University of Massachusetts Boston - Beacon Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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The Biology Department ffcr The UMassfBoston Biology Department offers a diverse and high quality degree program to one of the largest groups of majors at the Harbor campus. Graduates of the department have an excellent record of admission to medical and graduate programs. According to a recent survey, sixteen percent had entered medical, dental or veterinary schools, while another forty percent had been accepted into other graduate programs. Others entered the teaching profession, work for environmental agen- cies, or became lab technicians in area laboratories. The department, together with the Anthropology and Psychology departments, offers cross-disciplinary pro- grams in Biology of Human Populations and in Biobehavioral Studies. Within the department, students can take a double major in Biology and Medical Technol- ogy. Graduate students may choose Biotechnology and Biomedical Science, Applied Marine Ecology or more tra- ditional concentrations in Botany, Cell Biology, Physiology or Population Biology. Biology department chair, Dr. Christine Armett-Kibel, spoke at length about the department during a Iune in- terview with Tlze Beacon. She told us that a strength of the department and of the university in general is that the university provides an environment that encourages close working relationships between students and faculty. She points out that upper level classes are gener- ally small and that students are required to take a large number of lab courses. These lab courses provide valu- able exposure to current techniques and allow students a chance to meet and know their professors on a personal level. Dr. Kibel believes that the faculty enjoys a sense of accomplishment when they observe the intellectual development of their students, who move through in- creasingly demanding biology courses, often to the point of undertaking independent research projects . Later we learned that motivated students in the undergraduate program were given every opportunity to work as assistants in the research projects of their professors. This was surprising, for at most schools, these opportunities are reserved for graduate students. The department has been successful in obtaining funding from a special program of the National Science Foundation for Undergraduate Research Institutions like UMass!Boston. Through such funding, the Federal government hopes to encourage students to continue their education at a graduate school level, and also hopes that exposing undergraduate students to actual research projects is a good way to accomplish this goal. In an age of endless budget cuts, it is encouraging to note that the UMass!Boston Biology department has been able to compete successfully with some of the best universities in the country for sponsored research funding, and it seems to be getting better at doing so with each passing year. Currently, faculty members receive research grants from a wide variety of sources, including the National Institute of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agen- cy and the Agency for International Development. A list of significant funded projects underway at UMass this year would include the following: an impor- tant study on the immune systems of insects as it relates to disease control being conducted by Dr. Sugumaran, an investigation of the mechanism of RNA synthesis in eucaryotic organism by Dr. Ackerman, and a study on curiously low natural fertility among natives of High- land, New Guinea, by Dr. Campbell. Dr. Wilkes, a world renowned corn specialist and consultant for the Maize Seed Bank in Mexico, is conducting research on domesti- cated seed plants, whereas pollen analysis and archae- ological botany are subjects being investigated by Dr. Kaplan. Two other funded research projects of interest are a study on insect visual systems by Drs. White and Bennett, and research on the behavior and ecology of seabirds being conducted by UMass's resident ornatholigist-Dr. Hatch. In conclusion, Dr. Christine, Dr. Armett-Kiebel had these words to say to graduating seniors- We congratu- late the graduating class! We always remain interested in our alumni and hope that the members of this class will keep us informed of their progress after leaving UMass!Boston. I -Steve Gyurina