Johanna Choo, Rutgers University and the Smithsonian National Institute, "Fruit for Thought: Is There Really Less Fruit Available for Animals in the Asian-Tropics Compared to the Neotropics?"
Dr. Katherin Elliott, Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, USDA Forest Service, "Using Fire to Restore Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata) Ecosystems Severely Impacted by Southern Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis)"
Science Colloquium
Each year the School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences provides students an opportunity to highlight their research in the Council of Student Scholarship Symposium. Students present their research in a poster or oral format to other students, faculty, and administration. Outstanding research is rewarded at the dinner which follows this mid-April event.
Beta Beta Beta (Tri-Beta)
Berry College is home to the Tau Alpha chapter of Tri-Beta, the national biological honor society. Tri-Beta cultivates intellectual interest in the natural sciences and promotes a better appreciation of the value of biological study. As an honor society, membership is limited to those students who show superior academic achievement. Specifically, members must be biology majors who have completed 12 or more hours of biology course work with at least a B average. Potential members are nominated by the biology faculty and are formally inducted during ceremonies held in the spring semester. Tri-Beta holds national and district conventions where members can present their original research. The society also publishes a journal, BIOS, in which members can publish original research. Several research scholarships and cash awards are available to Tri-Beta members. Current faculty advisor: Dr. Chris Mowry (E-mail: cmowry@berry.edu)