Biology

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GRADUATE DEGREES OFFERED

Certificate in Genomic Advocacy (see Program Lists at http://www2.indstate.edu/graduate/ )

Master’s in Genetic Counseling (see Program Lists at http://www2.indstate.edu/graduate/ )

Master of Science – with thesis
Master of Science – non thesis

Doctor of Philosophy

Department of Biology
Science Building, room 281
Phone: 812-237-2400
Fax: 812-237-3378

Interim Chairperson:  Dr. Diana K. Hews

GRADUATE FACULTY

Professors

Duong, Taihung, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
Associate Dean and Director, Indiana University School of Medicine, Terre Haute, and Professor of Biology
Specializations: Neurogenerative Diseases*

Gonser, Rusty, Ph.D., University of New York at Albany
Professor of Biology
Specializations: Conservation Ecology, Genetics, Behavioral Ecology, Evolution, Spatial Ecology, Landscape Genetics

Hews, Diana K., Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin
Professor of Biology
Specializations: Behavioral Endocrinology: Animal Communication, Territoriality; Behavioral Ecology.

Hughes, James P., Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
Professor of Biology
Specializations: Endocrinology: Mechanisms of Hormone Action

King, Michael W., Ph.D., University of California, Riverside
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Terre Haute, and Professor of Biology
Specializations: Tissue Regeneration, Molecular and Developmental Biology: Early Nervous System Development*

Lima, Steven L., Ph.D., University of Rochester
Professor of Biology
Specializations: Behavioral and Evolutionary Ecology of Predator-Prey Interaction, Avian Community Ecology, Conservation Biology

Associate Professors

Dannelly, H. Kathleen, Ph.D., Arizona State University
Associate Professor of Biology
Specializations: Microbiology: Adaptation to environmental change, Control of bacterial metabolism, Antibiotic resistance mechanisms, Pathogenic mechanisms in Helicobacter pylori and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Mitchell, William, Ph.D., University of Arizona
Associate Professor of Biology
Specializations: Community and Evolutionary Ecology, Biodiversity

Moga, Margaret, Ph.D., Loyola University of Chicago
Associate Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Terre Haute, and Associate Professor of Biology
Specialization: Neurobiology: Consciousness and Mind-Body Interactions*

Mulkey, Timothy, Ph.D., The Ohio State University
Associate Professor of Biology
Specializations: Plant Physiology: Hormones and Calcium in the Control of Plant Growth, Development, and Tropic Responses

Assistant Professors

Ahmad, Shaad, Ph.D., Stanford University School of Medicine

Specializations: Developmental biology: Cardiogenesis (heart development), Organogenesis, Transcriptional regulatory networks, Systems biology, Computational biology, Genetics, Functional genomics

Bai, Yongsheng, Ph.D., University of Texas at Arlington
Assistant Professor of Biology
Specializations: Next-Generation Sequencing and Bioinformatics: Statistical Model Development, Comparative ‘Omics”, Genetics of Disease, Evolutionary Genomics, Food Antimicrobials

Cho, Kyu Hong, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Assistant Professor of Biology

Specializations: Molecular Microbiology: Pathogenic mechanisms of the Gram-positive human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes, Thermoregulation of capsule production, Endoribonuclease in the RNA degradosome

O’Keefe, Joy, Ph.D., Clemson University
Assistant Professor of Biology
Specializations: Vertebrate Ecology: Bat Ecology, Multi-Scale Habitat Selection, Forest Wildlife Management, Conservation Biology

Schwab, Kristopher, Ph.D., University of Cincinnati
Assistant Professor of Biology
Specialization: Molecular Biology, Human Anatomy & Physiology, Pathophysiology

Steding, Catherine, Ph.D., Indiana University School of  Medicine, Assistant Professor of Biology                                                                                          

Specializations: Medical Genetics: Molecular Biology of Cancer, Cytogenetics, Molecular Genetics

Templeton, Steven, Ph.D., University of Iowa

Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine-Terre Haute, and Assistant Professor of Biology

Specializations: Immunology: Characterization of Lung Immune Responses to Aspergillus fumigatus, Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses, Transgenic and Knockout Mice Strains*

*Primary appointment with Indiana University School of Medicine, Terre Haute

INTRODUCTION

The Department of Biology administers programs leading to the master’s and doctoral degrees. These programs enable students to specialize in a diversity of areas within biology. Students graduating from these programs will be qualified to enter scientific careers in academia, industry, government, or private organizations. 

Graduate programs are specialized to fit the needs and professional aspirations of the individual student. Areas of research expertise of the department include behavior, physiology, microbiology, bioinformatics, cell and molecular biology, ecology, evolution, genomics, and conservation. Within these areas, specific research projects are based on the expertise of the graduate faculty.

MAIN OBJECTIVES

The specific objectives of the graduate program are to:

1. Provide the student with experience in conducting research. The completion of a thesis or dissertation containing original research, suitable for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals, is considered to be the single most important requirement leading to the master’s with thesis or doctoral degree.
2. Provide the student with specialized training in their chosen area.
3. Provide the student with experience in college teaching, grant proposal writing, and scientific communication, and opportunities for scientific outreach and mentoring undergraduate research.

Students, by mutual consent, select a professor from the graduate faculty to serve as a thesis or dissertation advisor. The student and advisor jointly select the student’s committee, subject to approval by the department and the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. The specific curriculum for each student is determined largely by the thesis/dissertation topic, and will be defined jointly by the student, the advisor, and the thesis/dissertation committee.

Course work for the doctorate is also determined in part by qualifying examinations, which are designed to test a student’s knowledge of their programmatic area.  The scope of these examinations will be set by the student’s advisor and dissertation committee.

Recently renovated and well-equipped research laboratories and computational facilities support research in microbiology, molecular biology, physiology, ecology, evolution and bioinformatics. The department is home to the Center for Bat Research, Outreach, and Conservation, which conducts scientific research and community outreach on the biology of bats. The department also houses the core facility of The Center for Genomic Advocacy, a multidisciplinary university center. The core facility is equipped with a next-generation sequencer and other key equipment for genomic research. The department also houses a research museum and maintains a field station, and the University owns three natural areas that can support field research. Additionally, many state and federal natural areas are available nearby for research and teaching.  

Financial support for both master’s with thesis and doctoral students is available on a competitive basis.  This usually takes the form of a teaching assistantship in undergraduate laboratory classes, but may sometimes consist of a research assistantship provided by faculty grant funding.

For master’s non-thesis students there is a culminating experience related to research with a faculty member. This track is a valuable option for pre-professional students who can complete the required 32 hours of course work in one year if online courses are included in the program of study.

MASTER’S DEGREE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Students seeking admission to master’s degree study in biology must:

1. Submit a complete Indiana State University application for admission to the College of Graduate and Professional Studies which includes an official transcript from each school at which college work has been completed.
2. Submit a Curriculum Vitae Application Form, available from the department at http://www2.indstate.edu/biology/ under the graduate program link.
3. Have official  scores submitted for the General Tests of the Graduate Record Examination and, for international students, scores on the TOEFL (See Admissions section of this Catalog).
4. Submit names of three persons from whom letters of recommendation have been requested. Letter writers should be clearly qualified to comment on the applicant’s academic performance, scientific knowledge, and likelihood of success in graduate school.
5. Be admitted to the University by the College of Graduate and Professional Studies (see CGPS links at http://www2.indstate.edu/graduate/apply.htm for their application procedures).
6. Have an overall undergraduate grade index of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale.
7. Have a minimum graduate grade index of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale, if entering with advanced standing.
8. Contact one or more potential advisors within the department to identify at least one who will agree to be the applicant’s graduate advisor should the applicant be admitted to the program. The applicant should request this faculty member to submit a letter of intent to the department.
9. All students are strongly encouraged to visit the department and meet in person with their prospective advisor(s), other faculty, and graduate students during the application process.
10. Student applying to the non-thesis Master’s track are not required to identify their advisor prior to admission although it is recommended. Non-thesis MS student are not eligible for departmental funding and must be self-supported.

Admission is competitive and based on the general quality of the application.  Although notable strength in one area may compensate for below-standard performance in another, the following departmental guidelines define the minimal standards.  Admission to a biology program and awarding funding are typically separate, sequential decisions.

a. Applicants are expected to have completed an undergraduate major in biology, mathematics through calculus or statistics, one year of physics, and chemistry through organic. Applicants may be granted admission conditional on the removal of course work deficiencies by taking the appropriate courses or by directed study. However, applicants with extensive deficiencies may not be eligible for a teaching assistantship until the deficiencies have been removed.

b. The scores on the general tests of the Graduate Record Examination should be near or above the fiftieth percentile on quantitative and verbal sections, and 4.0 for the analytical writing section.

c. International students should have a score of 620 or higher on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (a score of 260 or higher on the computer-based examination, or 105 on the iBTversion). If English was the language of instruction for the prior degree, scores of 550 (paper), 213 (computer), or 70 (iBT) or better may be acceptable.

d. International students applying for a funding via a departmental Teaching Assistantship must have a score of at least 23 on the spoken English section of the iBT TOEFL, or provide equivalent evidence of spoken English proficiency. A personal or telephone interview may be required to assess academic and English language preparation.  

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY PROGRAM

The department offers study and research leading to a doctor of philosophy degree. The completion of the degree qualifies the individual for university teaching, research, or professional work in their respective subdiscipline. Each candidate’s individual program is based on his/her knowledge and ability upon entering the program and his/her objective. After completion of course work, all students must pass written and oral qualifying examinations, submit a dissertation proposal, ultimately followed by submission of an acceptable dissertation based on original research. 

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. Submit a complete Indiana State University application for admission, which includes an official transcript from each school at which college work has been completed, to the College of Graduate and Professional Studies.
2. Submit a Curriculum Vitae Application Form, available from the department at http://www2.indstate.edu/biology/ under the graduate program link.
3. Submit official scores on the General Tests of the Graduate Record Examination and, for international students, scores on the TOEFL (See Admissions section of this Catalog)
4. Submit names of three persons from whom letters of recommendation have been requested. Letter writers should be clearly qualified to judge the applicant’s ability to carry out a successful research program.
5. Be admitted to the University by the College of Graduate and Professional Studies (see CGPS links at http://www2.indstate.edu/graduate/apply.htm for their application procedures).
6. Have an overall undergraduate grade index of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale.
7. Have a minimum graduate grade index of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale if entering with advanced standing.
8. Applicants are required to contact one or more potential advisors and successfully identify one who will agree to be the applicant’s graduate advisor should the applicant be admitted to the program. The applicant should request this faculty member to submit a letter of intent to the department.
9. All students are strongly encouraged to visit the department and meet in person with their prospective advisor(s), other faculty, and graduate students during the application process.

Admission is competitive and based on the overall quality of the application. Although notable strength in one area may compensate for below-standard performance in another, the following departmental guidelines define the minimum standards.

a. Applicants are expected to have completed an undergraduate major in biology, mathematics through calculus or statistics, one year of physics, and chemistry through organic. Applicants may be granted admission conditional on the removal of course work deficiencies by taking the appropriate courses or by directed study. However, applicants with extensive deficiencies may not be eligible for a teaching assistantship until the deficiencies have been removed.

b. The scores on the general tests of the Graduate Record Examination should be near or above the fiftieth percentile on quantitative and verbal sections, and 4.0 for the analytical writing section.

c. International students should have a score of 620 or higher on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (a score of 260 or higher on the computer-based examination, or 105 on the iBTversion). If English was the language of instruction for the prior degree, scores of 550 (paper), 213 (computer), or 70 (iBT) or better may be acceptable.

d. International students applying for a teaching assistantship must have a score of at least 23 on the spoken English section of the iBT TOEFL, or provide equivalent evidence of spoken English proficiency. A personal or telephone interview may be required to assess academic and English language preparation. 

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