Program Overview
The Biology program at Lawrence combines hands-on learning with a strong liberal arts foundation. Students explore topics from molecular processes to ecosystems while working closely with faculty in small classes and labs. Opportunities for independent research and interdisciplinary study help students connect scientific theory to real-world challenges. Graduates present their work at professional conferences as well as with multidisciplinary audiences at the annual BioFest celebration of senior experience projects. Biology majors are well-prepared for advanced study in graduate programs or for careers in the biotech industry, healthcare, research, and environmental science.
Program Highlights
Research Alongside Faculty
Work directly with faculty on cutting-edge research that can lead to student-authored publications and conference presentations.
Build Skills That Get You Noticed
Strengthen your communication, project management, teamwork, and problem-solving skills through hands-on scientific work.
Prepare for What Comes Next
Join graduates who have continued into graduate and professional programs or launched careers in research, biotechnology, healthcare, government, and environmental science.
Spotlight
Lawrentian Spotlight
Student Perspective
“By drawing out the bees that I was working with this summer, it helped me understand them more. … It’s something I would look into doing after college as well, doing field guides and booklets like that. I kind of want to be a beekeeper after college; just have my own garden, my own place.”
Bella Goland ’24
Biology
Winneconne, Wisconsin
Types of Degrees
Students can pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Biology, with options to focus on areas such as ecology, molecular biology, or pre-health pathways. A minor in Biology is also available, along with interdisciplinary options through related programs.
Advising
At Lawrence, academic advising helps you shape an educational experience that reflects your interests, goals, and aspirations. Your faculty advisor will support you as you plan your path, connect with campus resources and communities, and make informed decisions that prepare you for a meaningful and fulfilling future.
Faculty & Staff
Engage deeply and collaboratively with professors who are experts in their field and committed to supporting your education.
Chair(s)
Kimberly Dickson
Associate Professor of Biology
Interests: protein structure and function
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Elizabeth Ann De Stasio (She/Her)
Raymond H. Herzog Professor of Science and Professor of Biology
elizabeth.a.destasio@lawrence.edu
Beth De Stasio currently teaches courses in Genetics, Introductory Biology, First-Year Studies, Senior Experience, and a lab course for non-majors called Biotechnology and Society. She is working to make her…
View Full Profile Kimberly Dickson
Associate Professor of Biology
Interests: protein structure and function
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Alyssa S. Hakes (she/her)
Associate Professor of Biology
I am an ecologist who studies plant-insect interactions. I am interested in the factors that influence the amount of damage plants receive from insects. My lab has explored plant-herbivore interactions…
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Stellan Wilder Hall-Sutter
Fox-Wolf Watershed Environmental Restoration Intern
stellan.w.hall-sutter@lawrence.edu
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Judith Humphries (she/her/hers)
Professor of Biology
Research Interests My research focuses on the freshwater snail, Biomphalaria glabrata, an intermediate host to the parasite Schistosoma mansoni. Specifically, my lab studies a family of transcription factors (NFkappaB) in…
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Margaret Malone (she/her/hers)
Assistant Professor of Biology
I am a fish behavioral ecologist and coral reef ecologist. I use a wide range of research approaches to answer questions about fishes, including ecological theory, biological collections, and observational…
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Brian P. Piasecki (he/him/his)
Associate Professor of Biology
Trained as a molecular and cellular biologist, I am interested in linking basic cellular mechanisms to broader evolutionary and developmentally relevant processes. For example, observations made largely within the past…
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Meghan Raebel (She/Her)
Assistant Laboratory Supervisor
Research Experience: Trained as a microbiologist, my research work has primarily focused on genetically modifying various metabolic pathways within blue-green algae in order to produce increased yields of potential biofuels.
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Jodi Sedlock (she/her)
Dennis and Charlot Nelson Singleton Professor of Biological Sciences
I have been exploring the secret lives of bats for many years, mostly across the diverse archipelago of the Philippines in Southeast Asia. In collaboration with Filipino scientists and conservation…
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Rose Theisen (she/her)
Director of Academic Planning and Budget in the Office of the Provost and Senior Experience Coordinator and Lecturer in Biology
My name is Rose Theisen (pronounced Tyson). In the Provost Office, I work together with staff and relevant faculty committees to create and maintain the academic common data set, implement…
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Nancy A. Wall (she/her/hers)
Associate Professor of Biology
Nancy Wall joined the biology department in 1995. Her academic area of expertise is developmental biology with a primary interest in early neural development. In addition to teaching and research…
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Learning Spaces
Students work in dedicated teaching and research labs equipped for all sub-disciplines of biology, ranging from ecology to organismal biology to cell and molecular biology.
