Hi - my name is Jan Ott. I'd like to tell you a bit about how biology in taught in the specialty area of Scientific Inquiry. You will hear about biology coursework and programs also from the environmental studies area, but in the Scientific Inquiry group, our programs in biology are usually more oriented to human biology and usually taught concurrently with other fields in the applied sciences.

	At Evergreen, it is possible to enroll in coursework in biology at every level, from first year programs to upper division science programs. Freshmen college biology has been taught in several of the integrated entry level programs during the past several years, including Water, Environmental Change and Health, and Modeling Nature. At the sophomore level biology is often taught in interdisciplinary programs such as Health and Human Development and other programs that include coursework in the arts and psychology. One sophomore level program in biology that is often chosen by transfer students wanting to begin to study the sciences is called Introduction to Natural Science which is a program usually offering three of the four sciences including biology, physics, chemistry and math.

Upper division coursework in biology is offered in the program called Molecule to Organism (or a new version of M to O called Structure and Function in Biology and Chemistry) which are taught concurrently with organic chemistry. In this junior or senior level program, students learn about topics like microbiology, molecular biology, anatomy and physiology, histology, genetics and immunology. Another upper division program offering coursework in biology is "Science of Mind," an interdisciplinary approach to exploring how the mind works from the points of view of the fields of computer science, psychology and neurobiology and anthropology. This year an integrated program that I am teaching called "Vital Stuff" studies the chemistry, biology and politics of nutrition.

	Poster session for student research projects Molecule to Organism		"Leaching from E. coliafter exposure to tea tree oil"

			Outside of the classroom, many students achieve credit in biology by completing internships with local state and non-profit agencies. In these internships, students work with these agencies to complete field and research work that the agencies have on their agenda. The internships give students a chance to see how to be a biologist in the real world and often make great friends and future employers from these contacts.

	There are also opportunities to participate in individual research while at Evergreen. We have some excellent equipment that students can use including scanning electron microscopes and computer-driven data collection of many physiological properties, as well as well-equipped laboratories where students can do their own research.

	Student research team examining wine yeasts with scanning electron microscope

Students can also join in ongoing research here at Evergreen including the Bacteriophage T-4 lab that is supported by faculty members Jim Neitzel, Betty Kutter and Burt Guttman. In this lab, they can do experiments in molecular genetics, microbiology utilizing advanced molecular biology techniques. In my lab students are exploring human physiological responses to acupressure techniques and kinesiology.

			Other students enroll in individual or group contracts with other students researching and exploring a subject of their own choosing. Once approved, that is guided and supported by a faculty member who is interested in the topic. There is a great deal that Evergreen has to offer a student who is interested in biology. We encourage individual exploration and discovery and encourage you to come visit.

			Now I'd like to introduce you to one of our Evergreen alumni who studied biology while she was here at Evergreen. Kayt Hoch started as a psychology major and then got reinterested in developmental biology. She learned exceptional microscopy techniques, did a research internship at the Whitney Laboratory in St. Augustine, Florida, and has gone on to become a project manager at Immunex, a development laboratory in Seattle, Washington. Feel free to contact me if you've got other questions about doing work in laboratory biology at Evergreen. Dr. Janet Ott; LAB 1, Room 1010; The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA 98005; 360-866-6000, X 6019; ottj@evergreen.edu

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