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Hodson Gallery - Hood College

Biology and Environmental Science

Overview

Our faculty members are committed teachers and mentors who actively work with students to study the living world, develop critical thinking skills and integrate concepts from our broad-based curriculum to solve biological problems. From investigating cells to studying ecosystems, we emphasize a strong foundation in biology that includes practical classroom, laboratory and field experiences.

Our small class sizes foster an excellent learning environment that truly values student-faculty interactions. In addition, our faculty actively engage students in a rich variety of undergraduate research projects, a true hallmark of our commitment to a high quality undergraduate experience in biology.

The Department of Biology offers two programs leading to a bachelor of arts degree. Both programs benefit from our graduate programs in Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology; seniors have opportunities to take advanced elective courses that are generally not offered by small liberal arts colleges. Our graduates tell us that this provides a head start for graduate school, medical school and the job market.

Biology Major

Our course offerings are well-balanced and broad, ranging from animal behavior to applications of recombinant DNA technology. We work with students to choose a combination of courses to match their goals for further study and for work in biology and health-related fields. These curricular directions include, but are not limited to, ecology, microbiology, molecular biology, pre-medicine, integrative biology and secondary education.

Students who earn a 4 or 5 on the AP Biology exam are exempt from our 110-level offerings and are awarded four credits in biology.

Environmental Science and Policy Major

The bachelor of arts. degree in environmental science and policy is administered by the departments of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, Economics and Management, and History and Political Science. Our program is truly interdisciplinary, encouraging students to look at environmental issues through the eyes of ecologists, economists, political scientists and sociologists.

Students in this major enroll in a common core of coursework in environmental studies, natural sciences, environmental chemistry or environmental policy. Each area of study is structured to meet the goals of that program, however there is ample freedom to tailor programs to the interests and goals of individual students.

Facilities

The Department of Biology is housed on the first floor of the Hodson Science and Technology Center, a $20-million complex that opened in 2002. Classrooms and labs are designed to engage students in a variety of learning activities. All are equipped with the latest in multi-media teaching tools, including Web-based technologies. Specially designed and equipped labs for ecology, microbiology, molecular biology, cell culture, physiology and animal behavior are available for course work and student-faculty research collaborations.

Students can conduct environmental analyses using high liquid pressure chromatography, atomic absorption and other analytical instruments. A greenhouse and environmental chambers are available to grow and study plants. Other major instrumentation includes a scanning electron microscope and automated DNA sequencer. Computer-assisted analysis of data is used extensively in our curriculum, including environmental, general biology and molecular biology labs.

Student Organizations

Students  participate actively in several clubs relating to their personal and professional interests:
  • Environment Club
  • Health Professions Club
  • Tri-Beta Honor Society

Coastal Studies Semester

This 10-week, 16-credit travel-based program enables students to explore the science, technology and history of coastal ecosystems from Florida to the Chesapeake Bay. The curriculum emphasizes hands-on environmental studies and interaction with experts.

Research Opportunities and Internships

Our students work side by side with experienced faculty for senior-level honors projects and independent study. Students also participate in the college-wide Summer Research Institute, which provides funding for student-faculty collaborations. Our students have a strong tradition of presenting their research at scientific meetings, including:
  • American Phytopathological Society
  • American Society of Limnology Oceanography
  • Atlantic Estuarine Research Society
  • Benthic Ecology Meetings
  • UMBC Research Symposium

Internships offer additional opportunities to learn with some of the world's leading scientists. Just five blocks from the Hood campus are the National Cancer Institute's Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Alumnae and Alumni Success

Approximately 50 percent of Hood biology graduates enter the job market in positions such as research assistants, quality control analysts and educators. Our graduates have been employed by the Virginia Department of Natural Resources, the National Institutes of Health, MedImmune and the National Cancer Institute. The remaining half of our graduates continue their education at graduate, veterinary or medical schools such as The Johns Hopkins University, Colorado State University, University of Southern California, University of Texas and the University of North Carolina.

Faculty
Kathy Falkenstein

Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology and Chair of the Department
Phone: (301) 696-3663   
E-mail: falkenstein@hood.edu

Eric Annis

Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology
Phone: (301) 696-3662
E-mail: annis@hood.edu

Ann L. Boyd

Ph.D., Professor of Biology
Phone: (301) 696-3683
E-mail: boyd@hood.edu

Sue Carney

Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology
Phone: (301) 696-3648
E-mail: carney@hood.edu

Ms. Betsy Estilow

Professor of Biology
Phone: (301) 696-3657
E-mail: estilow@hood.edu

Drew Ferrier

Ph.D., Professor of Biology and Director of the Graduate Program in Environmental Biology
Phone: (301) 696-3660
E-mail: dferrier@hood.edu

Ricky Hirschhorn

Ph.D., Professor of Biology and Director of the Graduate Program in Biomedical Science
Phone: (301) 696-3658
E-mail: hirschhorn@hood.edu

Eric Kindahl

Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology and Director of the Undergraduate Program in Environmental Science and Policy
Phone: (301) 696-3659
E-mail: kindahl@hood.edu

Craig Laufer

Ph.D., Professor of Biology and Director of the Graduate Program in Biomedical Science
Phone: (301) 696-3656
E-mail: laufer@hood.edu

Oney Smith

Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology
Phone: (301) 696-3653
E-mail: osmith@hood.edu

For complete departmental information in our online catalog, click here.