Welcome from the Chairman

Welcome to the Home Pages of the Biology Department of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Here you will find convenient links to the many innovative programs and activities of the Department and its distinguished Faculty.

Created in 1992 by the merger of Botany and Zoology, Biology has become one of the most popular majors in the University (see the Department at a Glance), with a strong commitment to undergraduate and graduate education. We have taken a leadership position in establishing Learning Goals focusing on scientific skills and reasoning, and have embraced the College goal of being at the forefront of instructional innovation. We have a forward-looking Curriculum and a broad range of Courses spanning the major areas of Biology.

Our faculty have been extremely successful in securing grants to support educational innovations. Major awards from The Howard Hughes Memorial Institute (which funded the Biology Computer Resource Center, as well as a series of Research Opportunities for Undergraduates), the Pew Course Redesign Project, and the National Science Foundation (Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology) greatly enhance and expand State-funded educational opportunities . We have a full-time Undergraduate Program Office for student advising, and the Pre-Medical Advising Office is nearby.

Our Graduate Education is centered on the four interdepartmental Graduate Programs in Molecular and Cellular Biology, Neuroscience and Behavior, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, and Plant Biology, and most of the ~60 Graduate Students advised by Biology Faculty are enrolled in one of these programs. These four Programs, each with their own curriculum, seminar series and staff, provide Graduate Students with a rich educational environment focused on their field of interest.

Most of our Faculty are engaged in cutting edge research, with external funding increasing in the last five years to over $4.5 million in 2006, and supporting research by undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Especially strong research clusters have been developed in Developmental Genetics, Cell Biology, Physiology, and Systematics and Evolution. The Department houses new research facilities for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Zebrafish Breeding, and Cell Culture, and has an extensive series of Greenhouses and Plant Environmental Chambers, a Herbarium, and Zoological Collections. Also conveniently located in the same building are the Central Microscopy Facility, and Animal Rooms.

Whether you are a prospective Undergraduate or Graduate student, and Alumnus/a, or just visiting, we trust you will find the information you need here. We also welcome inquiries by telephone or personal visits.

W. Brian O'Connor
Chair, Biology Department

Biological Sciences | Natural Sciences and Mathematics
University of Massachusetts | UMass President

© 2004 University of Massachusetts Amherst. Site Policies. This site is maintained by the Biology Department.