Biological Sciences Department

College of the Sciences
Ellensburg
Science Bldg., room 338
Mail Stop 7537
509-963-2731
www.cwu.edu/biology
See website for how this program may be used for educational and career purposes.

Faculty and Staff
Chair
Holly C. Pinkart, PhD

Professors
Clay Arango, PhD, stream ecology and nitrogen biogeochemistry
Lucinda Carnell, PhD, molecular behavioral genetics
Blaise Dondji, PhD, human physiology, microbiology, parasitology, immunology
Kristina A. Ernest, PhD, ecology and mammalogy
Jason T. Irwin, PhD, animal physiology
Paul W. James, PhD, ecology and fisheries biology
James E. Johnson, PhD, mycology, systematics
Holly C. Pinkart, PhD, microbiology, microbial ecology, virology
Mary E. Poulson, PhD, plant physiology
Wayne S. Quirk, PhD, sensation and perception, neuroscience
Ian J. Quitadamo, PhD, STEM education, cell and molecular biology
Linda A. Raubeson, PhD, evolutionary biology and genetics
Gabrielle Stryker, PhD, microbiology, immunology and parasitology
Lixing Sun, PhD, behavioral ecology, evolutionary biology, and primatology

Associate Professors
April Binder, PhD, cell biology, developmental and reproductive biology
Alison Scoville, PhD, ecological and evolutionary genomics

Assistant Professor
Sarah Oppelt, PhD, biochemistry and cell biology, metabolism, and inflammation

Lecturers
Eric Fleming, PhD, microbiology
Eric Graham, PhD, plant ecology
Fabiola Serra-Fuertes, DVM, animal biology, physiology

Emeritus Faculty
Daniel D. Beck, PhD, physiological ecology and herpetology
Tom R. Cottrell, PhD, plant ecology
David M. Darda, PhD, evolutionary vertebrate morphology, herpetology
Stamford D. Smith, PhD, entomology

Staff
Emil Babik, engineering technician
Stacey Ferris, secretary senior
Brian LaBore, instructional classroom support technician
Mari Knirck, fiscal specialist I
Kariann Linnell, fiscal specialist supervisor
Elaina Martinez, instructional classroom support technician
Linnea Stavney, instructional classroom support technician
Ormacinda White, engineering technician
Mark Young, instructional classroom support technician

Program Description
The graduate program in biology is designed to provide training and expertise for those needing a terminal degree for entry-level biological science positions in state, federal, and tribal agencies, as well as for positions in private industry or teaching at the secondary or community college level. It serves other students by providing them with the skills and techniques required for further graduate study beyond the MS degree. Students considering further graduate study should work closely with their major advisor to design a program of coursework that meets the requirements for PhD programs. Graduate students in biology may tailor their program to emphasize a specific discipline within the biological sciences.

Admission
Admission is a two-step process. Applicants must first meet the general requirements for graduate study as determined by the Office of Graduate Studies and Research, and then the specific requirements of the Department of Biological Sciences. Items needed to enroll:

1. An undergraduate degree in biology or closely related field. Deficiencies in the student’s undergraduate training as determined by the Department of Biological Sciences at the time of admission to the program must be removed without graduate credit during the first year of graduate study.
2. Students must submit GRE scores for the general test. Students applying to the masters in biology with a specialization in biomedical sciences may substitute MCAT scores for GRE scores.
3. International students for whom English is a second language must provide TOEFL scores to demonstrate English proficiency.
4. Students must arrange for a graduate faculty advisor in the Department of Biological Sciences to serve as their major advisor.

Course Offerings
Frequency of course offering information can be found at the department website: www.cwu.edu/biology or by contacting the department directly.

Programs

• Biology, MS

Courses

• BIOL 500 - Professional Development
• BIOL 501 - Research Methods and Techniques
• BIOL 502 - Research Proposal Presentations
• BIOL 505 - Current Topics in Biology
• BIOL 510 - Science of Learning
• BIOL 513 - Advanced Biostatistics
• BIOL 528 - Nutrigenomics
• BIOL 532 - Epigenetics
• BIOL 535 - Cell Analysis by Flow Cytometry
• BIOL 546 - Endocrinology
• BIOL 565 - Advanced Animal Behavior
• BIOL 566 - Conservation Biology
• BIOL 590 - Cooperative Education
• BIOL 592 - Biological Field Studies
• BIOL 595 - Graduate Research
• BIOL 596 - Individual Study
• BIOL 598 - Special Topics
• BIOL 599 - Seminar
• BIOL 602 - Research Presentations
• BIOL 696 - Individual Study
• BIOL 698 - Special Topics
• BIOL 699 - Seminar
• BIOL 700 - Master’s Thesis, Project Study, and/or Examination