Our “makerspace” is a hands-on think tank for problem solvers.

Our Department

In the Department of Biology, students thrive in an atmosphere that supports deep exploration and collaboration. Biology at UVM has a long record of excellence, now over a century old, in life science, with current emphasis on a wide range of topics including neuroscience, cell biology, ecology and evolution. More than 400 undergraduates pursue our majors in biology, integrated biology, zoology and environmental science.

Faculty include professors, research professors and lecturers, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. This means you'll get exposure to a variety of perspectives from passionate researchers who are also excellent educators. Intimate classes, expert mentoring and state of the art facilities give you a solid foundation for careers in research, medicine, pharmaceutical and biotech and education.

 

  • Internship abroad sheds light on health care systems

    Biology major Helena Gaffney ’19 is focused on a medical career and carries a demanding course load at UVM. But she didn’t want to miss out on a study abroad experience while in college. So she took advantage of an opportunity to enhance her understanding of the medical profession while spending four weeks in Italy through an internship this summer at L’Ospedale Policlinico San Martino in Genova. What’s more, she received a scholarship from the College of Arts and Sciences to pay for some travel and related expenses. “I shadowed in five different departments including vascular surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, anesthesiology, and urology. I was able to scrub into surgeries, about 30 in total. Although most things were translated for me, by looking at charts and listening to the doctors speak with each other and their patients, I gained a general knowledge of Italian medical terminology.” The experience dovetailed with her work as a medical scribe in the UVM Medical Center’s Emergency Department. “This experience gave me an opportunity to talk with physicians and ask questions, something I’ll need to feel comfortable doing as a medical student and new doctor. An especially unique experience I got out of this was seeing first-hand how a universal healthcare system functions in practice, something many medical students in this country have little knowledge of.”

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Our Facilities

The Biology Department is housed in the Marsh Life Science Building. Located centrally among buildings housing the College of Medicine, the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, and the School of Natural Resources, Marsh Life Science includes research laboratories and teaching classrooms and laboratories.

 

Zadock Thompson Zoological Collections

Biology has primary responsibility for the Zadock Thompson Zoological Collections in Joseph Torrey Hall, which contains vertebrae and invertebrae collections. The Zoological Collections, in conjunction with the Pringle Herbarium administered by the Department of Plant Biology, represent the major natural history facility for the state of Vermont.