Department at a Glance
The Biology Department was founded in 1992 by the merger of the Botany and Zoology departments. It has over 50 faculty members and 23 staff members and serves over 1700 Biology undergraduate majors. Also, beginning fall 2025, the Biology Department shares a Neuroscience major with Psychological & Brain Sciences. Biology contributes to four interdepartmental graduate programs. Over 85 graduate students and postdoctoral scientists work in Biology Department research labs. This research is supported by more than 60 external grants totaling over $9.5 million in funding.
Contact the Chair
You can contact Paul Katz, Chair of the Biology Department, at @email
How to Find Us
The Department of Biology has research and teaching laboratories in the Morrill Science Center (sections II, III, IVS and IVN), the Integrated Sciences Building, the Life Science Laboratory and Fernald Hall. The main office and academic advising are located on the second floor of Morrill Science Center III on the east side of North Pleasant Street, directly opposite the Campus Pond.
The Visitors Center can provide you with campus maps as well as directions to the University campus. If you are coming to campus via 116, take Massachusetts Avenue past Haigis Mall and turn left on North Pleasant Street. Morrill Science Center will be on your right. If you are coming from Amherst Center on North Pleasant Street, Morrill Science Center will be on your right after the traffic light that intersects with Massachusetts Avenue.
On the campus map, the Morrill Science Center is located at the intersection of quadrants C, D, 3, and 4.