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Biology

Resources	Faculty
Admission Requirements	Degree Requirements

The biology master’s program at Shippensburg University has an emphasis in ecology and environmental biology. The classes are small with opportunities to work with peers and faculty. Successful students are poised to seek new fields of endeavor, advance in their current professions, or prepare themselves for continuing academic training or educational opportunities through thesis or non-thesis degree options.

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for admission to the M.S. program, you must:

• Have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
• Present an official transcript showing at least a 2.75 cumulative grade point average for your undergraduate studies.
• Have completed at least 33 semester hour credits of undergraduate biology or biology related courses (e.g. forestry, horticulture, environmental studies), and have taken at least four chemistry courses with labs, including both inorganic and organic chemistry or biochemistry.
• In addition, it is recommended that applicants have completed math through Calculus I and two lab courses in physics.

Degree Requirements

Master of Science in Biology

31* semester hour credits. BIO 515 How to Research, Write and Publish a Scientific Paper and BIO 593 Biometry are required. The remaining courses are chosen with advisement.

*At least 21 credits must be earned in biology courses (including courses offered by the Marine Science Consortium at Wallops Island). The remainder may be selected, with advisement, from courses in chemistry, physics, math, computer science, or geography/earth science. Up to 9 transfer credit hours may count towards this total. A minimum of 15 credits must be earned in 500 or 600 level courses.

Elective Courses

400 level

• BIO 417      Herpetology (s)
• BIO 423      Plant Pathology
• BIO 425      Biota of Florida
• BIO 444      Conservation Biology
• BIO 448      Field Botany & Plant Taxonomy
• BIO 455      Algae & Aquatic Plants
• BIO 463      Vertebrate Zoology
• BIO 485      Biological Microscopy & Imaging
• BIO 494      Field Research Technique(s)

500 level

• BIO 514      Aquatic Entomology (s)
• BIO 520      Plant Ecology
• BIO 541     Ecosystems Ecology
• BIO 547      Wetland Ecology (s)
• BIO 555      Comparative Environmental Physiology
• BIO 558      Microbial Ecology
• BIO 559      Evolutionary Ecology
• BIO 562      Invertebrate Zoology
• BIO 577      Ecomorphology
• BIO 594      Selected Topic (1-3 cr.)

(0ther 400 and 500 level courses may be taken as electives with advisement.)

600 level

• BIO 600       Elements of Research
• BIO 605-608 Graduate Research (3-12 cr.)
• BIO 609       Internship
• BIO 612       Thesis I
• BIO 613       Thesis II

Special Resources

The Department of Biology maintains:

• an animal care facility, a greenhouse, herbarium, and environmental growth chambers
• a vertebrate museum with diverse holdings affiliated with The Pennsylvania State Museum
• a scanning electron microscope for class work and independent research
• a computer and video imaging laboratory
• laboratory areas for those who are engaged in independent research
• a stream, restored wetland, and two-acre pond for research and classroom use

As a charter member of the Marine Science Consortium, Shippensburg University, in cooperation with other member institutions, offers a variety of marine science studies and research opportunities at Wallops Island, Virginia, during the summer. The consortium maintains a fleet of small boats that is outfitted specifically for marine studies in the Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, Chincoteague Bay, and the tributaries to these waters.

The campus is ideally located for ecological field studies. Located in the scenic Cumberland Valley we are only a short drive away from Pennsylvania State Forest lands, the Appalachian Trail and a variety of wetland habitats. You can experience mountain, piedmont, and coastal regions with their flora and fauna and observe a wide range of land usage. Within two and one-half hours from campus, you can visit federal, state, and regional headquarters of agencies related to ecological and biological studies.

The Ezra Lehman Memorial Library, located at the center of campus, contains more than 400,000 bound volumes, 1.5 million microfilm pieces, 60,000 government documents, and 40,000 maps and audiovisual materials. In addition, the library provides access to electronic databases and Internet resources.

Internships

There are a variety of internship opportunities available including state and federal agencies, scientific societies, and non-profit organizations such as:

• Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
• Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
• Pennsylvania Game Commission
• United States Department of Agriculture/Forest Service
• The Nature Conservancy

Theses

Topics of recent theses included the following:

• Small mammal surveys in Northeastern Pennsylvania
• Characterization of water quality, nutrient sources, and contributing areas for spring creeks
• Natural history of the box turtle in southcentral PA
• Amphibian community structure in temporary ponds
• Plant community structure in temporary ponds
• Dragon fly communities in disturbed habitats
• Serpent community structure
• Radio-telemetry studies of spotted turtle dispersion
• Conservation biology of endangered butterflies

Career Opportunities

The growing need to understand the natural world and manage our impact on it has resulted in a growth in demand and job opportunities for people with ecological/environmental backgrounds. Shippensburg University graduates have been successful at finding employment with state and federal agencies, non-profit organizations, private consulting firms, and secondary schools. Many go on to pursue doctoral studies. Potential opportunities for students with an interest in ecology and the environment include Research Technician, Park Naturalist, Outdoor Educator, Wildlife Biologist, Forester, Environmental Consultant, College Professor, Entomologist, Water Quality Control Technician, Environmental Planner, Teacher, Natural Resource Manager, Field Ecologist, Researcher, Environmental Impact Analyst, Toxicologist, Museum or Zoo Curator, Conservation Biologist, Fisheries Biologist, etc.

Faculty

James H. Mike, Ph.D., dean, College of Arts and Sciences.

Gregory S. Paulson, Ph.D., chair, Washington State University, applied insect ecology, electron microscopy and imaging.

Sherri Bergsten, Ph.D., Princeton University, Eukaryotic genetics, Drosophila behavior.

Pablo Delis, Ph.D., University of South Florida, herpetology, vertebrate ecology, population biology, conservation.

Lucinda H. Elliot, Ph.D., University of Kentucky, immunology of primary intracranial tumors (gliomas).

Todd M. Hurd, Ph.D., State University of New York - Syracuse, ecosystem ecology, the effects of biotic and abiotic processes on plant species distribution, and nitrogen cycling.

Larry H. Klotz, Ph.D., Cornell University, botany, plant structure and diversity, vegetational studies, field surveys of rare plant species.

Marcie L. Lehman, Ph.D., University of Maryland at Baltimore, environmental microbiology, marine molecular microbial ecology.

Theo S. Light, Ph.D., University of California - Davis, aquatic ecology, conservation biology, invertebrate zoology.

David R. Long, Ph.D., Texas Tech University, morphology and reproductive biology of amphibians and reptiles.

Timothy J. Maret, Ph.D., Arizona State University, population and community ecology.

Michael R. Marshall, Ph.D., University of Nebraska, host parasite physiology of plant diseases infected by fungi.

Michael J. McNichols, Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, comparative animal physiology and endocrinology.

Earl L. Nollenberger, D.Ed., Pennsylvania State University, histochemical studies on environmental toxins, biology of aging, nutrition.

William J. Patrie, Ph.D., Cornell University, cell biology, molecular biology, and protein structure and function.

Richard L. Stewart, Jr., Ph.D., The Ohio State University, medical entomology, acarology, parasitology, science education.