A biology education strengthened by its setting.
Prepare for life by studying it at the cellular level.
With great teaching from devoted mentors and many opportunities to hone your skills in laboratory or field settings, we’ll get you ready for a range of careers—from biotechnology to forensics to ecology. Our 130,000-square-foot science center supports a variety of learning, research and collaboration spaces.
If you want to do biology research at Berry, you (absolutely) can—whether partnering with professors, pursuing your own projects, co-authoring papers or presenting at industry conferences. You might also intern with a research institute or science-based government agency.
Biology Areas of Emphasis
Available starting FALL 2021
Designed for students who want more flexibility in creating a unique curricular plan beyond traditional preparations for graduate or professional degrees.
The Wildlife, Ecology, and Conservation (WEC) emphasis is designed for students who desire a curriculum that focuses on animals/plants and environmental interactions.
The CB emphasis is on genomic, molecular, and cellular processes that control biological function and disease.
Biology FACULTY
Associate Professor of Biology Chris Hall, supported by a Laura Maddox Smith summer research grant, partnered with the Ocean Research Conservation Association (ORCA) in Fort Pierce, Florida, to initiate a collaborative effort to determine the prevalence of the zoonotic protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii in aquatic systems on the Berry College campus and in the Indian River estuary. Berry junior LilyAnn Jenkins, under Dr. Hall's guidance, spent part of the summer at the ORCA facility where she worked with research assistant Hannah Atsma (class of 2020) to collect samples for PCR analysis.
We don’t like to brag, but in this case, we must. No other biology program has such immediate access to the range of natural habitats—mountains, rivers, streams, ponds, wetlands and forests—to be found on our (world’s largest, more bragging, sorry!) 27,000-acre campus.
Biology Courses
In this summer study abroad course, you’ll observe a variety of fascinating organisms (corals, urchins, sting rays, sharks and more) on a reef off the coast of Honduras. (Students must become SCUBA-certified prior to the trip.)
Study animal behavior in an evolutionary context, including such topics as mate choice, parental care and communication. The lab portion will utilize Berry’s extensive campus for observing deer, salamanders and coyotes.
Gain new appreciation for parasites—complex organisms that manage to evade destruction by the host immune system. This interdisciplinary exploration is for anyone interested in health-related careers as well as those with a more organismal focus.
Biology LIVES
Leah Bolden, a Gate of Opportunity Scholar, has been attending Chicago Medical School. True to Berry’s mentorship spirit, one of her campus mentors and both her Gate of Opportunity donors attended her White Coat Ceremony. And true to Berry’s service spirit, Leah was awarded a Franklin Fellowship last year, and will spend this next year developing and implementing a service project to improve the health of local populations in need.
HERE?