About School of Biology and Ecology
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The School of Biology and Ecology was formed in 2007 as a central home for research and teaching programs in organismal biology and ecology at the University of Maine. Our programs span biology in both scale (cellular to global) and discipline (developmental biology to ecology and biogeochemistry).
We recognize that meeting the challenges of today’s human and environmental health issues requires a solid foundation in organismal biology that encompasses the basic principles of anatomy, physiology, genetics and development integrated with an understanding of ecosystems and evolutionary principles. Some of today's broadest challenges facing science relate to changes that human activities are causing in the earth's climate, landscapes, biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem processes. These changes have consequences for ecosystem structure and function, agricultural and forestry production, and human health and disease. Our understanding of these issues advances by means of an effective integration of many different areas of science. Within the varied discipline of biology alone, principles derived from ecology, population biology, evolution and taxonomy, genetics, physiology, and organismal growth and development contribute to our collective understanding and enrich our thinking on complex issues. Their collective synthesis provides a powerful tool for future research on organisms, natural resources, ecological systems and health, all integral to a quality of life in Maine and throughout the world.
The School of Biology and Ecology serves the following goals:
Goal 1: Enhance Integrative Studies in Biology
Goal 2: Serve a Central Mission of Biology: the Study of Organisms
Goal 3: Serve as a Center of Excellence in Ecology
Research Clusters
The School of Biology and Ecology aims to acheive departmental breadth with course offerings that span level of organization from the cell to the ecosystem. Additionally, we maintain focal areas of expertise centered around the following research clusters:
Systematics and Evolutionary Biology: Evolutionary theory is one of the foundations of modern biology. Current biology requires an understanding of the patterns and processes of evolution in the context of ecological relationships in living systems. At present, faculty members in biology and ecology investigate the origins of biodiversity, the phylogenetic relationships, and the nature of evolutionary processes in animals, plants and fungi.
Development and Genetics: The integrative approach to biology and ecology is so profound in the fields of development and genetics that new terms have been coined to represent these new approaches: Eco-Devo and Evo-Devo (ecological developmental biology and evolutionary developmental biology, respectively). At present, seven SBE faculty members work in areas of development and genetics that incorporate molecular, evolutionary and ecological approaches to investigate the genetics of behavior, the genetics and molecular biology of differentiation, and the genetics of environmental adaptation.
Physiology and Behavior: Faculty members in this cluster integrate biological processes at the molecular and cellular level with organism physiology, organismal behavior, genetics and ecology. This cluster holds great potential for collaboration with the University’s new minor in Neuroscience.
Aquatic Ecology: Maine has more lakes and miles of rivers than any other state in the Northeast and these aquatic resources have long been a cornerstone of Maine’s economy and culture. Current faculty in this cluster research endangered aquatic species, invasive species, lake-shore development, the effects of dams and dam removal, point and non-point source pollution, aquatic community structure and aquatic restoration.
Pest Management and Invasion Ecology: Invasive pests pose significant repercussions for an economy, like Maine's, that relies heavily on forestry, agriculture, and tourism. Thus, maintaining strength and expertise in this area is essential for meeting our mission as a land-grant university. Ten faculty members in the School of Integrative Biology and Ecology have backgrounds in entomology, plant pathology and invasion ecology, making us one of two institutions in New England that offer a concentration of faculty in these disciplines. These scientists address issues related to pest biology and management in the traditional land grant areas of forestry and agriculture, but also increasingly address the growing concern for introduced, invasive flora and fauna that threaten the integrity of our ecosystems.
Education
The School of Biology and Ecology focuses on three major educational goals:
1. Maintaining broad-based degree programs in Biology;
2. Developing and researching innovative teaching methods for the life sciences;
3. Developing new degree programs in ecology.
Maintaining Broad-Based Degree Programs
The School of Integrative Biology and Ecology offers a comprehensive suite of undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Undergraduate Education
Undergraduates at the School of Biology and Ecology pursue a wide variety of careers, in both basic and applied aspects of biology that range from cellular biology to ecology. Of course a significant proportion of them plan to enter the health care field. The department provides a major academic home for students wishing to pursue pre-med and other health profession interests, and offers a Clinical Laboratory Sciences program and a concentration in Pre-Medical Studies. Our Clinical Laboratory Sciences (CLS) faculty coordinates with staff at EMMC to provide practical, hands-on experience for students in the CLS program and work with the pre-health professions advisor (Crisanne Blackie) and other units on campus to assure a strong basis in organismal biology necessary for success in these professions. The concentration in Pre-Medical Studies offers guidance to students preparing for a career in medicine or in any other health profession.
Many of our students are interested in research careers with animals, plants, and fungi, careers in agriculture, and careers related to the environment. The School of Biology and Ecology recognizes the significance of a solid foundation in organismal biology integrated with an understanding of ecology and evolutionary principles in meeting today’s environmental and human health issues, and to meet this demand, SBE offers exceptional undergraduate degree programs in Biology, Zoology, Botany, and Clinical Sciences. The coursework required of each program is rigorous and spans the sub-disciplines of biology and ecology, including the basic principles of structure and function, physiology, genetics and development. A key feature of these degree programs is the wide choice of courses to meet each of the required areas. This allows students to design their degrees to meet their particular interests, e.g. animal development or plant ecology. SBE also provides high quality basic introductory biology service courses (i.e. BIO 100, BIO 200, BIO 222, and BIO 208) for the biologically based disciplines within the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture, the nursing program, and the University community as a whole. Additionally, interested students may select to concentrate in Ecology.
Graduate Education
For graduate students, the School offers Master of Science (M.S.) degrees in Biological Sciences, Entomology, and Zoology, and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Biological Sciences and Zoology. SBE participates in interdisciplinary degree programs, such as Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Science, Masters in Botany and Plant Pathology and Masters and Doctoral degrees in Ecology and Environmental Sciences.
Developing and Researching Innovative Teaching Methods
The School of Biology and Ecology maintains a leadership role in providing major resources to the University and promoting science education at all levels while creating and researching innovative methods of teaching. Since 1964, faculty of this School (and the departments that merged to form it) have won major University teaching awards, including 4 Distinguished Maine Professor Awards, 3 Presidential Outstanding Teaching Awards, and 1 Inspiring Professor of the Year Award (given only once by Student Government). Specific efforts include the creation of a major initiative designed to improve learning outcomes in our large introductory courses, increase capacity in these courses, and in the future, work with others on campus (MST program and life sciences faculty in other units) to enhance training and outreach for K-12 science teaching.
Initiative in Teaching Innovation and Excellence in the Life Sciences
To meet the challenge of increased enrollments and a National STEM mandate to increase the effectiveness of learning in the sciences, we have launched a major Initiative in Teaching Innovation and Excellence in the Life Sciences.
Our Initiative in Teaching Innovation and Excellence in the Life Sciences builds on our success in having:
• A core faculty committed to research in teaching methods;
• A research and development facility, the Bio New Media Laboratory, creating innovative multimedia teaching tools;
• A powerful on-line platform we have built for assessing learning outcomes of large numbers of students.
Our Initiative focuses on increasing learning and enhancing outreach through:
• Continued research and development of innovative tools and teaching methods for our large introductory and upper-level courses;
• Continued efforts through external grants to improve University education and bring University resources to K-12 science;
• Collaboration with the Masters in Science Teaching program to attract strong graduate student candidates in biology while offering a forum for research in novel teaching methods in our introductory course lab sections;
• Exploring other opportunities for further collaborations for outreach in science education training, including offering additional Biology courses on- line and at the UMaine Hutchinson Center in Belfast, Maine.
Creating New Degree Programs in Ecology
One of the priorities of the newly formed School of Biology and Ecology is to develop a new undergraduate degree program in Ecology. This future degree will build on, and eventually replace, the ecology concentration in the EES degree program. It will be distinct from the degree in Wildlife Ecology by placing a stronger emphasis on basic aspects of ecology and maintaining a greater breadth, in plant, animal and microbial ecology from the population to the ecosystems level. It will be geared towards prospective students who are specifically interested in the subject, and will capitalize on the existing expertise of the faculty and the superior opportunities for ecological research that are a hallmark of Maine’s diverse terrestrial, aquatic, edaphic, and marine systems.
The School of Biology and Ecology is also exploring, in collaboration with colleagues within similar degree programs in the College (the graduate Ecology and Environmental Sciences Program, Wildlife Ecology, the School of Forest Resources, and the School of Marine Sciences, and others), the advantages of a new graduate program in Ecology that will grant both Master’s and Ph.D. degrees. Graduate degrees in Ecology will give many students who consider enrolling at the University of Maine an opportunity to better reflect the nature of their research and academic activities, and to form a more defined professional identity.
Both undergraduate and graduate mentoring within the School take full advantage of the newly created research clusters highlighted above. Each of these act as a cohesive unit that provides a central forum for all parties interested in relevant scholastic activities. As such, they offer organizational support for intellectual exchanges and foster interactions between students and faculty.
