Adam Wronski ’20 publishes first research paper as a Ph.D. student
A paper co-written by Adam Wronski ’20 is published in the March 2023 issue of Environmental Pollution, an international peer-reviewed journal, and is available on […]
Environmental biology focuses on the interaction between human impacts on the environment and biological systems. An environmental biologist investigates the impacts of actions, pollutants, and conditions on wild communities.
Students read and analyze papers from the primary literature. They then design, carry out and report on original research projects, developing skills as practicing scientists. In labs and discussions, students come to know the discipline by posing problems that are meaningful to them, solving problems through observation and experimentation, and presenting their findings to their classmates and professors.
Latest News
Mary Jane Bumby ’52 honored for work protecting Big Green Lake
Mary Jane Bumby ’52 of Green Lake, Wisconsin, recently was honored with a Watershed Hero Award from the Green Lake Association. The program recognizes community […]
Ripon College provided safe haven for Susan Frikken ’90 to prepare for life
When applying for college, Susan Frikken ’90 of Madison, Wisconsin, felt overwhelmed and anxious and was the first in her family to attend college. She […]
Faculty
Frohardt-Lane, Sarah
Associate Professor of History, Chair of History Department, Director of Environmental Studies
Kainz, Mark
Professor of Biology, Patricia and Philip McCullough Class of 1969 Professor in Biology
Khan, Memuna
Professor of Biology, Chair of Biology Department
Sisson, Barbara
Associate Professor of Biology, Chair of Health Professions Advising Committee
Wallace, Robert
Professor of Biology Emeritus
Wittler, George "Skip"
Professor Emeritus of Biology, Director of Ceresco Conservancy
Advising
Ripon College faculty and professional staff are dedicated to helping you reach your goals, whatever they may be and however often they may change along the way. It’s part of our value statement to you.
As a student at Ripon, you will be assigned a faculty adviser based on your area(s) of interest. You will meet with your faculty adviser throughout your time as a student to discuss your current aspirations, plan your course schedule and plot a future trajectory. We also work collaboratively with Ripon College Career and Professional Development to help match your interests and skills to concrete goals and construct a plan for professional success offering personalized career counseling, off-campus learning opportunities and an online job board with potential to connect with local, national and international employers. Our collaboration with Student Support Services provides tutoring and additional academic and skill development, as well as tools to help with note-taking, exam preparation, goal-setting and time management. Likewise, Mentors in the Franzen Center provide in-depth, one-on-one or group mentoring for students about class projects and college-level writing, and can share problem-solving strategies to overcome academic obstacles.
Advising at RiponRequirements
ENV 120, BIO 121 and 247, plus 11 additional credits in biology courses approved by the department.
Courses taken through the SEA or SES programs may be used to fulfill certain requirements for the major and minor.
Career Tracks
Environmental biology can become a path to careers in research and development, health care, the biomedical sciences, organismal/ecological biology, biotechnology, bioinformatics, conservation, communication, science education, the legal field, technical and pharmaceutical sales, and public policy. Alumni of our program are actively pursuing doctoral degrees in biostatistics, ecological chemistry and botany, marine biology, microbiology and neuroscience at major research universities across the country. Others are pursuing a variety of medical degrees in fields such as veterinary medicine, pharmacology, genetic counseling and radiation oncology.
Unique Opportunities
- The 130-acre Ceresco Prairie Conservancy is a sustainability partnership between the Department of Natural Resources and Ripon College to restore this tract of land to its native prairie, oak savannah and wetlands habitat. Students assist in reseeding the prairie, harvesting seeds and battling invasive species. It includes public hiking and mountain bike trails and an environmental classroom. Students in botany, ecology and animal biology courses carry on research projects on various plants and animals.
- Research opportunities and internships, in collaboration with Ripon College professors and major institutions across the country, in areas such as Eastern bluebirds behavior, zebrafish, plant viruses, genetics and rotifers.
- The Oak Ridge Science Semester enables students to join ongoing investigations at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee in research areas as diverse as astrophysics, cell biology, DNA sequencing, genetic mutagenesis, parallel computing, robotics, toxicology and more.
Alumni Profiles
Recent Alumni of the Biology Department
Sam Sondalle ’11, a biology and chemistry double major, developed a special interest in the developmental biology of animals. He spent two of his undergraduate summers on research projects funded by a National Science Foundation REU award. Sam also had the opportunity to travel to Spain — twice — as part of Ripon’s Maymester (now Liberal Arts in Focus) trips. He is a co-author of an article published in Nature in May 2011. He now is studying in a combined M.D. and Ph.D. program at Yale University.
Biology major Amber Rico ’11 spent two academic years and one summer studying virus replication with Associate Professor of Biology Mark Kainz. The summer leading up to her senior year was spent conducting research at Texas A&M University. Now, she is working on a Ph.D. at Colorado State University, with a special interest in the molecular basis of infectious disease.