The Department of Biology is a community of teacher-scholars, with faculty representing the full breadth of biological specializations — from molecular genetics to landscape/ecosystem ecology.
Our goal is to provide hands-on experiences through classroom laboratories and undergraduate research. Our faculty and our 45 graduate students welcome our undergraduate majors to engage in independent research ongoing in 23 labs, plant, animal and fungal research/teaching collections, a greenhouse, a sixty-seven acre Nature Preserve adjacent to campus and larger land holdings in the area, as well as access to extensive globally significant surrounding state and federal parks and forests.
We seek to enable our graduates to gain sound scientific knowledge, learn the skills needed to create new knowledge, the excitement and appreciation of scientific discovery, and the ability to convey that information and enthusiasm to society. We are dedicated to engaging students in outstanding teaching and we believe that our research and discovery inform the science that we teach.
April 30: Research Day
We hope you can join us for our 2026 Research Day on Thursday, April 30, in Boone. Click here for details.
Department Spotlights
Faculty & Staff
Dr. Rose received a Spring 2023 Student and Faculty Excellence (SAFE) grant to launch her research project, titled "Leaf Spot Endophytes in Southern Appalachian Woodland Plants." The project aims to collect...
Alumni
What do you currently do?
I am the Conservation Director for Southern Appalachia with American Rivers. American Rivers is a national river advocacy organization headquartered in...
