About the Department of Biology
A student majoring in one of the two undergraduate degrees offered by the Department of Biology (Biology and Environmental Science) quickly understands that the biological sciences have foundations in the supporting sciences of chemistry, physics and mathematics. The department also offers a M.S. degree (thesis option and non-thesis option) in Biology.
The Biology program is committed to the laboratory approach to science. Students completing the Biology core will have been exposed to all major areas of Biology and are allowed the freedom to concentrate on an area of special interest within the major. There are also sufficient hours of free electives so that a Biology major could obtain secondary teaching certification simultaneously. The faculty is housed in the Hayes Biology building and in the Science Auditorium. The Hayes Biology Building also houses the J. Steadman Collection. Field based study is available at the Dujay Sanctuary in the Big Thicket and at Center for Coastal and Marine Studies (CCMS), located on Pleasure Island near Port Arthur.
The faculty feel that one of its strengths lie in the fact that many of its courses are still taught on the organismal level. Many larger institutions place emphasis on the molecular level and students do not get a feel for the whole organism or taxonomy. Both the molecular and organismal levels are available at Lamar.
Many of the majors in our department have plans to attend professional school in one of the health related sciences (medical, dental, veterinary, etc.). Lamar University boasts a high acceptance rate into these programs. One of the reasons for this success is the Pre-Professional Program in the Health Sciences. There are also several scholarships available to our pre-professional students.
Our faculty has expertise and interest in Behavior, Botany, Cytogenetics, Ecology, Entomology, Epidemiology, Herpetology, Ichthyology, Invertebrate Zoology, Limnology, Mammalogy, Marine Biology, Microbiology, Parasitology, Toxicology and Physiology.
Many of our faculty have prepared talks on various subjects that are available to the public. For information, go to our "Ready to Go Talks" page.
Questions regarding the Biology Department should be directed to rgterry@lamar.edu. Please include a phone number with all correspondence.
Mission Statement
The Biology Department has three missions.
- We seek to produce graduates with a broad-based knowledge of biology and the capacity to apply their education in critically evaluating emerging scientific knowledge.
- The department is committed to providing research opportunities for faculty, undergraduate and graduate students as part of its broader educational mission.
- The Biology department provides courses that fulfill laboratory science requirements for many other degrees and for the university core curriculum.