Biology

Students taking water samples out at CERA

Biology

As a biology major at 99��Ʒ��Ƶ, the world is your laboratory. You’ll join other creative thinkers in an innovative program that encourages you to study multiple disciplines and think like a biologist from day one. You’ll conduct research, design and execute investigations, interpret data, and communicate your findings. As you explore a broad spectrum of sub-disciplines, you’ll enhance your ability to read and write scientific literature, think independently, work collaboratively, and prepare for advanced study or a career in medicine, research, education, environmental science, health, and many other fields.

Navigating our curriculum: Questions, answers, and information to help students successfully choose courses in Biology.

RESEARCH-DRIVEN

Benefit from faculty research and create your own study.

As a biology major at 99��Ʒ��Ƶ, the world is your laboratory. You’ll learn from dedicated faculty who not only offer cutting-edge research experiences, but also incorporate their research into coursework. You’ll conduct your own research — designing and executing investigations, interpreting data, and communicating findings as you explore a broad spectrum of sub-disciplines in biology.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Gain the skills to not only succeed, but also to lead.

Through research opportunities and in-class study, you’ll enhance your ability to read and write scientific literature, think independently, work collaboratively, and develop the critical thinking skills and confidence needed to become an effective leader. Your work will prepare you for advanced study or a career in medicine, research, education, environmental science, health, and many other fields.
COLLABORATIVE STUDY

Develop knowledge from diverse perspectives.

You’ll join other creative thinkers in an innovative program that encourages you to study multiple disciplines and think like a biologist from day one. This collaborative approach means you’ll learn to work effectively in groups, and to lead them as well. You’ll come to understand the importance of diverse voices, ideas, and ways of thinking in biology, and in all aspects of life.

Collage of Africa map, Namib Sand Sea, bunchgrass, and researchers

Grass-Fungal Symbiotic Relationships in the Namib Sand Sea

Fungal Biologist Kathy Jacobson

Jacobson has been studying fungi in the Namib Sand Sea for 30 years, but her recent work focuses on fungi that are given life by the fog.

Collage of Lindgren and students, graphs, and proteins at the neuromuscular junction

Finding the Message Essential to Neuron-Muscle Signal Transmission

Neuroscientist Clark Lindgren

“All you can do is keep trying to disprove [your hypothesis]. … Every time you don’t disprove it, you gain more confidence in your hypothesis.”

Andrew Graham and Seth Van Helten sampling groundwater near a capped pipe and stump

The Surprising Way that the Neurotoxin Methylmercury is Degraded

Environmental Chemist Andrew Graham

"At its worst, high mercury consumption causes Minamata disease, which is characterized by paralysis, tremors, and death."

Sophie Mero ’22 Takes on the World

From the classroom, to research, to an internship in India, Sophie Mero’s passion for biology has taken her on a beautiful journey toward a fulfilling career.

Academics

Biology Career Outcomes

First Destinations

64% Employment
21% Graduate School
6% Post-Graduate Service
3% Fellowships
1% Continuing Education
4% Other

Employment

97%

Positions related to Career Goals

Employer

Boston Children's Hospital
Discovery Biomed
Idaho Fish & Game
Mayo Clinic
Scattergood Friends School
Tracy Aviary
UnityPoint Health
Washington University in St. Louis

Graduate Schools

79%

79% Accepted to 1st- or 2nd- choice programs

Institutions

Cornell University
Rosalind Franklin University
Tufts University
University of Colorado
University of Illinois
Vanderbilt University

Explore More Graduate Outcomes

Crys, a young person with curly short hair, wears a black shirt and smiles in front of a wooden background.

The best work that we can do for the environment, for nature and wildlife, and for each other, is get involved with the local communities because that is where the impact of our work can be seen.

Crys Moosman ’21

Cassey stands under a blooming cherry blossom tree and holds her dog. She is wearing a denim dress and has her long hair down.

It’s a physician’s role to look beyond the analytics and think ‘What does this feel like to the patient and family? What does a longer wait time mean for future care?’

Cassey Koid ’11

Pascal Lafontant points to a computer screen, while a student follows his gesture. Both wear face masks. They are in his laboratory.

If you have taken a class with Professor Lafontant, you may have picked up on a sense of what he calls wonderment. Wonderment is a word that reflects his belief that the whole world of science is fascinating.

Cosette Rhoads ’23

Caroline stands in front of the Pacific Ocean, with mountains in the background. She wears a black shirt and is smiling at the camera.

My work allows me to better see the connection between the research realm and the more human part of the world. In my current position, I am able to work towards making science more relevant for policy and decision making, and I find those goals to be a lot more tangible.

Caroline Graham ’16

Dr. Landau stands in his lab and holds a petri dish. He is wearing glasses and a light purple button down shirt.

The experience of learning how to think scientifically can help develop a person's critical thinking skills. Scientific inquiry helps people differentiate between things that are real and things that are not real.

Nathaniel Landau ’77

Department Chair

Joshua C. Sandquist

SANDQUIS@grinnell.edu

Contact Information

Phone

641-269-3172

Fax

641-269-4984

Noyce Science Center
1116 Eighth Ave
99��Ʒ��Ƶ, IA 50112
United States

99��Ʒ��Ƶ

Biology

Think like a biologist.

Why Study Biology?

Benefit from faculty research and create your own study.

Gain the skills to not only succeed, but also to lead.

Develop knowledge from diverse perspectives.

Research

Grass-Fungal Symbiotic Relationships in the Namib Sand Sea

Finding the Message Essential to Neuron-Muscle Signal Transmission

The Surprising Way that the Neurotoxin Methylmercury is Degraded

Alumni Stories

Department News

Market Science Program: Engaging the Community Through Research

Lafontant Wins Fulbright Scholar Grant to Sri Lanka

From Savanna to Permafrost: GLP Students Track the Origins of Disease