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 BIOLOGY played
a major role in the news this past year. The issue of emerging infectious
diseases came to the fore big time with the SARS outbreak in Asia,
Canada and elsewhere, and, considering the Iraq war, with the possibility
that Saddam Hussein had bioweapons. As I write, West Nile virus is
making another comeback. The disease first appeared in NY in 1999,
having jumped the Atlantic Ocean from the Middle East. Keep in mind
though that many more people die of the flu each year than die of West
Nile and SARS combined! And tuberculosis kills millions worldwide.
Paleoanthropologists
continue to make progress in understanding the evolution of the human
family ‘bush’, with exciting finds in the last several months
including what may be our most ancient primate relative, 6-7 billion
years old, discovered in Chad (see Sept 2003 issue of Discover).
A refined map
of the human genome was issued, and molecular biologists came to the
sobering opinion that we seem to have fewer protein encoding genes than
plants like rice and Arabidopsis.
It’s an
exciting time to be in biology. We hope that what you learn here will
give you insight into very important and contemporary issues of biological
import, and that you pass on those informed perspectives to friends,
relatives and the community at large. That seems especially true these
days for stem cell research and biotechnology. We also hope we prepare
you for whatever the future holds.
The BIO office
in 411 BioSciences is here to serve you.
Ms. Francine Palevitz is in charge of day to day matters pertaining
to the BIO major. She has a
well-earned reputation for being helpful
and caring, and is prepared to discuss BIO related issues, checksheets,
requirements, etc. She also
knows a lot about navigating the university.
If she can’t provide
an answer, she can probably tell you who
can. Ms. Palevitz is available between 8:30
and 2:30 daily. Her phone number is 542-1691. You can also
reach her by e-mail at palevitz@uga.edu.
Mr. Joey Freeman
in the BIO office provides career counseling, tips on stress management,
advice on preparing resume’s, and information on research and
internship opportunities. He’s in the office daily from 12-4 P.M.
His phone number is 542-8794.
Check the BIO majors resource page on our website from time to time (www.biosci.uga.edu/almanac/biomajor/index.html)
for new information relevant to the BIO major, and for material on your BIO courses.
Information will also be posted on bulletin boards in the vicinity of room 411
BioSciences. During the first few weeks of the semester, we will be revising
the web page for the new year, so check it out often.
Remember to check with Ms. Palevitz in the BIO office not long after the semester
begins about when to sign up for an advising appointment. A notice will be posted
on this web page, and additional notices will be placed in the lobby of the BioSciences
Building.
NEWS FOR BIOLOGY MAJORS
SENIOR RECEPTION
Last year’s
highlights included our spring reception for graduating BIO majors.
The reception was bigger and better than ever. Honored guests included
Vice President for Instruction Delmer Dunn Karen Hohlbrook and Arts
and Sciences Dean Wyatt Anderson. Parents, faculty and staff enjoyed
thoroughly good cheer in the form of conversation and refreshments
as we honored our students. At the end of the spring reception, we
showed a nostalgic video of the university and Athens scene, creatively
filmed and edited by student Ellen Rodgers, with help from staff in
the Biological Sciences Learning Center (BLC).
WORKSHOPS:
We
hosted two major career workshops last year, on forensics and biotechnology.
The forensics program featured experts in molecular, anthropological,
accounting and computer aspects of crime solving and was attended
by about 100 students at the Tate Center. This years programs, to
be held in conjunction with Career Planning and Placement, will include
public health, and women in medicine. Stay tuned for more information.
FLASH:
The university
has changed its residency program. All students must complete at least
45 of their last 60 hrs in residence here.
Note that BIOL 3100, 3200 and 3400 are all now 4 credit courses. You must take
this into account when preparing your schedule of classes. It also impacts the
number of courses you take as general electives.
DEPARTMENT NAME CHANGES:
The Department
of Botany formally changed its name to the Department of Plant Biology.
Please pay attention to this when registering for courses. The old
course prefix was BTNY; the new one is PBIO.
NEW COURSES:
We launched
two new courses last year, BIOL 3910 and 4910, which serve as platforms
for experimental offerings that can be used for the BIO major. Professors
use these numbers to launch first time courses before they are given
formal listings.
Keep your eyes peeled for future announcements about these new courses.
RESEARCH:
Several faculty members used the BIO e-mail list serve to advertise for research
positions in their labs. They’ve been very satisfied with the quality of
our majors. Please consider doing research; that’s the best way to learn
about science and how it’s done. Do it for that reason, not to pad your
resume’.
The best way to start is to get to know your professors by asking them questions
about their work, and reading their personal webpage. You can also find other
faculty that way whose interests excite you. Undergraduate research as BIOL 4960
or 4960H can be used to satisfy requirements for the BIO major, such as the intensive
lab. It’s also the best way to learn how science is really done, and to
scope out whether research (and that means graduate school) is a viable career
option for you. Remember: do it because research interests you and you want the
experience, not because you want to pad your resume’. See Ms. Palevitz
in room 411 for more information about our requirements for BIOL 4960/H. Honors
students: you MUST see Ms. Palevitz ahead of time if you want to do 4960H.
Special Programs:
Reminder:
INTERNSHIP IN BIOLOGY:
Our internship courses are a big success! Several of our students used the internship
program this year, including one who worked for the Fulton County Medical Examiner
because she’s interested in forensics. BIOL 4940/4940H covers supervised
work experience with public agencies, private industry, mass media or non-profit
organizations in the area of the biological sciences. You can take it for 3 credit
hours, repeatable for a maximum 6 hours. It will NOT count towards credit for
the BIOL major, but will count towards general electives and the Regents 39 hour
rule. The prerequisites are BIOL 1107 and 1108, at least one advanced biology
course required for the major, and permission of the Biology program. See Ms.
Palevitz in room 411 for more information
COURSE REQUIREMENT CHANGES:
We made several updates to our majors checksheet to stay current with new courses
and changes to existing ones. See Ms. Palevitz in room 411.
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:
I always encourage students to read books, magazines, newspapers, etc. Ed Larson,
from our own History Department, authored ‘Evolution’s Workshop’,
which chronicles the history of the Galapogos Islands in scientific research.
It’s a great read. ‘The Dragon Seekers’, by Christopher McGowan
follows the exploits of 19th century British naturalists who discovered dinosaurs
fossils. Lastly, Barbara Kingsolver’s novel ‘Prodigal Summer’ is
a magical tour through the lives of people in a southern Appalachian town, and
incorporates poetic and informative insights into nature and ecology. You might
also try a classic: Ira Levin’s ‘Boys From Brazil’, one of
the first books to realistically use human cloning as a theme. It even has a
fictional discussion with a developmental biologist about cloning. The book was
written in the ‘70s, long before mammalian cloning became a reality.
Reminders:
ADVISING:
Make advising appointments EARLY. Watch for notices of when Ms. Palevitz will
take appointments. She will notify BIO majors via our e-mail list serve, as well
as with flyers in the Biosciences lobby. IF YOU ARE NOT ON THE LISTSERVE, see
Ms. Palevitz in room 411.
And puhleeeze, if you don’t want e-mail, don’t sign up. If you do
sign up, don’t complain when we send information to help your classmates!
We try to keep e-mail traffic down to a minimum, but after all, this is an informational
service to students, and that means we send messages.
GRADUATION:
This year’s seniors: you must do a GRADUATION CHECK at least one semester
before you graduate. You will probably receive a reminder from the College, so
make sure to tell your advisor that you need a graduation check. You cannot graduate
without being certified. If you have any questions, contact your advisor or Ms.
Nancy Bray in the College of Arts and Sciences. Ms. Bray handles graduation certification
for BIO majors. You must see your advisor for a clean, completed copy of your
check sheet BEFORE you go to Ms. Bray. Note: grad check appointments can now
be done online.
SENIORS:
Please fill out one of our exit questionaires and return it to Ms. Palevitz.
The questionaires are available in room 411. They enable us to evaluate our program
and keep track of your plans. Please take just a few minutes of your time to
help us improve our services to students.
We will again host receptions for our fall and spring graduating BIO majors.
Please see Ms. Palevitz to find out more about the reception and what you need
to do to attend. Make sure she has your latest address and telephone/e-mail information.
BSSA and AMSA:
BIO is proud to sponsor two student organizations, the Biological Sciences
Student
Association (BSSA) and a chapter of the American Medical Student
Association(AMSA). Both groups will be active during the year with a variety of informative
and entertaining programs. We encourage BIO majors to get involved with either
or both groups. It will help you meet faculty, network with scientists and health
professionals, give you leadership experience. Both organizations have bulletin
board space near room 404E. Inquire in Room 411 for more information. After a
year of inaction, BSSA is now in the hands of active, motivated students. Look
for a rejuvenated organization, and JOIN!
CHECKSHEETS and PROGRAM of STUDY:
We supply checksheets for semester system students (those who matriculated at
ANY college or university fall, 1996 or later) as well as revised checksheets
for any remaining quarter system students with the old BIO requirements translated
into semester courses. Pick one up in room 411 BioSciences. We also will have
the checksheets listed on the BIO Almanac at the BIO website. We have tried to
encapsulate as much important information as possible into the checksheets, to
make planning your program as painless as possible. Please study the new checksheets,
and if you have any questions, contact us. Remaining quarter system students
should be aware that certain courses (e.g. in statistics) are no longer available,
so alternatives must be selected. Those alternatives are listed on the revised
checksheet.
In collaboration with Franklin College, we have prepared a sample four year program
of study for BIO majors. Pick one up in room 411 BioSciences. It will also be
on our website shortly. Remember, it is only a SAMPLE; there are other ways to
arrange a program, in consultation with your advisor.
Note that we have a hotlink to College, core and multicultural requirements on
the BIO website. Just click on ‘Other Requirements’.
HEALTH PROFESSION:
Those of you interested in medicine, dentistry and other health professions should
check in with the Health Professions Advising Office in the College of Arts and
Sciences, 210 New College (2-1541). The office is headed by Dr. Alan Langford.
All students interested in a career in the health professions should contact
the Health Professions Advising Office and make arrangements to attend one of
their orientation seminars, which are offered several times a semester. You must
attend a seminar before making a personal appointment. The office offers a website
(http://ben.franklin.uga.edu/premed/) as well as an informational booklet (‘grey
book’). You can pick up the booklet at New College, or in room 411 BioSciences.
Students interested in veterinary medicine can get information from the Associate
Dean of Academic Affairs of the Veterinary School, Dr. Sheila Allen.
Constitution and History Exams:
To provide as much flexibility as possible in your programs of study, we encourage
students to use qualifying exams to satisfy the Regents’ History and Constitution
requirements instead of taking courses. The constitution exams can now be taken
twice before resorting to POLS 1101, while there is no limit on repeats for the
history exam. Talk to the History and Political Science departments for more
information.
39 Hour Rule:
Semester System Students: Remember, you must complete at least 39 semester hours
at the 3000 level or higher in order to graduate. Since the BIO major comes to
only 29-33 hours, that leaves 6-10 addtional hours of 3000 level courses required
to graduate. You can obtain those hours in a number of ways. For example, you
can use a 3000 level course to fulfill the multicultural requirement. Consult
the list of eligible multicultural courses for one with minimal or no prerequisites.
You can also consider upper division courses for which you have already fulfilled
prerequisites as part of the Core Curriculum. Thus, you can take an advanced
history or anthropology course. You can also use additional research hours in
BIOL 4960/4960H beyond the 4 credits allowed for the Biology degree. Or, you
can take additional research under another department prefix/number, once you
have completed BIOL 4960. You can also take BIOL 3900 as a directed readings
course with an eligible biological sciences professor of your choice. While BIOL
3900 does not qualify for credit towards the BIO major, it can be used to satisfy
the Regents 39 hour rule.
Other Sources of Information:
Franklin College has a lot of useful information about semester conversion, core
requirements, the multicultural requirement, environmental literacy requirement,
the 39 hour rule, etc on its website (http://ben.franklin.uga.edu/). Likewise,
the University Bulletin is also online at (www.bulletin.uga.edu/index.html).
It has lots of information on courses, prerequisites, etc. You can also access
these sources from the BIO Almanac homepage.
SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO THINK ABOUT ...
IT ISN’T EASY...
The biological sciences is a demanding discipline, and any career based on it
is equally demanding. We live in an age of rapid progress in all areas of biology.
Information on everything from disease to genome sequencing to conservation ecology
is arriving by the bushel, by the minute. And that information is increasingly
quantitative, complex and even abstract. New discoveries also present us with
difficult decisions about genetic testing, release of transgenic organisms, preservation
of habitat, environmental degradation and a host of other issues, all of which
require serious consideration of complex data and a variety of opinions. In other
words, if you want to be a biology major and go on to a career in the discipline,
get used to dealing with difficult subjects entailing a lot of study. And get
used to it from your first course in biology. Face it, and deal with it. You
have no other choice. There is NO easy way to do it. Besides, the competition
is stiff for admission to professional schools and for jobs. Others will be doing
their homework, so you had better do it too. Taking shortcuts now will mean disaster
later.
There are things you can do, habits you can form at an early stage in your UGA
career that will make your life as a BIO major easier. For one thing, get used
to studying. Make up your mind to read assignments BEFORE coming to lecture,
so material you hear in lecture will be more meaningful. Then, that evening,
review your reading in the context of your lecture notes. DO NOT WAIT until a
day or two before the exam to read your assignments. It’s impossible to
absorb all that material in so short a time! Second, do ACTIVE, not passive,
learning. Don’t just read the book. Stop every so often and ask yourself
questions about the reading material and lecture, and write out your answers.
Try to place something you just read in the context of a previous concept, page
or chapter. If you have a friend in class, get together regularly to discuss
the material and bounce questions off each other. For more tips about active
learning, take a look at the following informative website (www.botany.uga.edu/~darley/studybio.html).
Third, ATTENDANCE
MATTERS! Really. No joke. No b.s. In the recent years, we conducted
two separate experiments in which students in attendance on random days, in two
separate introductory courses, were asked to sign an attendance sheet. The final
course grades of those students were then compared to the class as a whole. In
both cases, the students in class on the sample day did a full half point GPA
HIGHER in the course. That half point often translates into a whole letter grade!
It may seem fashionable and cool not to come to class, but IT ISN’T SMART.
Don’t let others tell you otherwise.
GET TO KNOW THE FACULTY!
Another good tip as you begin the year is to get to know the BIO faculty. You
can find out about your professors before classes begin by consulting their personal
web pages. Just search under their names on the UGA website or a browser such
as google.com. Don’t hesitate to ask questions about subjects covered in
class. See the professor after class if you are curious about something (s)he
covered. Take advantage of office hours. Office hours are not just to complain
about grades; faculty make themselves available after class to help you with
the material! Ask your teachers about their research interests. Remember, the
faculty are a resource outside of formal instruction time. Getting to know faculty
can provide informal learning experiences, lead to laboratory research opportunities
which satisfy the BIO major lab requirement, and provide for more INFORMED LETTERS
OF RECOMMENDATION for professional schools. You might be surprised at how many
students come to see professors in their senior year asking for letters of recommendation,
when the professor’s sole knowledge of the student is a grade in an intro
course two years earlier! That professor has little to write on the recommendation
form, other than the grade. BE SMART! Avoid this problem by getting to know your
professors. Squeaky doors get the grease, as the saying goes. Don’t listen
to anyone who tells you it isn’t cool to talk to professors.
BE CURIOUS!
One of the best ingredients for academic success is curiosity; in other words,
a natural desire to learn. Let me tell you a true story: Not long ago, an ex-student
overheard a conversation I had with an advisor in Arts and Sciences about the
advantages of a liberal arts education. The student had graduated with a degree
in another college, and was back in school taking all of the courses he now realized
he should have taken while he was here but was too myopic to do so. He had been
out in the business world and realized how much he had missed, and how much he
was handicapped career-wise by his narrow education. He urged us to encourage
students to take an enlightened, liberal view of learning; i.e., learning for
learning’s sake. We urge the same thing, especially as it relates to biology.
Take advantage of the BLC. In many cases your instructors will use the BLC to
post information, readings, videos, old exams, and other material relevant to
your courses. However, you can use the BLC to learn in other ways, in a relaxed
manner. For example, use the BLC (or your home computer) to browse the WorldWide
Web using key science words. There are numerous web sites that will give you
lots of information about everything from Arabidopsis to evolution to potential
life on Mars. You can browse the NY Times (http://www.nytimes.com) for science
articles, especially on Tuesday when it features ‘Science Times’ pages.
The Times has lots of interesting articles on major advancements in science.
Other major newspapers, like the Boston Globe and Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
regularly feature science stories, the latter particularly on Sundays. Likewise,
ABCNews.com has a web page that features science stories. When you read, stop
and ask yourself how the information relates to something you learned in a course.
Make a list of questions to pursue elsewhere, such as your biochemistry, genetics
or microbiology textbook. If you hear or read about the presence of StarLink
transgenic corn in taco chips and want to know if it will really hurt you, research
the subject on the internet. And don’t hesitate to seek out a faculty member
expert in the area of interest. Individual departments list their faculty in
brochures or on Worldwide Web pages. We have an incredibly diverse, talented
faculty in the biological sciences, and most welcome inquiries from interested
students!
You can also spend free time in the Science Library reading weekly issues of
Science and Nature, which have cutting edge research articles as well as informative,
well written perspective pieces and news about current developments in science.
It’s a good idea to set aside a specific hour or so for this each week,
so it becomes routine. You might also consider subscribing to Science or Nature,
which have special student rates. Any recent issue has a subscription card. Both
Nature and Science have web sites, with more limited coverage of each issue (http://www.nature.com,
and http://science-mag.aaas.org/science). Discover Magazine also has a web site:
http://www.enews.com/magazines/discover. These are all good ways to help stay “literate” in
biology, and science in general.
Of course, don’t stop at science. Take the time to think about all sorts
of subjects and issues. After all, science impinges on just about every aspect
of our lives. You might want to start writing your opinions in the form of short
essays in a personal journal (which will also help hone your writing skills),
and/or meeting with your friends regularly to talk things over. Do it.
In other words, take the time to cultivate CURIOSITY, and an appreciation for
lifelong learning, without prompting by exams, term papers, and other course
requirements. Read, because it’s fun to learn, and because it makes you
a better informed, more flexible person, which will pay dividends in the future!
HONE YOUR WRITING SKILLS
Communication skills are important to employers. As science becomes more technical
and complex, companies look for people who can effectively communicate research
results to financial analysts, stockholders and the general public. With increasing
importance of the Internet as a communication medium, good writing is even more
advantageous. Perusal of employment ads in Science magazine over the past year
turned up repeated mention of writing/communication skills. So, take advantage
of your years at UGA to hone your writing and communication skills. Take courses
offered through various departments that provide opportunities to write. The
Franklin College has a Writing Intensive Program featuring a variety of courses
that emphasize writing skills (http://parallel.park.uga.edu/~mballif/writing.html).
Keep a personal journal in which you write down reflections and opinions about
current issues and questions. Use active study techniques in which you pose questions
to yourself about course material, and write out the answers. Consider writing
letters to the editor of newspapers or short articles for newsletters about science,
hobbies, or whatever interests you. In other words, take every opportunity to
WRITE.
Other things we encourage ....
NON-RESIDENT CREDIT
Our NON-RESIDENT
CREDIT PROGRAM encourages majors to take advanced biology courses
at other institutions. We think it’s a good idea for students to broaden
their knowledge and experience by taking advantage of advanced courses offered
at other universities, field stations, marine laboratories, etc. We therefore
make information available to students about eligible programs, how to go about
taking non-resident courses, and how to make sure they are credited towards the
BIO major at UGA. A description of the policy is available from your advisor
and on the BIO Homepage. We also have a bulletin board describing eligible non-resident
programs around the country. The board islocated across the hall from room 411
BioSciences.
INTERNSHIPS
We encourage students to do an internship. BIOL 4940/4940H covers supervised
work experience with public agencies, private industry, mass media or non-profmait
organizations in the area of the biological sciences. You can take it for 3 credit
hours, repeatable for a maximum 6 hours. It will NOT count towards credit for
the BIOL major, but will count towards general electives and the Regents 39 hour
rule. The prerequisites are BIOL 1107 and 1108, at least one advanced biology
course required for the major, and permission of the Biology program. See Ms.
Palevitz in room 411 for more information.
CAREER PLANNING
BIO makes additional resources available to assist our majors in career planning.
Mr. Joseph Freeman in room 411 BioSciences advises students on careers in biology.
He also has a new page on the BIO website (www.biosci.uga.edu/careers/index.html.
We also have a bulletin board outside the BLC upon which we post useful information.
Take a look.
RESEARCH SEMINARS
A good way to learn more about the most recent developments in biology, and how
science is actually done, is to attend research seminars. Seminars allow you
to learn in a more informal, ‘no -test’ atmosphere. They also provide
the opportunity to meet faculty and staff in a relaxed way, and get important
information on interesting projects and labs for undergraduate research. The
various departments in the Biological Sciences Division offer a rich variety
of seminars. Seminars are scheduled at various times, every day of the week.
The most frequently used times are at noon, and from 3:00 to 5:00. Notices of
seminars are located outside the BIO offices in the BioSciences lobby, and through
member departments in the Division.
Don’t feel intimidated about going to seminars. Remember, most of the people
there don’t know what the speaker is going to say. In fact, many of them
don’t have a clue about the subject!! But, like you, they are all there
to learn.
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