Biology—Conservation Biology Concentration, BS

Learn how to protect and restore biodiversity in the face of multiple threats including habitat loss, climate change, overharvesting, pollution, human population growth, and the spread of invasive species.

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Overview

In the Conservation Biology concentration, you will learn to analyze the social, economic, and biological challenges inherent in addressing biodiversity problems.

Degree Requirements

Biology Core

(41 Credits)

Take one of the following:

Conservation Biology Courses

(20 Credits)

Choose two of the following courses:

Liberal Arts & Sciences Core Curriculum, Bachelor's Degree

Electives

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

Faculty

Newcomb, James

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.