Welcome to the Biology Department

Our faculty and staff are dedicated to providing students with a creative, engaging, and flexible program of study that stimulates their intellectual curiosity, prepares them for rewarding careers in a wide range of professions, and encourages them to employ their scientific knowledge in ways that serve the common good of humanity and that respect the diversity of life on our planet. We are large enough to offer variety and quality in both the courses we teach and the research opportunities we provide, but we are small enough to give our students the individual attention they deserve throughout their entire undergraduate career.

We hope you will explore our website and learn more about what we have to offer. Please do not hesitate to contact me (t.lewis@stthomas.edu) if you would more information about us. If you would like to see our facilities or to meet with me personally, our Admissions office would be glad to arrange a visit.

Tim Lewis, Chair

 

His 1859 book, On the Origin of Species, established evolution by common descent as the dominant scientific explanation of diversification in nature. During the 1940s and 1950s, McClintock discovered transposition and used it to show how genes are responsible for turning physical characteristics on or off. His experiments confirmed the germ theory of disease, and he created the first vaccine for rabies. Fosseys book Gorillas in the Mist was praised by Nikolaas Tinbergen who was a Dutch ethologist and ornithologist who won the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Her book remains the best selling book about gorillas of all time. During his lifetime van Leeuwenhoek ground over 500 optical lenses. He also created over 400 different types of microscopes, only nine of which still exist today. Maria, a Goldwater Scholarship winner, is working in Dr. Jennifer Cruise's lab on rap1, a tumor suppressor gene. Katherine, a Goldwater Scholarship winner, is working in Dr. Adam Kay's lab on how the nutrient phosphorus affects life history characteristics of freshwater snails. Ann is a May 2008 graduate and was very active in the Pre-Health Professions Club & peer advising. Beth has conducted research in Dr. Jayna Ditty's lab since her first year at UST. Luke is a May 2008 graduate; among other things he did research in the Immunology Lab.