Biology Department
Greetings from the Lake Superior State University Biology Department
Biology is a great field of study and Lake Superior State University is a great place to study it. Whether you’re interested in natural resources ecology, human biology, clinical lab sciences, genetics, anatomy, physiology, plants, animals, microbes, indoor or outdoor biology, our program offers a number of unique advantages for undergraduate students.
You’ll get to work closely with your professors, who are dedicated teachers and experts in their field.
You’ll get great hands-on experiences in labs. Most of our classes feature laboratory sections in which you’ll work with sophisticated equipment and/or in great field sites.
We have state-of-the art equipment, especially in genetics and physiology. We have a close relationship with the Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences which has superb facilities for analytic chemistry and GIS. We also have an animal behavior lab students can use for their research.
The Aquatic Research Lab is only one of a few such facilities across the US. Students get a chance to work in the hatchery operation, producing Atlantic salmon for release in the St. Marys River or on any of several other aquatic ecology research projects housed at the Lab.
We offer a wealth of out-of-class experiences. You’ll work with a professor on your own senior thesis research project. You may also work in the department helping set up labs, or on a professor’s research project, or at our Aquatic Research Lab. Or you may work for the Learning Center, helping other students excel in biology classes. Our active student organizations also provide great opportunities for out-of-class experiences directly in your field.
Our location provides unsurpassed field sites. Several types of forests, grassy openings, wetlands, inland lakes and rivers, the St. Marys River and of course all three of the Upper Great Lakes are within an hour’s drive of campus (some just minutes from campus!). Notable fish and wildlife species in these habitats include lake sturgeon, moose, elk, fishers and martins, goshawks and many others, including threatened and endangered species of plants and animals. You will visit these sites often in labs and for other projects. No other university offers access to as many varied field sites as we do.
We have close working relationships with professionals in the field. We work with them on projects and our students take advantage of opportunities to work in the summer and even during the school year for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, National Park Service, Michigan DNR, conservation organizations, clinics and hospitals, zoos and veterinarians. Some of these jobs are in our immediate area, such as the Vermilion Station on Lake Superior, others provide opportunities to learn new places such as the Rocky Mountain west, New England, or the southeastern US.
Our students help each other out. They study together and encourage each other.
All these advantages add up to LSSU Biology graduates that are well-prepared for entry into biology careers or for further study at graduate or professional schools. We have a great reputation with employers and graduate and professional schools. Our alumni write back to tell us how well-prepared they were.
Biology isn’t an easy field of study and it’s not for everyone. It takes hard work and commitment. But if you’re willing to put in the effort, all of us – faculty, staff and your fellow students – are here to help you succeed. And there’s no more enjoyable career than to be a biologist.
If you have any questions about the Department or our programs, please feel free to call, email or write to me me.
Gregory Zimmerman, Assoc Prof and Chair
Department of Biology
906.635.2470 gzimmerman@lssu.edu
|
