2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog
Biological Sciences
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Faculty
Chair
Michelle Starz-Gaiano
Professor
Charles J. Bieberich
B.S., University of Tampa, 1982; Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University, 1987
Rachel Brewster
S.F.B., University of Geneva (Switzerland), 1989; Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1996
Thomas Cronin
SciB., Dickinson College, 1967; M.S., Duke University, 1969; Ph.D., 1979
David M. Eisenmann
B.S., University of Pennsylvania, 1985; Ph.D., Harvard University, 1992
Ivan Erill
B.S., Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain), 1996; M.Eng., 2000; Eng. D., 2002
Philip J. Farabaugh
B.A., University of California, San Diego, 1972; Ph.D., Harvard University, 1978
Stephen Freeland
B.A., Oxford, 1991; M.S., University of New York, 1993, Ph.D., Harvard University, 1999
Jeffery W. Leips
B.S., Florida State University, 1983; Ph.D., 1997
Weihong Lin
B.S., Zhongsham University (China), 1982; M.S., 1988; Ph.D., Colorado State University, 1998
Hua Lu
B.S., Nanjing University (China), 1990; M.S., 1993; Ph.D., Texas A&M University, 1999
Tamra Mendelson
B.S., University of Wisconsin, 1991; Ph.D., Duke University, 2001
Kevin Omland
B.A., Dartmouth College, 1985; Ph.D., The University at Albany, 1995
Phyllis R. Robinson
B.A., Wellesley College, 1973; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1981
Michelle Starz-Gaiano
B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1994; Ph.D., New York University, 2002
Associate Professor
Mauricio M. Bustos
B.A., Universidad Nacional de Cordoba (Argentina), 1982; Ph.D., University of California, Irvine, 1986
Jeffrey Gardner
B.S., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2002; Ph.D., 2008
Erin Green
B.A., Bryn Mawr College, 2000; Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 2007
Maricel Kann
B.S., Universidad de la República (Uruguay), 1991; M.S., 1994; Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2001
Daniel Lobo
B.S., University of Seville (Spain), 2005; M.S., University of Malaga (Spain), 2007; Ph.D., 2010
Bernard Lohr
A.B., Cornell University, 1984; M.S., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1989; Ph.D., Duke University, 1995
Stephen M. Miller
B.S., Case Western Reserve University, 1984; Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1991
Harold J. Schreier
B.S., California Polytechnic State University, 1978; Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, 1983
Assistant Professor
Mercedes Burns
B.A., Macalester College, 2006; Ph.D. University of Maryland, College Park, 2014
Kathleen Cusick
B.S., Dickinson College, 1997; M.S., Florida Institute of Technology, 2000; Ph.D., University of Tennessee, 2009
Tara LeGates
B.S., Rider University, 2007; Ph.D., The Johns Hopkins University, 2017
Achuth Padmanabhan
B.Tech., Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli (India), 2005; Ph.D., University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 2012
Laurie Sutton
B.Sc., University of Waterloo (Canada), 2003; M.Sc., 2005; Ph.D., 2011
Fernando Vonhoff
B.S., Free University of Berlin (Germany), 2007; Ph.D., Arizona State University, 2012
Research Assistant Professor
Nykia Walker
B.A., University of Pennsylvania, 2006; M.S., 2007; Ph.D., Rutgers University, 2018
Principal Lecturer
Steven Caruso
B.S., University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1994; Ph.D., 2002
Sarah Leupen
B.A., Oberlin College, 1993; Ph.D., Northwestern University, 1998
Cynthia Wagner
B.A., Concordia College, 1981; Ph.D., Washington University, 1998
Senior Lecturer
Elizabeth Feeser
B.S., Georgetown University, 2002; Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University, 2008
Esther Fleischmann
B.A., New York University, 1974; Ph.D., University of Georgia, 1988
Jennifer Hughes
B.S., University College Cork (Ireland), 1998; Ph.D., University College Dublin (Ireland), 2003
Tracy A. Smith
B.S., Washington College, 2000; M.A.T., Wesley College, 2002; Ph.D., University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 2014
Lecturer/Instructor
Javier Rivera Guzman
B.S., Inter American University of Puerto Rico, 2002; Ph.D., Indiana University, 2009
Professor Emeritus
Daphne Blumberg
B.S., Iowa State University of Science and Technology, 1970; Ph.D., Tufts University School of Medicine, 1976
Brian Bradley
B.S., University of Edinburgh (U.K.), 1962; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1966
Robert Burchard
B.A., Brown University, 1960; M.Sc., 1962; Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1965
Nessly C. Craig
B.A., Reed College, 1963; Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1967
Frank Hanson
A.B., The University of Iowa, 1960; Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1965
Lasse Lindahl
M.S., University of Copenhagen (Denmark), 1969; Ph.D., 1973
Suzanne O. Rosenberg
A.B., Barnard College, 1970; Ph.D., California Institute of Technology, 1975
Phillip S. Sokolove
B.A., University of California, Berkeley, 1964; Ph.D., Harvard University, 1969
Richard E. Wolf, Jr.
B.A., University of Cincinnati, 1963; M.S., 1968; Ph.D., 1970
Associate Professor Emeritus
Richard Gethmann
B.S., Washington State University, 1964; M.S., Oregon State University, 1966; Ph.D., The University of Chicago, 1970
John Kloetzel
B.A., University of Southern California, 1962; Ph.D., The Johns Hopkins University, 1967
Michael C. O’Neill
B.S., University of Santa Clara, 1962; Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1969
Senior Lecturer Emeritus
Bryan MacKay
B.A., University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1973; M.S., 1979
James W. Sandoz
B.A., University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1976; M.S., 1983
The Department of Biological Sciences at UMBC offers Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees that provide an innovative, comprehensive overview of current knowledge, thought and research in the fast-moving, exciting fields of 21st century biological science. Students pursuing the Biological Sciences degrees take a required core of courses that is complemented by a series of laboratories and supplemented with a variety of electives in areas representing the scholarly interests of the diverse faculty. In addition to learning in the classroom, students also have the opportunity to engage in independent research in the lab, the field, the library or off-campus, working one-on-one with a faculty mentor. Students in all programs encounter talented and dedicated faculty and staff, an emphasis on the individual needs of students, up-to-date research facilities, and the nurturing environment that are the hallmarks of UMBC’s Department of Biological Sciences.
Students’ career objectives help guide students in choosing their course of study in any of the five majors and three minors. The Biological Sciences, B.A. curriculum is designed for students who want to pursue a career in a health-related profession (dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, or veterinary medicine) or those interested in training in an allied health field (dental hygiene, medical and research technology, nursing, pharmacy or physical therapy). The B.A. is also appropriate for students wanting to combine another area of study - such as education, environmental studies, law, art, or science writing - with a solid background in biology.
The Biological Sciences, B.S. curriculum is most appropriate for students planning to pursue graduate study in biological, biomedical, or health-related sciences, or who wish to gain employment in a technical or laboratory research setting.
The curriculum leading to the Biology Education, B.A. degree couples the coursework required for the regular Biological Sciences, B.A. degree with additional courses necessary and recommended for certification to teach biology at the secondary level. Students completing this degree have a strong foundation in the biological sciences and are capable of working in a range of technical positions in addition to secondary education.
The Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, B.S. offers comprehensive training in the fields of bioinformatics and computational biology by combining courses in the areas of biology, chemistry, physics, computer science and mathematics. The curriculum consists of coursework in biology, computer science, and related disciplines (chemistry, information systems, mathematics, and physics), complemented by two specific courses in bioinformatics and computational biology. Graduates acquire the necessary skills for automated querying and data analysis using complex databases, extraction of essential information from genomic and proteomic data, modeling of biological systems, as well as the design and development of software and algorithms to support these activities.
The Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, B.S. (offered by the Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry and Biochemistry ) offers students an interdisciplinary curriculum taught by a diverse range of faculty members. With a curriculum drawing from both disciplines, as well as specific biochemistry courses, the program provides a broad background in the physical and life sciences. It is suitable for students planning careers in laboratory research or further training in graduate, medical or other biomedical professional programs, such as medicine, dentistry and medical technology.
The Biological Sciences Department also offers three minors (Biology Minor , Quantitative Biology Minor , and Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Minor ) that provide a thorough understanding of the essential features of modern biological science, and which are appropriate to combine with an in-depth major program in some other academic discipline. In addition, students seeking to combine studies in other disciplines with a specialized focus on certain areas of biological science can pursue an Individualized Study program as an alternative route.
Finally, the Department offers courses designed for students pursuing a career in allied health fields (nursing, physical therapy, etc.) and offers courses of cultural value as part of a liberal education intended for non-science majors.
Students should visit the Biological Sciences department website to check for the most current course information, major requirements, forms, seminars, research opportunities and other important announcements. In addition, students can follow events and announcements from the department at the Biological Sciences myUMBC group.
Academic Advising
Students work with their advisor every semester to discuss course registration, academic progress, and post-graduation plans. First-time students with first-year standing and some juniors and seniors are to be advised by the department’s academic advisors. After this, students are assigned to a faculty member for advising. Students pursuing the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, B.S. may be assigned an advisor in the Chemistry Department or Biological Sciences Department. Students must see their assigned advisors during the pre-registration period before they can register for classes in each subsequent semester.
Additional advising is available for pre-allied health students in the UMBC Office for Academic and Pre-Professional Advising and for pre-professional students in the Pre-Medicine and Pre-Dentistry Advising Office located in the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences (CNMS). These career-specific advising offices supplement, but do not replace the academic major advisors.
M.S. in Applied Molecular Biology
Students interested in the one-year master’s degree program in Applied Molecular Biology are considered for admission to the program on a competitive basis. Students can use up to three courses (or 12 credits) from their undergraduate degrees and, in so doing, save money and reduce their graduate course work. Students should consult with the director of the Applied Molecular Biology Program for advisement as to which courses are appropriate for both degrees.
Application for admission should be submitted in the final semester of the senior year. More information is available on the Applied Molecular Biology program website.
Research Opportunities
Talented undergraduates committed to performing quality independent research are encouraged to apply for a variety of biological research opportunities offered by UMBC’s outstanding faculty. Under the guidance of faculty mentors, student research assistants may work on their own projects or help their mentors with important research. These unique, intensive experiences allow students to sharpen their critical thinking skills, learn how to write and read scientific papers, and expand their scientific understanding of biological concepts. Undergraduate lab experience increasingly is becoming a prerequisite for science-based employment or acceptance to graduate, professional or medical school. Students should consult the department website or contact individual faculty members for information on possible independent research opportunities.
Biological Sciences Learning Center
Biology students are invited to use the facilities in the Biology Learning Center. The Learning Center offers a quiet study space and tutoring options. Tutors are available for upper-level biology courses, free of charge. Students can find additional studying and tutoring resources through the Academic Success Center.
Student Organizations: Biology Council of Majors (BioCOM)
All biological sciences, biology education, bioinformatics and computational biology, and biochemistry and molecular biology majors are welcome to join the Biology Council of Majors (BioCOM). This very active student organization strives to “promote the achievement of the professional ambitions of its members and to serve as a means of social contact among them.” Up to date information about meeting times, locations, and events is available from the BioCOM website. Other student-run clubs for those pursuing a variety of health-related professions also exist on campus.
ProgramsMajorMinorCoursesBiology
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