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The Biology Department

Boletus mushrooms with the Biology Building in the background.

Incoming Students 2023-2024

Are you an incoming WWU student for 2022-2023? Check out the Incoming Biology Students page to learn how to declare a Biology Major, the application process, and other helpful advising tips.

The Biology Department encompasses areas ranging from molecular biology to ecosystem ecology. This breadth is reflected in our curriculum and in faculty and student research. Our joint mission of teaching and research strongly complement each other and provide students with an educational experience of very high quality.

In support of the mission of Western Washington University and the College of Sciences and Engineering, the mission of the Biology Department is to provide an outstanding learning environment that integrates education, scholarship, and service in order to actively engage students in the biological sciences and foster their development as lifelong learners.

The faculty in the College of Science and Engineering has established a fund to provide support for Black students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Black people face unique and systemic barriers to succeeding in STEM, contributing to historical and ongoing underrepresentation in undergraduate and graduate STEM programs, and in STEM careers. The impetus for the fund is the 2020 protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Through this scholarship we can, together, make an impact on the educational goals of Black students at WWU for generations to come.

To donate, go to the WWU Foundation page.

The Biology Department Spring 2023 Main Office (BI315) Hours: 

  • Monday 9:00 - Noon  and 1:00 - 4:00
  • Tuesday-Thursday 9:00-Noon and 1:00-4:30

We are available to answer your questions via phone and email: 

  • Monday - Friday 8:00  - 5:00 

Please call 360.650.3627 or email  biologyadvising@wwu.edu

Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

Biology News Spotlight

Haliotis asinina shell.  This long shell has tan outside and iridescent inside.

Thanks to the COVID project of Biology department lab support tech Kendra Bradford, with the help of fellow lab support tech, Sarah Hoag, and others, the Western Shell Collection is now cataloged in MABEL, Western's Multimedia Archives Based Electronic Library. Read more about the archiving of the Western Shell Collection in Western's Window magazine article From the Archives: A World of Shells.

Photo by Kendra Bradford

Jeremy Johnson observes algae at low tide

Second year Biology Graduate student, Jeremy Johnson, recently received a Graduate Research and Creative Opportunities Grant. Read more about Jeremy's research and upcoming plans in Western Today. Congrats Jeremy!

Undergraduate Research Assistant Lola Demurger examines fruit flies for gender and phenotype (traits) to make sure they go in the right test tubes. Photo by Luke Hollister/WWU

Biology Department's new Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP), led by seven departmental faculty, proved to be a great way for Western students to collaborate and learn new skills! Read more about the program in Western Today. 

Photo by Luke Hollister/WWU

Biology Department Research and Publications