Message from the Chair

Welcome to the Department of Biological Sciences at University of the Sciences. It is a great pleasure to greet prospective students, current students, alumni, and friends. As the University of the Sciences continues to grow and develop, so too does our department.

Last year, we added two members to our permanent faculty. Dr. Melissa Marko joined our faculty. She received her PhD in Cell and Molecular Nutrition from Tufts University. Dr. Marko’s area of research is in nutraceuticals and antioxidants and her teaching expertise is in nutrition and microbiology. Dr. Grace Farber, who received her PhD from the University of Pittsburgh, also joined our faculty. Dr. Farber’s research background focused primarily on the molecular mechanisms driving the lysosomal storage disorder Mucolipidosis Type IV.  Her research expertise includes cell and molecular biology, microbiology, and neuroscience. Her teaching expertise is in general biology.

This year our department will continue to grow as we search for two new tenure-track faculty. We are expanding our research-oriented faculty as we continue to provide our undergraduate students with more and diverse opportunities to do faculty-mentored research projects. Inquiry-based research and data analysis help all students, even if they choose not to pursue science or research after graduating. Our research-intensive faculty also provide training opportunities in our graduate programs, where students devote longer, sustained periods of time to training, learning to do cutting-edge research.

If you are a prospective undergraduate student, I encourage you to examine our learner-centered curriculum and the coursework and laboratory offerings that make it so outstanding. We are particularly excited to announce our new Bachelor of Science degree program in Biomedical Sciences. This new degree program allows students to craft a personalized degree in the health concentration of their choice. Also pay attention to the courses of study to major in biology, microbiology, environmental science and medical laboratory science, as well as our integrated program in forensic science that can lead to a certificate of field specialization. And lastly, please examine our faculty web pages to discover the breadth and depth of their interests and the research opportunities in our faculty labs. If you are interested in becoming a new undergraduate or graduate student in our biological sciences program, please visit the application portal off of the USciences main website.

Finally, I invite all the alumni of our department to tell us where you are now and what made your education “one-of-a-kind” at USciences. Drop us an email at bio-alumni@usciences.edu. And whether you are a current student, an alumnus or a friend of our department, please visit our presence on Facebook and “like” us or leave a comment about the many events and activities that are routinely updated there.

All the best,

Peter B. Berget, PhD

Professor and Chair, Department of Biological Sciences