Integrative Biology

Chair: Leo P. Bruederle
Associate Chair: Timberley M. Roane
Program Assistant: Barbara Schmidt
Administrative Assistant: Jacki Craig
Undergraduate Major Advisor: Kimberly F. Regier
Health Careers Advisors: Charles A. Ferguson, Kent Nofsinger
Graduate Coordinator: Timberley M. Roane
Lab Coordinator: James Salmen
Office: North Classroom, 3014
Telephone: 303-556-8440
Fax: 303-556-4352
Web site: clas.ucdenver.edu/biology/

Undergraduate Program

Graduate Program

Faculty

Professors:

Daniel J. Howard, PhD, Yale University

Roderick Nairn, PhD, University of London

Bradley J. Stith, PhD, Washington State University

Diana F. Tomback, PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara

Associate Professors:

Leo P. Bruederle, PhD, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey

Greg Cronin, PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Charles A. Ferguson, PhD, University of Colorado

Timberley M. Roane, PhD, University of Arizona

Assistant Professors:

Amanda Charlesworth, PhD, University College, London

Michele Engel, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles

Michael J. Greene, PhD, Oregon State University

Laurel Hartley, PhD, Colorado State University

Lisa Johansen, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Alan Vajda, PhD, University of Colorado

Michael Wunder, PhD., Colorado State University

Senior Instructors:

Aimee Bernard, PhD, University of Rochester

Tod Duncan, PhD, University College, London (U.K.)

Cheri A. Jones, PhD, University of Florida

Kent Nofsinger, MD, University of Kansas School of Medicine

Instructor:

Kimberly F. Regier, MA, University of Colorado

Adjoint Faculty:

Rich Reading, PhD, Yale University

Adjunct Faculty:

Marc L. Goalstone, PhD, University of Denver

Jennifer Ramp Neale, PhD, University of Colorado

Emeritus Faculty:

Gerald Audesirk, PhD, California Institute of Technology

Teresa E. Audesirk, PhD, University of Southern California

Linda K. Dixon, PhD, University of Illinois

Georgia E. Lesh-Laurie, PhD, Case Western Reserve University

Undergraduate

Biology is the study of life. Our program teaches students about the diversity of life, the chemical processes and adaptations shared by species, and the interaction of species with their environment. By studying the different fields of biology, the student gains an appreciation for the characteristics of life and the remarkable evolutionary history leading to the present forms, and to understand the advances in biological technology that are transforming our society. Knowledge of the interrelationships between populations and their habitats leads to respect, concern and a sense of responsibility for our environment.

The curriculum is designed to provide a firm foundation in biology. As such, graduates are well prepared for graduate study in biology, professional schools in the health careers, a variety of biologically oriented jobs in government and industry, teaching at various educational levels and, as with any liberal arts major, life itself. Students planning on a teaching career should consult the Teacher Education Program description in the School of Education & Human Development for information on teaching licensure.

REQUIREMENTS FOR MAJOR

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Additional Information

Students with transfer credits in biology from other institutions should consult an undergraduate major advisor in the department for transfer credit and/or proper placement. Transfer credit from community college courses will not fulfill the requirements for upper-division semester hours or electives. However, students who have taken both semesters of anatomy and physiology at a community college may be given credit for having satisfied the structure/ function requirement for the major. Biology students seeking credit through AP (Advanced Placement), CLEP (College Level Examination Program) and/or IB (International Baccalaureate, Diploma Programme) should refer to the transfer tables (AP , CLEP , IB ) in the Information for Undergraduate Students chapter of this catalog, as well as consult an undergraduate major advisor in the department for proper placement.

Departmental Honors. Departmental honors will be awarded to students based on their GPA in classes taken from Downtown Campus faculty. The following minimum GPA must be met both for all courses taken at UC Denver (overall GPA) and for biology courses alone (biology GPA): cum laude, 3.5; magna cum laude, 3.7; summa cum laude, 3.9.

Biology Research Scholars. The biology faculty encourages students to pursue research as part of their undergraduate education. Students who excel in both course work and research will be recognized as UC Denver biology research scholars. To qualify as biology research scholars, students must fulfill all of the following requirements: (1) achieve a minimum GPA of 3.5 in courses taken from Downtown Campus faculty; (2) participate in a research project consisting of a minimum of 6 semester hours of independent study, taken over at least two semesters; (3) write a paper describing the rationale, methodology and results of their research; and (4) present a seminar or poster based on their research. Students who wish to become involved in research should contact Michele Engel no later than their junior year.

REQUIREMENTS FOR MINOR

Biotechnology Certificate

To serve the needs of students who wish to obtain recognition for the acquisition of specialized skills in biology and to prepare students for graduate school, health careers and jobs in industry, the Department of Integrative Biology offers a certificate program in biotechnology. Upon completion of the required courses (21 to 22 semester hours), including independent study or internship, the student will be awarded a certificate and receive the biotechnology certificate on their transcript. The certificate may be completed in addition to an undergraduate or graduate degree or as a stand-alone certificate. For complete information, see the Biotechnology Certificate description.

Graduate

The master’s program in biology is designed to prepare graduates for research and teaching positions, employment in business and industry, advanced training as secondary school science teachers and for graduate work at the doctoral level. The MS in biology may be obtained with an emphasis in ecology, genetics, plant systematics, evolutionary biology, neurobiology, microbiology, animal behavior, cell and developmental biology or molecular biology. These emphases are available through two tracks of study: the course work (non-research) M.S. track or the thesis (research) M.S. track.

The Department of Integrative Biology consists of a small highly-qualified and dedicated group of faculty who sponsor thesis projects in their areas of expertise. They have attracted extramural research support from a wide variety of sources, including:

Environmental Protection Agency
National Science Foundation
National Institutes of Health
U.S. Forest Service
National Park Service
private agencies

The department occupies modern, well-equipped laboratories on the Auraria campus in downtown Denver. There are also many opportunities for field research.

BIOLOGY MS REQUIREMENTS

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