Biology is one of the largest majors at Dickinson, home to 14 faculty members with research expertise in ecology, molecular genetics, cell biology, plant biology, animal physiology, microbiology, neuroscience, bioinformatics and evolution. We provide opportunities for our students to stimulate critical thinking, refine communication skills and gain technical expertise to tackle the complex biological, ecological and clinical challenges of our time.
All of our majors participate in research at some point during their time at Dickinson, and we strongly believe active participation in scientific exploration is paramount to their intellectual development as thoughtful scientists. These experiences prime our students for graduate and medical school admissions as well as various careers in biology. Many of these experiences lead to student presentations at professional meetings and to authorship of scientific publications.
The Princeton Review has named Dickinson a “great school for biology majors” (2020)
Biology at Dickinson extends far beyond the Carlisle campus. Nearly half of Dickinson biology students study off-campus for a semester or more, in our own Global programs or at partner institutions in the US and abroad. These experiences provide students with a wider perspective through coursework and research experiences that add to the value of a Dickinson biology degree.
We hope you’ll take time to learn more about what it would be like to join our departmental community. You're always welcome to visit a lab or a class with one of our award-winning faculty members. Also, please check out our related programs in , and .
Contact Info
Chair
- Missy NiblockAssociate Professor of Biologyniblockm@dickinson.edu
Department Coordinator
- Janice WissAcademic Department Coordinatorwissj@dickinson.edu
-
Phone
- 717-245-1329
-
Fax
- ---
-
Location
- Rector North Room 1302 Mailing Address
Department Features
![donleyss1.jpg](/images/donleyss1.jpg")
![700_BioChemistry_BioPhysiology_20141002_1822.jpg](/images/700_BioChemistry_BioPhysiology_20141002_1822.jpg")
![IMG_3047.jpg](/images/IMG_3047.jpg")
![IMG_3050.jpg](/images/IMG_3050.jpg")
Student Outcomes
Where Our Students Go From Here
Jobs
- DeWolf Chemical
- GeneOne Life Sciences
- Yellowstone National Park
- Dana Farber Cancer Institute
- Penn Medicine
- MIT Jacobs Lab
- Peace Corps
- Schmahmann Lab of Neuroscience at Mass General
- Maryland Laser, Skin & Vein Institute
Graduate Schools
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
- Columbia University
- Duke University
- Johns Hopkins University
- University of Southern California
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Glasgow
- University of Michigan
Where Our Students Have Interned
- Academy of Natural Sciences
- American Museum of Natural History
- Center for International Health Research
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- Friday Harbor Labs
- Idaho Fish and Game Department
- Staten Island Zoo
- Strong Children's Research Center
Student Perspective
"I enjoy the diversity of the field. One day I am in a cell culture hood pipetting; the next day I find myself hiking up a mountain to survey a rare plant species. With biology, I always feel as though there is something new to get excited about—whether it may be an understudied species or a familiar model organism that can elucidate a new biochemical process."
—Jack Drda ’24
Alumni In Action
Department News