Biology Department // Northern Michigan University

Biology Department - Vision Statement

We envision that the Biology Department at NMU will be recognized throughout the Great Lakes Region for excellence in teaching and ecologically based research in the biological sciences. Biology majors selecting the ecology emphasis will benefit from study experiences which take advantage of the vast array of natural environments, many of which are unique to this region, found in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The Department will also continue to be known for its contribution to the excellent pre-professional health related programs of the university. Our students will have the option of earning a degree in Biology, Zoology or Botany or in an interdisciplinary major such as Biochemistry, Environmental Science, or Water Science. The undergraduate curriculum will consist of a core of courses designed to impart basic concepts to all students and a series of upper level elective courses selected to emphasize different areas of biology. The elective courses will be updated regularly so as to include the latest advances in biology and to respond to changes in student interests and in the job market. Many undergraduate students (including honors students) will have the opportunity to work closely with faculty and graduate students on their research projects. There will be numerous opportunities for students to take part in field studies designed to take advantage of the Upper Peninsula's great variety of terrestrial and freshwater habitats including the limnology of Lake Superior. Our students will also be encouraged to carry out discovery-centered laboratory investigations in our modern, well-equipped facilities in the West Science building.

The faculty will be committed to a pedagogy that blends traditional methods and discovery-centered learning with cutting-edge instructional technology. While the Department will build a strength in ecology, research interests of the faculty will provide the department with a range of biological expertise from the molecular level to the ecosystem level, so that both undergraduate and graduate students can receive instruction from highly qualified faculty. All faculty members will contribute to the undergraduate curriculum while at the same time directing graduate student research and offering graduate courses in their respective specialties. Faculty and students will be encouraged to communicate their findings at conferences and in scientific journals.

Teaching and research in the Biology Department will take advantage of Northern Michigan University's unique location close to two national forests, a national park, a national lakeshore, a national wildlife refuge, a national historic monument, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service laboratory, a regional headquarters of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and a regional medical center. The Biology Department will develop mutually beneficial research/study partnerships with staff within these agencies that involve NMU's faculty, undergraduate students, and graduate students. In order to add a global dimension to the study of biology, there will be opportunities for Biology faculty and students to study out-of-state and internationally.

A significant proportion of graduates who complete the undergraduate or graduate curriculum of study in biology at NMU will:

Obtain positions in applied ecological fields such as wildlife management, fisheries, conservation, or a related career path;
Be accepted into professional schools for advanced training in the health care fields;
Be accepted into graduate programs at other universities;
Or gain employment in other biologically related fields.

We envision that the combination of a highly qualified and motivated faculty, modern laboratory facilities, an abundance of field-based and other research opportunities, and a high success rate for the graduates of NMU will prove to be highly attractive to prospective undergraduate and graduate students, and especially to honors students.