Career Opportunities for Biology - Environmental Biology

• Field biologists with expertise in plant and animal populations, communities and ecology
• Conservation organizations
• Local, state and federal agencies
• Private sector as environmental consultants

Faculty diversity and experience at Western Illinois UniversityMost of our faculty members hold Ph.D. degrees and have active, productive research programs.

For a small, comprehensive university in the Midwest, our faculty study a diverse spectrum of biological disciplines:

• Applied and environmental microbiology
• Plant-Insect pathogen interactions
• Molecular biology
• Large animal ecology
• Entomology
• Conservation
• Biogeography
• Mycology
• Microbial molecular ecology

Commitment to undergraduate education

• Our courses are taught by faculty members, not graduate students.
• Our institution has an active faculty advisor program and an active career advising/career development program.
• A comprehensive curriculum which includes a variety of courses providing a strong background in the natural and social sciences, humanities, and writing.
• Support and mentoring for students to pursue their individual interests.
• We have libraries with Internet access to biology journals, and easily accessible computer labs for student use.

Research opportunities for undergraduates

• Faculty welcome students into their research groups as part-time workers, interns, and research assistants (see our Faculty page).
• Opportunities are available for undergraduates to pursue independent research projects (see our Faculty page).
• Our diverse department offers many field and laboratory opportunities for students to pursue biology research.