Central College’s biology department is committed to fostering student learning and research. One-on-one faculty mentorship and research opportunities abound. In addition to state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment in the Vermeer Science Center, the college maintains the 79-acre Carlson-Kuyper Field Station. Graduates have gone on to become biologists, professors, high school teachers, occupational therapists, lab researchers, doctors, veterinarians, nurses, dentists and more.
Students in the Epidemiology course only had a few drops to drink and use as they carried 3-gallon jugs of water everywhere they went for a week—spreading awareness of water inequality and waste.
Rhiley Huntington reflects on the gift of a Central education and where it will take her and those whose lives she touches.
Dr. Barbara Pettitt ’72 put on a suture workshop for Central students interested in medical school—providing hands-on practice sewing and tying for the future doctors.
The students of the Epidemiology course organized an Oxfam Hunger Banquet to raise awareness of global food disparity. Those dining on tiny meals got to thinking about what waste and nutrition really mean.
Ellen Du Pre, professor of biology, is working with students to study the effects of triclosan on heart rate. She has dedicated her career to guiding students through the health sciences.
Looking for experience? Participating in research or an internship might be the answer. When it comes to future employment or entrance into graduate school, students with research experience or an internship have a proven track record in a professional environment. In today’s competitive market, attaining entrance into a graduate program or securing a job, research and/or internship experience is a priceless commodity. Students at Central College can gain experience at all levels of research, from identifying the question, developing the hypothesis, designing the experiments and analyzing the data. Students also attend scientific conferences and present their data to researchers in their field. This experience identifies students with inquisitive minds and the skills to succeed, which has proven to be an important predictor of future success. Want to conduct research at major research universities? Science faculty at Central will also work with students to gain acceptance into undergraduate research programs at other institutions.
Central College students have recently completed summer research projects at the following locations:
Recent internships completed by Central College students include:
Biology graduates do very well after leaving Central. Over 99 percent are placed in jobs or graduate school within 6 months of graduation. Nearly 70 percent of Central biology majors go on to graduate or medical school immediately following graduation.
Learn more about internships at Central.
Introductory courses lay the foundation for the major. Introduction to cells provides a basic treatment of cell biology, emphasizing the things all life forms have in common. By contrast, diversity of life offers a systematic approach to the five kingdoms of life, stressing the evolutionary relationships apparent from the taxonomic classification of organisms. Central’s biology courses include:
Freshman year
Sophomore year
Junior year
Senior year
Get more details from the course catalog! (Note: this is a PDF file)
The Vermeer Science Center recently went through a $20-million renovation and expansion that was completed in fall 2003. The building contains 13 high-tech classrooms. Each contains a ceiling-mounted projector, computer with flat panel monitor, Wolfvision document camera, combination VCR/DVD player and a Ken-a-vision flex camera. Vermeer also contains several computer labs with new Dell computers with flat panel monitors and the most recent versions of math and science computer programs. Numerous science laboratories with state-of-the-art science equipment allow students to conduct their own research. Central was awarded a silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) medal rating from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), making the science center the first LEED-rated building in the state.
No matter what your interests are, Central has a student group or organization that you’ll want to join! Learn how you can get involved with groups and organizations at Central. Student organizations include:
Students are encouraged to study abroad with one of Central’s eight international programs to enhance their development as global citizens, or with Central’s Chicago program and the Washington, D.C., program. Learn more about Central’s study abroad programs.
The ability to conduct research is an important component of the program at Central College. Students conducting research with Central faculty gain experience in all levels of research from hypothesis building to data analysis and communication of results at scientific meetings.
An extensive program of biological research opportunities offers on-the-scene investigation in a variety of areas where the differences in natural habitat can be studied intact. The Carlson-Kuyper Field Station is Central College’s 62-acre biology field station. Located about 12 miles from the Pella campus, it is adjacent to the extensive wildlife areas managed buy the Corps of Engineers around Lake Red Rock, Iowa’s largest lake.
Students can also do work at Central’s branch campus on the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. Students have a unique opportunity to observe and measure environmental situation that differ from those in the United States, such as salt marshes, mangrove swamps, isolated waterholes, rocky and sandy beaches and rain forests. Biology faculty periodically teach field-related courses in the Yucatan.
Honors at Central College provides a distinct yet flexible four-year plan that encourages students creativity, intellectual engagement and leadership. Beginning broadly, honors at Central gradually focuses by helping students move toward greater independence, more advanced work in a discipline and increased leadership responsibilities. Past honors projects include:
The majority of biology majors at Central College continue their education in a graduate program in the health field. Faculty members do a tremendous job of advising and mentoring students to ensure they have a well-rounded and solid background in the sciences and are prepared to take entrance exams. Our acceptance rate is very high, and we have a great reputation with graduate schools that know our students are prepared and will be successful. Health careers most often chosen by biology majors at Central College include:
