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The Biology Department
Insect Collection Open House
This year, the Biology Department’s WWU Insect Collection will continue to host quarterly public open houses for folks of all ages. Our next open house will be Saturday, December 7, from 1-4pm in rooms 139 and 151 in the Biology Building. We hope you have the chance to join us! Head to the event page for more information.
Incoming Students 2024-2025
Are you an incoming WWU student for 2024-2025? Check out the Incoming Biology Students page to learn how to declare a Biology Major, the application process, and other helpful advising tips.
Helpful Links
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 Fall 2024 Main Office (BI315) Hours:
- Monday-Friday 9:00 - Noon and 1:00 - 4:00
We are available to answer your questions via phone and email:
- Monday - Friday 8:00 - 5:00
Biology Main Line - 360.650.3627 or email biology@wwu.edu
Biology Staff Advisors - 360.650.6165 or email biologyadvising@wwu.edu
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Biology News Spotlight
WWU scientists awarded $638K grant to study forage fish survival in Salish Sea
A multidisciplinary team of WWU Marine and Coastal Science (MACS) faculty were recently awarded a three-year, $638,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. Read more about Biology department Associate Professor Brady Olson and Associate Professor Jim Cooper’s research in an article by WWU Communications, John Thompson.
Two WWU alums spend their summer researching whales at remote Alaskan lighthouse
A pair of recent WWU grads, Rachel Meade (MACS) and Jack Mezzone (Biology), spent a month of their summer working to research humpback whale vocalizations at remote Five Finger Islands Lighthouse in Southeast Alaska. Read more in WWU news!
Alumni Update: Emmanuel Sanchez
Emmanuel Sanchez graduated from Western in 2022 with a B.S. in Biology, Molecular and Cell emphasis. After graduating, Sanchez was hired as a Research Associate in the Institute for Cell Science at the Allen Institute in Seattle, where he continues to work today. We recently caught up with Sanchez to find out how he made his way through the Biology major and how he is involved in the scientific community today.