Biological Sciences

Undergraduate Degrees
Graduate Degrees
Courses of Instruction

Hancock Foundation Building 103
(213) 740-2777
(213) 740-8123 (FAX)

Chair: Jed Fuhrman, Ph.D.

Faculty

ARCO/William F. Kieschnick Chair in the Neurobiology of Aging: Caleb E. Finch, Ph.D. (Gerontology)

William M. Keck Chair in Psychology and Biological Sciences: Richard F. Thompson, Ph.D. (Psychology)

USC Associates Chair in Natural Science: Michael S. Waterman, Ph.D. (Mathematics)

Professors: M. Michael Appleman, Ph.D.; Michael A. Arbib, Ph.D. (Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science); Norman Arnheim, Ph.D.; Robert F. Baker, Ph.D.; Gerald Bakus, Ph.D.; Michel Baudry, Ph.D.; Robert F. Bils, Ph.D.; William Louis Byerly, Ph.D.; Richard C. Deonier, Ph.D.; Richard C. Dugdale, Ph.D.; Arnold Dunn, Ph.D.*; Jed Fuhrman, Ph.D.; Myron F. Goodman, Ph.D.; Franz Hefti, Ph.D. (Gerontology); Albert A. Herrera, Ph.D.*; Dale Kiefer, Ph.D.; William O. McClure, Ph.D.*; Maria Pellegrini, Ph.D.*; Edward Schneider, Ph.D. (Gerontology); Cornelius W. Sullivan, Ph.D.; Miriam M. Susskind, Ph.D.; Larry Swanson, Ph.D.; Simon Tavare, Ph.D. (Mathematics)

Associate Professors: Sarah Bottjer, Ph.D.; Chien-Ping Ko, Ph.D.; Donal T. Manahan, Ph.D.; Margaret McFall-Ngai, Ph.D.; Edwin M. Perkins, Ph.D.*; John A. Petruska, Ph.D.; Edward G. Ruby, Ph.D.; Peter M. Shugarman, Ph.D.*; Russel L. Zimmer, Ph.D.

Assistant Professors: Leslie Bell, Ph.D.; Kevin Moses, Ph.D.; John Tower, Ph.D.; Rahul Warrior, Ph.D.; Alan Watts, Ph.D.

Research Professor: Dorothy Soule, Ph.D.

Research Associate Professors: Rodolfo Iturriaga, Ph.D.; Burton H. Jones, Ph.D.; Richard Pieper, Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professors: Stephanie Astrow, Ph.D.; Frank Johnson, Ph.D.; Dariusz Stramski, Ph.D.; Georges Tocco, Ph.D.; Frances Wilkerson, Ph.D.

Directors of Instructional Laboratories: Linda Bazilian, M.S.; Martin M. Huh, Ph.D.; Alan Norton, Ph.D.

Adjunct Faculty: Daniel Cohen, Ph.D.; Kirk Fitzhugh, Ph.D.; Gordon Hendler, Ph.D.; Robert Lavenberg, Ph.D.; Joel Martin, Ph.D.; James McLean, Ph.D.

Emeritus Professors: Bernard C. Abbott, Ph.D.*; James W. Bartholomew, Ph.D.; Harrison M. Kurtz, Ph.D.*; Walter E. Martin, Ph.D.; John L. Mohr, Ph.D.

*Recipient of university-wide or college teaching award.

Programs

The Department of Biological Sciences is responsible for undergraduate and graduate instructional and research activities in all of the life sciences. Its programs cover a number of sub-disciplines. Department majors prepare in chemistry, physics and mathematics, as well as in a core of biological sciences courses. Beyond core instruction, students and their advisors design individualized programs of advanced courses, which satisfy individual interests and requirements for career preparation.

Students are encouraged to become involved in laboratory and field research while gaining a firm theoretical science background. In addition to a broad spectrum of disciplines provided by the undergraduate programs, the department has three areas of research emphasis. These are molecular biology and biochemistry, neurobiology and cell biology, and marine biology and biological oceanography. These specially designed programs emphasize advanced courses in the biological sciences and other related sciences, as well as participation in directed research. Undergraduate students with overall and science GPAs of 3.0 or better are accepted into individual directed research with faculty sponsors upon the approval of the department chair. The department offers B.S. and B.A. degrees and a minor as well as graduate programs leading to the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in biology and molecular biology.

Honor Society

The Department of Biological Sciences offers membership in Phi Sigma, a national honor society, to selected biology majors. The advisor is Associate Professor John Petruska, Ph.D.

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Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995
univpub@stuaff.usc.edu