With the addition of new faculty in 1990 and 1993, the Department of Biology began an effort to expand its educational and research programs in organismal animal biology. Laboratory courses in Neurobiology and Advanced Physiological Ecology (Seminar) were added to the curriculum in 1993 and changes in the Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy and Animal Physiology courses increased students' experience with investigational laboratories. These changes have been accompanied by a tremendous increase in students enrolling in these courses (from 38 in 1990-91 to 88 in 1994-95). The need for laboratory equipment to support and continue these curriculum improvements has been intensified by the increase in student enrollment. This project obtains the equipment necessary to provide modern investigative laboratory experiences for two courses in vertebrate form and function (currently Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy and Animal Physiology) and to supplement the offerings in neurobiology and advanced physiology seminar. The equipment allows increasing numbers of students the opportunity to work in small groups to design and carry out meaningful investigations using an array of basic laboratory techniques. These laboratory courses each reflect the investigative nature of biology, as well as promote the integration of information and research methods used to study animal biology on numerous levels of organization. The Biology Department has a vital and rigorous program, and a large proportion of students continue their education in professional and graduate programs. The department also emphasizes the potential vocations in biological industries through vigorous career counseling. The investment in high-quality investigative laboratories in organismal biology that this project provides ensures that students will be better prepared to meet their own educational objectives with problem-solving and investigative skills.
