Biological Research

LORAS COLLEGE BIOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
The following are some of the opportunities Biology and Biological Research students have pursued to gain valuable experiences.

• Summer Research Program in Microbiology at the University of Iowa
• Various programs at the Biosciences Summer Research Program at the University of Iowa
• Fellowships in Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation — Willowbrook Wildlife Foundation, Glen Ellyn, IL
• Integrated Biological Sciences Summer Research Program (IBS-SRP) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Summer Laboratory Science Program at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
• Summer Undergraduate Research Program at the Center for Protease Research at North Dakota State University
• National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network summer research experience for undergraduates at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURP) Program at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
• Iowa DNR seasonal natural resources aide positions with the Multiple Species and Monitoring Project
• Marine Biology Summer Research at Grice Marine Lab, College of Charleston, SC
• Summer Internships with the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
• SeaWorld College Experience internships

THE BIOLOGY CURRICULUM AT LORAS HAS PROVEN EFFECTIVENESS
Many Loras Biology graduates have used their experiences here to find challenging and rewarding positions in education, health science, graduate school and many other jobs.

The Biology Program exists within the framework of a liberal arts college and is dedicated to:

• Providing access to fundamental concepts of biology for all students and
• Providing access to specialized biological knowledge for Biology majors and minors

The program also serves as a source of expertise, both research and instructional, for the local community, state of Iowa and beyond. In both instances, this access and service is afforded in a Christian and Catholic atmosphere where moral and ethical implications of biological knowledge are conveyed to the students and various publics. The program faculty are fully committed to teaching and achieving the highest level of professional competence as biologists.

Small class sizes and personal attention from our faculty will help you not only learn biology but experience it, question it and internalize it. Majors get hands-on, up-close learning opportunities. Our curriculum will help you prepare for a specific field of interest but will also give you the chance to learn about many aspects of the natural world from biomolecules, genes and cells to plant and animal ecology and human physiology. Almost all of our courses have laboratory experiences with them. These labs are student-centered, focused around asking questions and using the Scientific Method to answer them.

To learn more about our curriculum, students and faculty, please come to Dubuque for a campus visit. Not only will you get a tour of the Loras campus, but you can talk with a Biology faculty member about questions that you have or learn about what a typical day or week is like. We would be happy to have you attend one of our classes while you are here and/or we will give you a tour of our program facilities. Campus visits can be scheduled through the Admissions Office at 563.588.7236 or by contacting Tom Davis, Program Chair, at 563.588.7767 or tom.davis@loras.edu. Please check out the information below to learn more about what the Biology Program at Loras has to offer you.

LORAS COLLEGE HEALTH SCIENCE CLUB
The Health Science Club is a student-run group whose focus is to engage and inform Loras undergraduates of the opportunities available in many of the health science fields.

Activities include panels of seniors who talk about their experiences in the application and interview processes; professor panels for students to ask about classes to take and requirements for various programs; guest speakers including current and past medical students, residents, PAs, physicians, nurse practitioners, dentists, optometrists, and other health professionals; fundraising events; service projects and social nights with science and other faculty like bowling or softball.

The club is open to any undergraduate at Loras. Please contact Dr. Davis at 7767 or email tom.davis@loras.edu for additional details or to sign up as a speaker. 

Experimental Design & Biostatistics
Students will learn the hypothetico-deductive methods of science and experimental design, and the appropriate statistical means to evaluate these outcomes. The course involves the design and implementation of a semester-long group research project culminating in a formal scientific paper or poster presentation. Students will learn to use computer software to gain competence in common statistical applications, such as z- and t-tests, analysis of variance (one-way and factorial), correlation and regression analysis, and chi-square tests of frequency distributions. Prerequisites: L.LIB-100, L.LIB-105, L.LIB-110, and a Math Modeling (-FM) course, as well as one college-level biology course (L.BIO-115 or L.BIO­116). Three one-hour lecture periods (covering statistics) and one two-hour laboratory (research) period per week. 3 credits. Each fall semester.

Intensive Science Research Experience
This is an in-depth course designed to give students majoring in one of the sciences an intense, full-time research experience in their sub-discipline. The intensive research experiences will allow the student to perform experiments toward novel scientific findings, not simply a pre-packaged lab with the results already determined. Topics to be covered in the seminars include: Why are controls so important in research? How do I evaluate if research I read or hear about in the news is valid and sound scientifically? How do I read a scientific research paper? Prerequisites: L.BIO-115, and consent of mentor and instructor. 3 credits. May term. Dependent upon staff and demand.

Bird Conservation in South Texas
This course is a 14-day study travel field course in south Texas. Students will visit 12 different regional and national wildlife refuges as well as private sanctuaries that contain unique habitat and bird species that depend on these habitats. They will talk directly with wildlife managers in these areas to get answers to questions and understand the challenges that these people and birds face each day. Each student will learn basic bird identification, current conservation issues and ecology at each of the sites. 3 credits. May term. Dependent upon staff and demand.

Environmental Issues in Costa Rica
This course is a 12-day study travel field course in Costa Rica. Students will visit and compare three different forest ecosystems: tropical wet forest, tropical dry forest, and high elevation tropical cloud forest. Environmental issues including hydroelectric power, rainforest logging, agricultural land use, coffee production, and maintenance of biodiversity will be discussed. Not open to first year students. Additional fee charged for travel, lodging, food and activity costs. Prerequisites: an introductory course in biology; L.LIB-100, L.LIB-105, L.LIB-110, and a Mathematical Modeling (-FM) course. 3 credits. Every third May term.

Neurobiology
An introduction to regulatory homeostasis as mediated by the vertebrate nervous system with emphases on cellular communication, formation of neural circuits and afferent­interneuron efferent pathways. Implications of neurotransmitter imbalance during disease and various mental disorders is also discussed. Two lecture periods per week. Prerequisite: L.BIO-1 15 or equivalent. 3 credits. Dependent upon staff and demand

Immunology
This course will provide a basic overview of the human immune system, including both innate and adaptive immunity and the recent discoveries on the interaction of the two systems. The topics will include: immune cell functions, antibody production and function, immune response to infectious diseases (AIDS, others), allergies, and vaccine and transplant biology. Defects of the immune system leading to autoimmune diseases and immunodeficiencies will also be discussed. Lectures and class discussions, including many case studies and “Disease Fridays” will be utilized to meet course objectives. Prerequisite: L.BIO-1 15. Not open to first year students. 3 credits. Dependent upon staff and demand.

View Biological Research Courses

BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
Division of Molecular, Life & Health Sciences
Kate Cooper, Ph.D., Chair

Major Requirements for Biological Research (B.S.)

Course requirements for teacher licensure in Biological Science, Grades 7-12:
State of Iowa endorsement for the teaching major follows the basic course requirements of the biology major with some minor adjustments. For specifics,
Teacher Education/Secondary Education Requirements (B.A.)
Secondary Education Licensure & Endorsement Details

Related Majors
Biochemistry (B.S.)
Biology (B.S.)
Chemistry (B.S.)
Chemistry/Secondary Teaching (B.S.)