Biology, BS - New England College
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Biology, BS

Biology is the study of living organisms. Our vibrant and exciting Bachelor of Science in Biology program engages you with courses encompassing both organismal and molecular biology, including general biology, animal physiology, evolution, genetics, plants and human affairs, zoology, and many others.

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Overview

You will be challenged with countless hands-on learning experiences and many opportunities to do real science, both in your classes and in federally-funded research laboratories. Every biology major completes a year-long research project. Many students present this work at local undergraduate meetings and even international scientific conferences.

At NEC, you will have opportunities for professional internships, biology-related travel courses, earning credits for getting certified as a biology teacher, and employment in our Summer Undergraduate Research Program. We will help you attain your career goals, whether that be graduate school or employment in such places as educational institutions, federal agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and private industry.

Available Concentration:

Conservation Biology

Program Details

  • Live What You Learn
    • Federally-funded Summer Undergraduate Research Program: 10 weeks of full-time summer employment working in a research lab
    • Frequent research, seminar, symposia, and training opportunities at NEC and in partnership with several other academic institutions in the state through the New Hampshire’s Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (NH-INBRE) network
    • “Snacking on Science Seminars”: bi-weekly seminars presented by NEC researchers, alumni, and external scientists
    • Tropical Marine Biology: This course, offered every year, includes travel to the reefs and Mayan ruins of Belize for further study and exploration

  • Career Opportunities
    • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
    • Physician (MD/DO)
    • Federal agencies such as the Division of Marine Fisheries, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the USDA
    • Pharmaceutical work/research
    • Private-industry careers
    • Teaching in schools or with the general public
    • Graduates can also go on to pursue master’s and doctoral programs in research

I needed a small community where people would know me and I would know them. The student-teacher ratio was exactly what I was looking for so that professors can give me their undivided attention and help me succeed and meet my goals!

Mackie Glashow Biology BS, 2013

Hidden Gem: NEC’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Professor Jim Newcomb and students at INBRE Conference 2022

For more than a decade, NEC’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) has been quietly helping students embark on their science and healthcare careers. Each summer, students do real research and present their work at the NH-INBRE Conference.

SURP is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), specifically the IDeA Network of Biological Research Excellence (INBRE) grant, which encourages students to pursue graduate programs in biomedical research. The program offers NEC’s students in Biology, Biology—Conservation Biology, Health Science, Kinesiology, Psychology, and Psychology—Human Services the opportunity to do paid research alongside NEC faculty members during the eight-week program.

“We have enough funding to pay approximately 12 students each year,” explains Dr. James Newcomb, Professor of Biology and Health Science and Co-Director of the Center for Undergraduate Science Research, “And every year, we have more applicants than we have spots available.”

Read the Full Story

Faculty

  • Dr. Eric Simon

    Professor, Biology and Health Science
    Office: Science Building 212-C, Henniker Campus
    Phone: 603.428.2271
    Email: esimon@nec.edu
    Professional website: ericjsimon.com

    Expertise
    Dr. Simon is the author of the introductory non-majors’ biology textbooks Biology: The Core, the lead author of Campbell Essential Biology and Campbell Essential Biology with Physiology, and a co-author of the introductory biology textbook Campbell Biology: Concepts and Connections, all published by Pearson Education.

    Educational Background
    PhD in Biochemistry, Harvard University
    MA in Biology, Wesleyan University
    BA in Biology and Computer Science, Wesleyan University

    Research Interests
    His research focuses on innovative ways to use technology to improve teaching and learning in the science classroom, particularly among non-science major students.

    Bio
    Dr. Simon teaches introductory biology to both science majors and non-science majors, as well as human biology, tropical marine biology, careers in science, and TA training. Dr. Simon also teaches a variety of international travel courses to destinations such as Belize, Patagonia, Galapagos, Tanzania, and Cuba.

  • Dr. Geoff Cook

    Assistant Professor, Biology and Health Science
    Phone: 603.428.2471
    Email: gcook@nec.edu

    Educational Background
    PhD in Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University
    MS in Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University
    BS in Biology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

  • Dr. James Newcomb

    Professor, Biology and Health Science and Co-Director of Center for Undergraduate Science Research
    Office: Science Building 116C, Henniker Campus
    Phone: 603.428.2374
    Email: jnewcomb@nec.edu
    Professional website: sites.google.com/view/newcomblab

    Awards and Recent Press

    • Recent grants include a $160,000 grant from National Institutes of Health/INBRE to study specific cellular junctions in neurons, in both mammalian and invertebrate preparations.
    • Recent publications include a paper in Integrative Organismal Biology, reporting on the distribution and roles of a peptide neurotransmitter in a sea slug (Watson et al, 2020).

     

    Educational Background
    PhD in Biology, Georgia State University
    MS in Zoology, University of New Hampshire
    BS in Zoology, University of New Hampshire
    BS in Chemistry and Physics, Keene State College

    Research Interests
    My lab investigates the physiological mechanisms underlying behavior. Our latest projects include studies on cellular junctions, circadian rhythms, extraocular photoreception, non-invasive neural stimulation, and regeneration.

    Bio
    James Newcomb has been a professor at NEC since 2006. In 2019, he also became co-director of NEC’s Center for Undergraduate Science Research. He has maintained an externally funded research lab since 2010, during which time (as of 2020), he had obtained over $800,000 in extramural grants. As of 2020, he had published a total of 19 peer-reviewed publications (cited over 800 times), including 13 NEC students as co-authors, and been a co-author on 130 presentations at research conferences. He has also coauthored chapters for two different books. He is an Associate Editor for the journal Integrative Organismal Biology and Chair of the Division for Neurobiology, Neuroethology, and Sensory Biology of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. Beyond the confines of post-secondary academia, he is also an elected School Board member for John Stark Regional High School.

  • Dr. Lori Koziol

    Professor of Biology and Health Science
    Office: Science Building 211C, Henniker Campus
    Phone: 603.428.2449
    Email: lkoziol @nec.edu

    Expertise, Awards, and Recent Press
    Expertise in molecular microbiology, genetics, genomics, biofilms, and biochemistry

    Awards:

    • New Hampshire Institutional Development Award for Biomedical Research Excellence grant recipient from the National Institute of Health in collaboration with Dartmouth College, 2009–2018
    • NEC’s Kilgore Faculty-of-the-Year Award, 2018

     

    Recent Publications:

    • “Whole-Genome Sequences of Pantoea agglomerans BL3, Pseudomonas fluorescens BL, and Pseudomonas stutzeri CM14 isolated from hops (Humulus lupulus)” in Microbiology Resource Announcements, 2019
    • “Whole-Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas fluorescens isolated from roots of tomato and cucumber plants” in Microbiology Resource Announcements, 2018
    • “Ligand-mediated biofilm formation via enhanced physical interaction between a diguanylate cyclase and its receptor” in mBio, 2018

     

    Educational Background
    Post-doctoral research, Scripps Research Institute
    Post-doctoral research, Advanced Microbial Solutions
    PhD, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
    BA, Ripon College

    Research Interests
    My lab research studies the plant growth promoting bacteria of plant roots. Our focus has been on the plant colonizer Pseudomonas fluorescens, which promotes the growth of plants by forming biofilms on plant roots and protects the plants (including grapevines) from disease-causing bacteria and fungi.

    My future research interests are to identify the microbiome of the soil and rhizosphere of the grapevine Vitis vinifera. The microbial composition of grape varieties in local regions of New Hampshire will be compared to the work done on characterizing the bacteriome of the Pinot Noir variety. Several grape varieties suffer from a condition called berry shrivel. The cause of berry shrivel is unknown. Knowledge of the biodiversity of these soil ecosystems will help in the understanding of the normal flora, which may be protective against berry shrivel and other diseases. In addition, characteristics of biotic soil factors contributing to grape growth could help the wine industry. Some of these bacteria associated with the grapevine roots can act as biological control agents decreasing the necessity for pesticides. Identifying the soil bacteria and fungi associated with the roots of the grape of will help scientists and vineyard owners understand the complex relationship between the soil microbiota and the grapevine.

    Bio
    Dr. Lori Koziol came to NEC after teaching at Ripon College in Wisconsin for several years. Prior to teaching, Dr. Koziol worked in drug development at a startup biotech company developing antibiotics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her research career and PhD work were on biofilm-forming bacteria of the mouth, Actinomyces. Currently, her lab works on Pseudomonas, which forms biofilms in human lungs, eyes, and skin and also can form biofilms on plant roots. Her lab studies antibiotic-resistant bacteria of the soil and soil-plant microbial interactions. Dr. Koziol teaches biology, genetics, microbiology, and beer brewing courses at NEC. She maintains a lab where she has mentored undergraduate research students in projects on microbial genetics since 2009. Her lab has been funded by the National Institutes of Health grant INBRE for several years. Her lab provides paid research opportunities for students.

Degree Requirements

Biology, B.S.

Download Course Requirements

Biology Core

(42 Credits)

Organismal-Level Elective

Take one of the following:

Micro-level Elective

Take one of the following:

Additional Electives

Choose 20 credits from the list below.

Liberal Arts & Sciences Core Curriculum, Bachelor's Degree

Electives

Select additional electives to reach 120 credits for a Bachelor's degree. 

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