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Department of Biology

The Department of Biology at Â鶹´«Ã½ explores the dynamic science with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the processes of living organisms.

Biologists search for answers to current problems and ways to avoid future dilemmas. Specialized fields of biology, such as botany, zoology and molecular biology have made key contributions to the health and welfare of the world's population.

At Â鶹´«Ã½, students have the opportunity to study biology beyond the limits of the classroom.

The Department of Biology owns and operates the Reis Biological Field Station for research and teaching, providing unique opportunities for students to explore ecology and conservation biology. Students find additional opportunities for research and hands-on experimentation at locations throughout St. Louis, including the Saint Louis Zoo and the Missouri Botanical Garden.

The department also participates in the neuroscience and bioinformatics and computational biology interdisciplinary programs at SLU.

Biology Mission Statement

Our mission, for the betterment of humanity and the natural world, is to foster an inclusive learning environment that advances understanding of biology through research and promotes inquiry, critical thinking, knowledge, and lifelong learning.

Biology Diversity Statement

The Department of Biology at Â鶹´«Ã½ believes that protecting and promoting biological and social diversity is central to our mission of understanding biology through research, critical thinking, and life-long learning. Diversity, in all of its forms, perpetuates vigorous and creative research and educational environments, nurtures new ideas that serve humanity and the planet we inhabit, and creates an adaptable faculty and student body capable of persevering through and emerging from adversity. We hope to achieve this diversity by recruiting and welcoming faculty, staff and students representing all human identities, including race, religion, gender, sexual preference, nationality, age, and ability.

Anti-Racism Statement

The Department of Biology at Â鶹´«Ã½ affirms its commitment to acknowledging and dismantling all forms of racism, discrimination, and oppression of ethnic groups. We aim to celebrate and promote diversity and inclusion, while also acknowledging internal, interpersonal, institutional, and structural racism that is deeply embedded within society. We are committed to:

1. Affirming explicitly and in united solidarity our identity as an anti-racist academic unit.
2. Supporting students, faculty, and staff of color through continuous learning, listening and recognition of the impact of implicit bias.
3. Developing and implementing strategies and best practices that dismantle racism and ethnic oppression.
4. Acknowledging that denial is at the center of racism and seeing humanity is at the center of anti-racism.
5. Being an ally to the best of our ability which means we will do what is uncomfortable. We are committed to taking risks and leveraging any privilege we have in order to center marginalized people.

Land Acknowledgment Statement 

We acknowledge that Â鶹´«Ã½ is on ancestral lands of the Illini, Missouria, and Osage Nation, who were forcefully removed, and that Â鶹´«Ã½ is a beneficiary of that removal. We aim to honor the land and people who stewarded this land for generations.

Acknowledgment of Slave Labor Statement 

We acknowledge that enslaved people’s labor contributed to the building of the Jesuit Mission in Missouri and Â鶹´«Ã½. The of the Jesuits seeks to uncover the history of enslaved people’s contributions and we encourage you to explore this history.

Learn More Â鶹´«Ã½ Diversity at SLU

Departmental Staff