Health Science, BS

The Bachelor of Science in Health Science program prepares you to successfully pursue a career in the healthcare field and be prepared for advanced graduate work in medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, pharmacy, nursing, physician assistant, physical therapy, and more.

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Overview

You will enjoy many experiential learning opportunities, including hands-on lab courses, internships, and research. Every Health Science major conducts a science research project under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Many students present this work at scientific conferences: a significant competitive advantage both for graduate programs and employment.

Upper-level coursework is selected based on the individual requirements of your intended post-NEC academic and career directions and includes classes such as anatomy and physiology, microbiology, chemistry, kinesiology, math, and physics.

Thanks to an agreement between NEC and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science, students who take specific required courses and maintain at least a certain GPA will be assured an interview for an accelerated nursing program or graduate programs for physician assistant or pharmacy.

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
- Internships in a wide variety of clinical fields
Career Opportunities
- Physician
- Veterinarian
- Dentist
- Physician Assistant
- Pharmacist
- Nurse
- Physical Therapist

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

Requirements

Grades of C‐or better are required in all courses needed for the Health Science major, including chemistry and mathematics.

BI 1020 - Foundations of Nutrition
BI 1110 - General Biology I
BI 1120 - General Biology II
BI 2030 - Human Anatomy & Physiology I
BI 2040 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II
BI 3000 - Careers in Science
BI 3210 - Microbiology
BI 4030 - Research Thesis
(4 credits required, normally taken over 2 terms. )
CH 2110 - General Chemistry I
CH 2120 - General Chemistry II
KI 2010 - First Aid/CPR/AED
MT 1600 - Algebra and Trigonometry
MT 2310 - Statistics
PH 2210 - General Physics I

Students take 3 courses (for a total of 12 credits) from the lists below that support their choice of pre-professional track. Completion of the listed electives may be required for some graduate schools. Students interested in pursuing a graduate degree are encouraged to meet with their advisor to discuss the appropriate course selections.

PS 2160 - Life‐Span Development
Biology electives Credits: 8

Liberal Arts & Sciences Core Curriculum, Bachelor's Degree

Electives

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