Purposes

The objectives of the Biology department coincide with the Point Loma Nazarene University mission summarized in the phrase: To Teach, To Shape, To Send.

To Teach: The department’s commitment is to provide students the opportunity to build a broad foundation in the major disciplines of Biology, in the process of science skills, and in the critical thinking/quantitative skills that are required to apply their education to real world settings.

To Shape: In addition to the formal academic interactions, each student has opportunities to enter into mentoring relationships with department faculty through advising, lab assisting and grading, research experiences, study abroad, and departmental social functions. In these contexts, students can expect to dialogue about issues relating to their own personal and professional goals, the interface between the field of biology and society, and the relationship between faith and science.

To Send: The graduates of the Biology department will be able to apply both their faith and education in biology-related professions such as medicine, allied health fields, environmental and sustainability fields, education, or industry. They will feel confident that they have been well prepared to contribute in a positive way in these fields, and society in general.

Tradition of Excellence

The Department of Biology offers a wealth of opportunities for students who are interested in becoming scientists by pursuing work in science-related fields. In addition to the Biology Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) majors, two specialized interdepartmental majors have been jointly designed by the Biology and Chemistry departments to prepare students for fields requiring a strong background in both disciplines: the Biology-Chemistry and the Environmental Science Bachelor of Science (B.S.) programs. Students have the opportunity to work alongside professors doing faculty-led research projects, and may become co-authors on scholarly articles published in scientific journals. Many students present their research at annual science conferences such as the American Chemical Society and the West Coast Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Conference. Students also have access to sophisticated instrumentation and computational resources for use in science courses and research labs.

All of these opportunities have been given to students through the help of numerous grants from governmental agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, various private organizations including the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the San Diego Zoo Global, cooperation from university administration, and strong financial backing by Biology and Chemistry alumni in the Research Associates. Alumni of the Research Associates contributed more than $100,000 per year in support of science infrastructure and stipends for our summer research program. Students who graduate with a degree from the Department of Biology leave PLNU prepared for graduate schools or careers in industry. Over the last 25 years, approximately 90 percent of PLNU’s applicants have gained acceptance to medical schools (roughly twice the national average); the acceptance rate for Biology and Chemistry students applying to graduate (M.A., M.S., and Ph.D.) and dental school programs is over 95 percent.

Au Sable Environmental Field Studies Program

Summer field courses in environmental biology are offered by the Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies, a Christian organization providing field-based classes that emphasize environmental stewardship at over 50 participating Christian colleges and universities. Courses are offered during a 3-week May term and two 5-week summer sessions from May to early August. May term students take one course (4 units) at the Great Lakes or Costa Rica campus; Summer Session students take 2 courses (8 units) at the Great Lakes campus (summer session I and II) or Pacific Rim campus (summer session II). Along with other programs, Au Sable courses fulfill the off-campus field immersion requirement for the Environmental Science B.S. major and the Environmental Biology minor, and may fulfill upper-division elective units for the Biology B.S./B.A. and the Environmental Studies B.A. majors, and for the Environmental Biology and Sustainability Studies minors.  Because Point Loma Nazarene University is a Sustaining Partner with Au Sable, our students are eligible for generous financial aid and access to high-demand courses.  Interested students should contact both the Study Abroad Office and the Au Sable campus representative (Dr. Mike Mooring) for further information and to start your application.  To see the course offerings, go to www.ausable.org/college.

Faculty

Dianne Anderson, Ph.D.
University of California-San Diego and San Diego State University

Walter Cho, Ph.D.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Yoojin Choi, Ph.D.
Harvard University

David Cummings, Ph.D.
University of Idaho-Moscow

Michael Dorrell, Ph.D.
The Scripps Research Institute

Rebecca Flietstra, Ph.D.
University of Kansas Medical Center

Kristopher Koudelka, Ph.D.
The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California

Jennifer Lineback, Ph.D.
University of California-San Diego and San Diego State University

Michael Mooring, Ph.D.
University of California-Davis

Andrew Nosal, Ph.D.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography and University of California-San Diego

Saira Justin, Ph.D.
Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt

Brandon Sawyer, Ph.D.
Arizona State University-Phoenix

Heidi Woelbern, Ph.D.
University of California-Los Angeles

To view requirements for majors, minors, and certificates, see the Degree Program Information page.