Biology
Overview
Biology is a rapidly expanding, multifaceted discipline, full of possibilities for undergraduate research and for stimulating graduate study and employment after Occidental. Within an evolutionary framework, our program investigates the interactions between molecules, cells, organisms, populations, and ecosystems that constitute life on earth. Interdisciplinary and integrative by nature, the biology program at Occidental engages both majors and non-majors in a curriculum that emphasizes laboratory and field investigation. Our students are encouraged to collaborate with faculty mentors, whose research employs current methods in addressing questions from the molecular to the global in scale. Students acquire skills from careful observation through hypothesis formulation and experimental design to formal oral and written presentations of results. After participating in the biology program at Occidental College, students are prepared for rewarding work and lifelong learning, armed with the tools necessary to understand large complex data sets and help explain the intricacies of living systems. This rigorous program provides our students with the training to enter the work force after graduation and/or transition to an advanced degree program. After completing the major, many students elect to take graduate training toward the PhD. in biological sciences or doctorates of medicine, veterinary medicine, pharmacy or dentistry. Many of our students complete Masters programs in Biological Sciences, teaching, environmental health and safety, and resource management. Receiving a degree in Biology at Occidental College enables our students to excel in any post-baccalaureate professional pursuit.
The Department of Biology is housed within the Bioscience building which is contiguous with the Moore Laboratory of Zoology. Facilities include the bird and mammal collections (70,000 specimens) of Moore Laboratory, greenhouses, facilities for microscopy (scanning and transmission electron and fluorescence), a tissue culture suite and fluorescence-activated cell sorter, fully-equipped molecular biology laboratories, field vehicles, and three research vessels for nearshore marine studies and SCUBA diving. Because of its proximity to the Mojave Desert, the Santa Monica, San Gabriel, and San Bernardino Mountains, and seacoast, Occidental College is ideally suited for field and laboratory studies of environmental biology.
Biology majors must complete these courses within the Biology Department at Occidental: at least two of the four 200-level courses and at least two 300-level electives. A course used to fulfill one requirement cannot fulfill another major requirement. Two-unit transfer courses and AP exams or placement exams do not meet requirements for the major. The Biology Department does not accept online coursework for transfer credit toward the Biology Major.
Major Requirements
No emphasis
Students are required to complete all major requirements and supporting coursework as detailed below in order to earn their degree in Biology.
Introductory Biology
Select one course from the list below:
Cellular and Molecular Biology (2 courses)
| BIO 130 | Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology | 4 units |
And one from:
Environmental Biology
Select one course from the list below:
| BIO 106 | Biology of California | 4 units |
| BIO 260 | Biodiversity and Organization of Marine Ecosystems | 4 units |
| BIO 270 | Ecology | 4 units |
| BIO 275 | Flora of Southern California | 4 units |
Evolutionary Biology
Organismal Biology
Select one course from the list below:
| BIO 240 | Vertebrate Physiology | 4 units |
| BIO 250 | Plant Form and Function | 4 units |
| BIO 275 | Flora of Southern California | 4 units |
Upper-division Biology
Students must select three 300-level Biology courses. At least two of these must be Occidental College Biology laboratory courses.
Senior Seminar
SUPPORTING COURSEWORK
Students are required to complete five additional courses. Two must be in chemistry as detailed below and three additional quantitative courses.
Chemistry
| CHEM 120 | Foundations of General Chemistry | 4 units |
| | Or | |
| CHEM 130 | Advanced Placement General Chemistry | 4 units |
| | | |
| | And | |
| CHEM 220 | Organic Chemistry I | 4 units |
Quantitative Coursework
Three 4-5 unit courses are required to satisfy the quantitative requirement. Two 2-unit courses taken at Occidental College may be combined to satisfy one requirement. Students who pass out of Calculus I must instead take an additional quantitative course from the list of courses below.
| Calculus 1 | Scientific Modeling and Differential Calculus | 4 units |
| | Quantitative Elective - Data Analysis | 4 units |
| | Quantitative Elective | 4 units |
Pre-approved Quantitative Courses
Data Analysis
| BIO 260 | Biodiversity and Organization of Marine Ecosystems | 4 units |
| BIO 268 | Biostatistics | 4 units |
| COGS 255 | Data Analysis and Visualization | 4 units |
| GEO 255 | Spatial Analysis with Geographic Information Science | 4 units |
| MATH 150 | Statistical Data Analysis | 4 units |
| PSYC 201 | Statistics in Psychological Science | 4 units |
Additional Quantitative Course
SECOND-STAGE WRITING REQUIREMENT
Students majoring in Biology will satisfy the second-stage writing requirement by successfully completing two courses at the 300-level (or appropriate course work). Students should familiarize themselves with the departmental requirement at the time of declaring the major. See the Writing Program and consult the department chair for additional information.
HONORS
The Honors Program at Occidental College is designed to allow the superior student’s attention to be focused on a directed investigation for a sustained period of time. It is expected that students admitted to the College Honors Program will have established themselves as outstanding prospects for individualized work in the department of their major and will also have established themselves as doing work of very high quality in all that they have undertaken at Occidental. Student admission to the College Honors Program will be by formal action of the faculty in the student’s major department (taken from the College Catalogue statement on Honors).
Requirements
- Student typically will have worked on a research project for 2 semesters (or 1 semester + summer session) minimum, before applying for honors
- Student must have an average GPA of 3.25 (college policy)
Application Process
- Student should discuss with their research mentor and submit an official Letter of Intent to the Biology Chairperson by the beginning of their senior year, or sooner.
- The letter of intent should include a summary of research results (realized and projected), as well as significance of the research and any projects in progress at the time of submission.
- Applications will be evaluated by the Biology faculty.
- Students nominated for honors will be notified by the Biology Chairperson.
Completion Process
- At the time of nomination, each candidate will be assigned an honors thesis committee of two Biology faculty members, in addition to their faculty mentor. This committee will be available for guidance and to help ensure that milestones are met in a timely manner.
- Milestones will include a thorough literature review, written drafts of the introduction, methods, and results sections, including draft figures, and a final discussion section, as well as preparation of a public seminar.
- The candidate must complete a written thesis of their work. It is expected that the student will spend part of their final semester or directed research writing the thesis.
- The written thesis will be due to the mentor by Monday in the 4th week of February.
- The revised honors thesis will be due to the committee by Monday in the 3rd week of February.
- The thesis will be reviewed by committee, and final revisions must be submitted by the last day of March.
- Honors candidates will also give a presentation on their research during the week of April 15. These presentations will last approximately 15 minutes, with 5 min for questions.
- Honors grades are Pass/Fail and reported to the registrar by the Chair. The chair will inform the students of their grade when it is decided upon by the committee.
Emphasis in Cell and Molecular Biology
Requirements
In addition to completing all major requirements, students pursuing this emphasis must complete:
- one additional 200-level courses in Cell & Molecular Biology (BIO 221, BIO 224, BIO 226), and
- must select three of the following courses to satisfy the 300-level requirement
Emphasis in Marine Biology
Students are required to satisfy all the requirements for the biology major and must take four of the following upper-division courses:
| BIO 260 | Biodiversity and Organization of Marine Ecosystems | 4 units |
| BIO 268 | Biostatistics | 4 units |
| BIO 344 | Invertebrate Morphology and Physiology | 4 units |
| BIO 356 | The Biology of Marine Fishes | 4 units |
| BIO 369 | Biological Oceanography | 4 units |
| GEO 245 | Earth's Climate: Past and Future | 4 units |
These courses may also satisfy biology major requirements.
Emphasis in Environmental Science
Introductory Biology
Select one course from the list below:
Cellular and Molecular Biology
| BIO 130 | Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology | 4 units |
Organismal Biology
Select one course from the list below:
| BIO 240 | Vertebrate Physiology | 4 units |
| BIO 250 | Plant Form and Function | 4 units |
| BIO 275 | Flora of Southern California | 4 units |
Environmental Biology
| BIO 260 | Biodiversity and Organization of Marine Ecosystems | 4 units |
| | Or | |
| BIO 270 | Ecology | 4 units |
Evolutionary Biology
Upper-division Biology
Students must select three 300-level Biology courses from the list below. At least two of these must be Occidental College Biology laboratory courses.
| BIO 350 | Microbial Symbiosis | 4 units |
| BIO 360 | Avian Biology | 4 units |
| BIO 369 | Biological Oceanography | 4 units |
| BIO 380 | Plant Physiological Ecology | 4 units |
Chemistry Component
| CHEM 120 | Foundations of General Chemistry | 4 units |
| | One additional Chemistry course (with a lab) | 4 or 5 units |
Economics Component:
(Two courses required)
| ECON 101 | Principles of Economics I | 4 units |
| ECON 301 | Environmental Economics and Policy | 4 units |
ECON 301: Students may petition for another 300-level course to substitute for ECON 301. An appropriate substitute must deal with environmental policy and be chosen in consultation with Academic Advisor.
Geology Component:
(3 required)
| GEO 105 | Earth: Our Environment | 4 |
| GEO 255 | Spatial Analysis with Geographic Information Science | 4 |
| GEO 245 | Earth's Climate: Past and Future | 4 |
Mathematics Component:
Select one option as detailed below:
Option 1-
| Calculus 2 | Scientific Modeling and Integral Calculus | 4 units |
Option 2-
| Calculus 1 | Scientific Modeling and Differential Calculus | 4 units |
| | And | |
| | Department-approved statistics course | 4 units |
Senior Seminar
Minor Requirements
COURSEWORK
Choose two introductory courses:
| BIO 105 | Marine Biology | 4 units |
| BIO 106 | Biology of California | 4 units |
| BIO 110 | Organisms on Earth | 4 units |
| BIO 115 | General Zoology | 4 units |
| BIO 130 | Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology | 4 units |
Upper-level electives
Choose three additional courses at the 200 or 300 levels, two of which must be taken in the Occidental College Biology Department. Independent Studies and Advanced Placement credit may not count toward the minor.
Graduate Study
Graduate study toward the degree of Master of Arts under the thesis plan may be undertaken in Biology by properly qualified students. Thesis projects may be elected in any of the following fields: cellular biology, developmental biology, immunology, microbiology, molecular biology, neurobiology, biochemistry, comparative physiology, animal behavior, environmental biology, ecology, systematics and evolutionary biology, and marine biology. Graduate courses, numbered 500 and above, are valued at five units unless otherwise noted. Consult the department chair for further information on graduate studies.
Courses
Biology Courses
Faculty
Regular Faculty
Daniel Pondella, chair
Associate Professor, Biology; Director, Vantuna Research Group
A.B., M.A., Occidental College; Ph.D., UCLA
Renee Baran
Associate Professor, Biology; Advisory Committee, Biochemistry; Advisory Committee, Neuroscience
B.A., Macalester College; Ph.D., UC Berkeley
Elizabeth Braker
Professor, Biology; Advisory Committee, Kinesiology; Advisory Committee, Urban and Environmental Policy; Affiliated Faculty, Latino/a and Latin American Studies
B.A., Colorado College; Ph.D., UC Berkeley
Shana Goffredi
Associate Professor, Biology; Advisory Committee, Biochemistry
B.A., University of San Diego; Ph.D., U.C. Santa Barbara
Gary Martin
Professor, Biology
B.A., M.A., California State College, Sonoma; Ph.D., U.C. Berkeley
John McCormack
Assistant Professor, Biology; Affiliated Faculty, Latino/a and Latin American Studies
B.S., University of Arizona; Ph.D., U.C. Los Angeles
Gretchen North
John W. McMenamin Endowed Chair in Biology; Advisory Committee, Biochemistry; Advisory Committee Urban and Environmental Policy
B.A., Stanford University; M.A., University of Connecticut; M.A., College of William and Mary; Ph.D., U.C. Los Angeles
Cheryl Okumura
Assistant Professor, Biology
B.A. Pomona College; Ph.D. U.C. Los Angeles
Roberta Pollock
Professor, Biology; Biochemistry; Advisory Committee, Biochemistry
B.S., Emory University; Ph.D., Harvard University
Joseph Schulz
Associate Professor, Biology; Advisory Committee, Biochemistry; Advisory Committee, Neuroscience
B.S., Indiana University; Ph.D., U.C. San Diego
Amber Stubler
Assistant Professor, Biology
B.S., Ph.D., Stony Brook University
Kerry Thompson
Associate Professor, Biology
B.A., M.A., Ph.D., U.C. Los Angeles
Amanda Zellmer
Assistant Professor, Biology
B.S., University of Wisconsin; Ph.D., University of Michigan
On Special Appointment
Maria Adreani
Non-Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Biology
B.S., U.C., Santa Barbara; M.A., Northeastern University; M.S., Cal State, Northridge; Ph.D. Florida State University
Jeffrey Arendt
Non-Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Biology
B.S., University of Illinois; Ph.D., Binghampton University
Mary Clark
Non-Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Biology
B.A., Occidental College; Ph.D., U.C. Los Angeles
Lily Margaret Eluvathingal
Part-Time Non-Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Biology
B.S., Bangalore University; M.S., Mysore Univresity; Ph.D., Florida International University
James Maley
Collections Manager Moore Laboratory of Zoology
B.S., M.S., University of Alaska Fairbanks; Ph.D., Louisiana State University
Jane E. Mendel
Part-Time Non-Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Biology
B.S., B.A., University of Mississippi; Ph.D., University of Tennessee
Karen Molinder
Non-Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Biology
B.A., Occidental College, Ph.D., U.C. Los Angeles
Gary Schindelman
Full-Time Non-Tenure-Track Associate Professor, Biology
B.S., State University of New York at Binghamton; Ph.D., New York University
Jonathan P. Williams
Non-Tenure-Track Instructor, Biology
B.S., UNC Wilmington; M.S., Cal State Northridge
Laurel Zahn
Non-Tenure-Track Instructor, Biology
B.S., U.C. Santa Cruz; M.S., Cal State Long Beach