USC
University of Southern California
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Biological Sciences

Hancock Foundation Building 107
(213) 740-5774
FAX: (213) 740-8123
Email (undergraduate programs): biodept@usc.edu
Email (graduate programs): marinebio@usc.edu, molecule@usc.edu, neurosci@usc.edu

Chair: Douglas Capone, Ph.D.

Faculty

ARCO/William F. Kieschnick Chair in the Neurobiology of Aging and University Professor: Caleb E. Finch, Ph.D.

Ester Dornsife Chair in Biological Sciences and Distinguished Professor: Norman Arnheim, Ph.D.

George and Louise Kawamoto Chair in Biological Sciences: Simon Tavaré, Ph.D.

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

McCulloch-Crosby Chair in Marine Biology: Jed A. Fuhrman, Ph.D.

USC Associates Chair in Natural Sciences and University Professor: Michael S. Waterman

William and Julie Wrigley Chair in Environmental Studies: Douglas G. Capone, Ph.D.

Milo Don and Lucille Appleman Professor of Biological Sciences: Larry W. Swanson, Ph.D.

Paxson H. Offield Professor of Fisheries Ecology: Dennis Hedgecock, Ph.D.

Gabilan Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences: Michelle Arbeitman, Ph.D.

Professors: Michael A. Arbib, Ph.D. (Computer Science); Norman Arnheim, Ph.D.; Robert F. Baker, Ph.D.; Gerald Bakus, Ph.D.; Michel Baudry, Ph.D.; Sarah Bottjer, Ph.D.; Douglas G. Capone, Ph.D.; David Caron, Ph.D.; Xiaojiang Chen, Ph.D.; Susan Forsburg, Ph.D.; Jed A. Fuhrman, Ph.D.*; Myron F. Goodman, Ph.D.; Dennis Hedgecock, Ph.D.; Albert A. Herrera, Ph.D.*(Vice Chair); David Hutchins, Ph.D.; Dale Kiefer, Ph.D.; Chien-Ping Ko, Ph.D.; Donal T. Manahan, Ph.D. (Wrigley Director); William O. McClure, Ph.D.*; Anthony F. Michaels, Ph.D.; James W. Moffett, Ph.D.; Sergey Nuzhdin, Ph.D.; John A. Petruska, Ph.D.; Michael Quick, Ph.D. (Executive Vice Dean); Cornelius W. Sullivan, Ph.D.; Fengzhu Sun, Ph.D.; Miriam M. Susskind, Ph.D.; Larry W. Swanson, Ph.D.; Simon Tavare, Ph.D.; Michael S. Waterman, Ph.D.; Alan Watts, Ph.D.; Sergio Sanudo-Wilhelmy, Ph.D.

Associate Professors: Oscar M. Aparicio, Ph.D.; Donald Arnold, Ph.D.; Lin Chen, Ph.D.; Ting Chen, Ph.D.; Suzanne Edmands, Ph.D.; Katrina J. Edwards, Ph.D.; Steven Finkel, Ph.D.; John F. Heidelberg, Ph.D.; Judith Hirsch, Ph.D.; Lei Li, Ph.D.; Emily R. Liman, Ph.D.; Magnus Nordborg, Ph.D.; Peter M. Shugarman, Ph.D.*; John Tower, Ph.D.

Assistant Professors: Frank Alber, Ph.D.; Michelle N. Arbeitman, Ph.D.; Samantha Butler, Ph.D.; Tansu Celikel, Ph.D.; Liang Chen, Ph.D.; Andrew Gracey, Ph.D.; Karla B. Heidelberg, Ph.D.; David D. McKemy, Ph.D.; Eric A. Webb, Ph.D.; Xuelin Wu, Ph.D.; Xianghong Zhou, Ph.D.; Wiebke Ziebis, Ph.D.

Adjunct Professors: Luis Chiappe, Ph.D.; Kirk Fitzhugh, Ph.D.; Gordon Hendler, Ph.D.; Joel W. Martin, Ph.D.

Adjunct Associate Professors: Richard Pieper, Ph.D.; Christine Thacker, Ph.D.

Adjunct Assistant Professors: Angel Valdes, Ph.D.; Regina Wetzer, Ph.D.

Research Professor: Melvin Lyon, Ph.D.

Research Associate Professors: Linda Duguay, Ph.D.; Burton H. Jones, Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professors: Mihail Bota, Ph.D; Gully Burns, Ph.D.; Peter Calabrese, Ph.D.; Fei-Xue Fu, Ph.D.; Myrna Jacobson, Ph.D.; Hussam Jourdi, Ph.D.; Arshad Khan, Ph.D.; Judy D. Lemus, Ph.D.; William Nelson, Ph.D.; Phuong Pham, Ph.D.; Astrid Schnetzer, Ph.D.; Rick Thompson, Ph.D.

Emeriti Professors: Bernard C. Abbott, Ph.D.*; Michael Appleman, Ph.D.; James W. Bartholomew, Ph.D.; Robert Bils, Ph.D.; Richard Deonier, Ph.D.; Arnold S. Dunn, Ph.D.; Walter E. Martin, Ph.D.; John L. Mohr, Ph.D.; Basil G. Nafpaktitis, Ph.D.; Edwin M. Perkins, Jr., Ph.D.; Russel Zimmer, Ph.D.

*Recipient of university-wide or college teaching award.

Academic Program Staff

Directors of Instructional Laboratories: Celeste Chong-Cerrillo, Ph.D.; Pam Lum, Ph.D.; Eric Price

Programs

The Department of Biological Sciences has research faculty with specialties in three disciplines: marine environmental biology, molecular and computational biology, and neuroscience. A diversity of upper division undergraduate and graduate courses permits biology majors to choose an emphasis in any of these three disciplines.

The department offers both B.A. and B.S. degrees in biological sciences and an honors program in which a student can earn either a B.A. or a B.S. degree in biological sciences with honors. The B.S. in biochemistry is offered as a joint program with the Department of Chemistry. The honors program is available to students who maintain a GPA of 3.5 in the sciences and who have completed their freshman year. The honors program includes research opportunities, seminars and thesis preparation courses. Applications for the Honors Program are available in Hancock 105.

Undergraduates in biological sciences have the opportunity to become involved in laboratory or field research by taking research courses for some of their elective units.

At the graduate level, the department offers challenging degree programs that lead to a Ph.D. in biology (with options in either marine environmental biology, neuroscience or integrative and evolutionary biology), a Ph.D. in molecular and computational biology and computational biology and bioinformatics, and an M.S. in marine environmental biology. The department no longer accepts applicants for the terminal master's programs.

Honor Society

The Department of Biological Sciences offers membership in Phi Sigma, a national honor society, to selected biology majors (Alpha Alpha Chapter at USC.) Phi Sigma is devoted to the promotion of research and academic excellence in the biological sciences. Students with a GPA above 3.0 who have interest in research and have completed core requirements for the first two years in biological sciences are eligible. Major activities range from presentation of papers by members and lectures by outside speakers to field trips, laboratory demonstrations and joint research projects. The advisor is Professor John Petruska, Ph.D., SHS 561, (213) 740-5189.

Catalina Semester

The Biological Sciences Department in conjunction with the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies (WIES) sponsors two, semester-long programs at USC's Phillip K. Wrigley Marine Sciences Center (WMSC) on Santa Catalina Island. Each of the semesters consists of a 16 unit program with three upper division lab courses and a special 4-unit independent research course (BISC 490).

The spring program is focused on population biology and animal physiology, and the fall semester on microbial ecology and the interactions of microbes and the global environment. The program is open to all biology majors as well as students in other departments and other institutions with a strong biology background. Students are primarily in their junior or senior years and may participate in either or both semesters.

All the courses are taught by USC faculty and supported by USC graduate student teaching assistants. The classes are specialized to take advantage of the unique facilities and setting of Santa Catalina Island.

Students live on Catalina Island for the entire semester. Rates for room and board at the USC Wrigley Marine Science Center are comparable to those on campus. The program follows the same calendar schedule as the University Park campus. For those wishing to return to the mainland on the weekend -- free transportation is provided each Friday to leave and each Monday to return.

For more information, students should contact Dr. Linda Duguay, program coordinator, Hancock 209F, duguay@usc.edu or catsem@usc.edu or Cindy Joseph, program assistant, cjoseph1107@gmail.com or (213) 740-6780 in the Wrigley Offices on the fourth floor of Hancock. Additional information can also be found at wrigley.usc.edu/spotlight/catalina_semester.html.