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Philosophic Commitments - The faculty:
is committed to providing strong undergraduate and graduate programs in biology related to the natural occurrence of organisms and encompassing all levels of biological function from molecules to ecosystems,
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is committed to a perspective that research is fundamentally important to their professional growth and to the teaching vitality of the
department,
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is committed to innovative and rigorous teaching at all levels,
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is committed to the principle that research is birthed from the creativity of individual faculty but that it is strengthened by collaborative interactions within the department as well as between departments, other universities and community agencies, and
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believes that awareness of the scientific method as practiced by biologists is essential to students seeking a balanced,
liberal education.
Where we currently are:
We have 20 faculty members. Our research and teaching explore several facets of biology that bridge the gap between molecules and ecosystems, but we maintain our focus on organisms. We offer entry level classes for students majoring in biology as well as for students majoring in other fields, and a rich diversity of courses at the upper division and graduate levels. The approximately 500 students majoring in biology have four possible tracks through the subject (general biology, organismal biology, micro and molecular biology, and botany). Regardless of the track, students will experience the breadth of biology including genetics, physiology, and evolution. Students will also experience a diversity of other subjects including systematics, ecology, anatomy, and biochemistry.
There are approximately 60 graduate students (15 Ph.D., 50 M.S.) in the Department of Biology. Most of the graduate students must complete a thesis that is based on original research and supervised by a faculty committee. This puts a premium on collaboration among faculty within the unit as well as cultivating research opportunities with off-campus organizations (e.g., OHSU, the Oregon Zoo, ODFW and the USFS). There are several collaborative on-going research projects involving graduate students with cooperating agencies in Oregon, primarily agencies in Portland.
Research areas:
Animal Physiology and Behavior
Drs. Crawshaw, Garlid, Hillman, Murphy, Podrabsky, and Zelick comprise this research group and share a common focus on utilizing comparative models to understand physiological mechanisms of environmental adaptation in vertebrates. This is a highly integrative group with research programs operating on many levels of biological organization, from organismal physiology and behavioral ecology to molecular mechanisms of gene expression. In more specific terms, the comparative physiology group has extensive research capacity in cardiovascular physiology, mitochondrial physiology, temperature regulation and acclimation, neurobiology and sensory physiology, behavior, osmoregulation and dehydration tolerance, energetics, ethanol effects, and environmental effects on development and behavior in both a laboratory and field context. Students interested in understanding how animals adjust their physiology to exploit various environments as well as pre-professional students (physicians, nurses, dentists, medical-technicians, etc.) will find the courses offered by this group of particular interest.
Genetics, Genomics, Molecular and Cell Biology
Drs. Bartlett, Courcelle, Cruzan, Estes, Masta, Podrabsky, Popa, Reysenbach, and Stedman are investigating molecular and cellular mechanisms that influence cell and genome maintenance, comparing genomes and transcriptomes of different organisms, and using genomic and proteomic approaches to understand how organisms interact with their environments. One group focuses on organisms, viruses, and communities inhabiting extreme environments. This group is part of the multi-disciplinary Center for Life in Extreme Environments at Portland State University, and also is intertwined with the Ecology and Evolution and Systematics groups in the Biology Department. Many of these faculty are also involved in the inter-campus Integrated Graduate Education Research Training Subsurface Biosphere program with Oregon State University. Other faculty members in the group focus on organisms ranging from plants to arachnids to fishes to humans. This faculty group will be of particular interest to students who are interested in molecular, genetic, genomic, and proteomic techniques, and in understanding the genetic and molecular basis of how organisms adapt to their environment.
Evolution and Systematics
Drs. Bartlett, Cruzan, Duffield, Eppley, Estes, Fishbein, Masta, Reysenbach, Ruedas, and Stedman conduct research programs that focus on how genes and organisms change over time. Their work examines how populations change and ultimately how such genetic and phenotypic evolution affects species diversity, in organisms ranging from bacteria to plants and animals. In addition, they examine coevolutionary adaptations of viruses, and mechanisms of coevolution. These faculty integrate field sampling, field observations, and experimentation, with sequencing and other molecular techniques in order to address questions concerning historical and contemporary changes in organisms and populations. Their work encompasses aspects of conservation genetics, biogeography, phylogeography, speciation, hybridization, phylogenetics, molecular evolution, and systematics. Students who wish to understand the processes by which our world's biological diversity has evolved will benefit from this group's research and teaching in evolution and systematics.
Ecology
The research of Drs. Cruzan, Duffield, Eppley, Estes, Jones, Murphy, Ruedas, Reysenbach,
and Stedman directly or indirectly has roots in ecology, and the faculty use combinations of classical and molecular tools to address questions in ecology. These faculty study the ecology of microbes and viruses that inhabit extreme environments such as hot springs, marine hydrothermal vents, deep and cold marine sediments; the population genetics of dolphins and whales; plant ecological genetics and phylogeography; biogeography; evolution; conservation; invasive species biology; island biology; behavioral ecology of vertebrates; urban ecology and effects of fragmentation on vertebrate communities; population and behavioral ecology; forest ecology; extrapair mating systems of birds; and coevolution of viruses and their hosts. The faculty are focused on addressing questions concerning the factors affecting the distribution and abundance of organisms, and factors affecting this abundance as well as the behavior of populations. Their research will interest students who wish to explore the contributions of microorganisms to natural ecosystems, naturally occurring factors that influence the structure of natural communities, and conservation ecology and phylogeography.
Science, Education and Society
Drs. Bartlett, Murphy, Reysenbach, Ruedas, Stedman and Weasel are particularly involved in science education and outreach. Dr. Weasel has unique expertise in education and ethics, along with molecular biology and genetics. Her research draws together issues of biotechnology and genetic engineering; gender, race, and class in science; ethics and values in science; and the intersection of biology and society in shaping what we know about life. She seeks to improve scientific literacy at all levels of education and to promote equity for underrepresented groups in science. Dr. Weasel has a major international research project on ethics and values relating to biotechnology. All of the faculty have ongoing collaborations with local public school districts, the Graduate School of Education, and ed-oriented groups on and off campus. Students who are interested in teaching science or in methods to improve learning in science, as well as those interested in ethics and values in science, will be attracted to the research and courses offered by Dr. Weasel. Direct opportunities for high school students and teachers range from courses offered at Yellowstone National Park (Dr. Reysenbach) to hands-on laboratory and field research (Drs. Bartlett, Murphy, Ruedas, and Stedman).
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