In What Ways Can I Help?

          Biology

Ours is truly the "Century of Biology." With headlines pointing to critical issues such as biodiversity, biohazards, the biosphere, and biological warfare, it is clear that Biology impacts us all. As this new century unfolds, every citizen will participate in decisions on biological issues as diverse as human cloning, stem cell research, endangered species, conservation, and the bioengineering of food. To ensure that informed decisions are made, Americans must have an understanding of the biological concepts underlying these issues. Educating each new generation in the principles of Biology is of the utmost national importance. And this is one of the challenges for WVU's Department of Biology.

Our Biology Department is committed to fully exploring the diversity that comprises Biology in the modern world, and to educating the citizens of West Virginia and beyond in basic and advanced principles of Biology. We seek support from all those who recognize the importance of Biology in their daily lives and for the future well-being of their communities-support for our large undergraduate program and our expanding graduate program.

WVU' s Department of Biology is a critical center for the understanding and integration of complex biological issues:

• Through a broad-based curriculum that trains students for advanced and professional studies in biological, environmental, and health sciences
• Through cutting-edge research in diverse areas such as the biology of osteoporosis, the ethnobotany of native plants, forested wetlands, genomics, the neurobiology of sleep and aging, and the restoration of ecosystems
• Through WVU's Herbarium, the Core Arboretum, and the Fernow Experimental Forest near Parsons

BIOLOGY PRIORITIES

• An endowed fund to attract graduate students to the Department, retain them and support them in their studies
• A fund for the purchase of research equipment, especially as the Department expands to the new Life Sciences Building
• An endowment for an annual lecture in Biology named after our most prestigious faculty member, Dr. Earl Core
• An undergraduate academic enrichment fund for student research and travel
• An endowed chair or professorship in Cellular and Molecular Biology and/or Environmental Biology