Welcome to the Department of Biological Sciences!

As Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, I am excited that you have decided to learn more about our world-class Program. The Department of Biological Sciences is currently home to more than 46 tenure-track faculty and research / teaching professionals and a strong cohort of adjunct and affiliate professors and scientists, and in 2024 we successfully recruited 4 outstanding new faculty to bolster our strengths in One Health Research and Biology Pedagogy (see current job postings). We are currently Our diverse faculty carry out world-class research in a wide array of fields: ecology and evolutionary biology, systematics and quantitative biology, molecular and cellular biology, physiological ecology of plants and animals, and microbial biology and biotechnology, to name just a few. Biomedical research is an important strength, and many of the 
faculty participate in human and ecosystem health related research activities.

Our department is not just for researchers. We play a critical role in the 
education of life science and health majors, and the department offers four 
different B.S. degrees (in Biology, Ecology and Environmental Biology, 
Microbiology, and Cell and Molecular Biology) to over 1600 undergraduate 
student majors. We are committed to providing our students with hands-on 
research opportunities in our laboratory and field-based research efforts. 
Our dedicated advising staff are eager to help you plan your degree and 
coursework, so don't hesitate to reach out to them if you are interested in 
learning more about our degree options.

We are also home to a productive graduate program that includes more 
than 140 students across our four degrees. We offer M.S degrees in 
Biology or Microbiology, with thesis and non-thesis options available, a 
Ph.D. in Biology, and a professional sciences master's program in 
Environmental sustainability and Natural resources management jointly 
with the Department of NRM. If you are interested in these programs, 
reach out to faculty members with like interests, the graduate committee, 
or even current students in our graduate programs – they would all be 
happy to tell you more!

Undergraduate and graduate student researchers have received 
competitive grants, presented papers at scientific meetings, and authored 
papers published in scientific journals. Knowledge about the world around 
us opens doors to a multitude of careers, and our graduates can be found 
working in biotechnology and industry, as doctors and other health 
professionals, in wildlife and conservation fields, as University professors 
and K-12 educators, and even as artists and writers. Where you take your 
degree is up to your own imagination.

Integrated Learning

Our faculty are committed to using innovative teaching practices to 
improve student learning of content and practical skills in the biological 
sciences. Authentic student research experiences at all levels expand 
opportunities for student success across gender, ethnicity and disciplines. 
Students are given choices in their learning, allowing for their creativity to 
thrive as faculty provide training in critical thinking skills at all levels. By 
promoting research and scholarly productivity through student engagement 
across all our degrees and research areas, we hope to foster students that 
can create biology-based approaches to tackle complex societal challenges.

Community Engagement

Members of the DBS are engaged with the broader community outside 
TTU's doors. We work to transform lives and communities through service, 
outreach, and engaged scholarship at the local, regional, national, and 
international levels. We willingly share our expertise with those in need, 
and work on issues critical to the sustainment of healthy communities and 
ecosystems. We train students to become transformational STEM leaders 
and informed citizens that contribute to the local economy and workforce 
needs.

Digging Deeper

I encourage you to dig a bit deeper into the department – reach out and talk with our undergraduate advisors if you are considering a major or minor in Biology; contact our professors to learn more about their research activities, and see if you can conduct research in their laboratories at the undergraduate or graduate level. Interested in giving a seminar? Have an idea about a partnership or cooperative activity? Contact the department to arrange a visit – we’d love to host you. We also love to talk with community members and alumni about your interests and activities, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Communicate with us here to reach the right folks with your inquiry or comment.

From here, it’s possible