The Department of Biology offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. In addition to the traditional biology curriculum, we offer specialized concentrations in the following areas:

• Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology
•  Medical and Allied Health Sciences
• Microbiology
•  Veterinary Biosciences

At the graduate level, we offer a Master of Science in Biology and a Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology. Our master's program has a course-based non-thesis option that helps prepare students careers in biology and biomedical fields that do not involve extensive research, and a research-based thesis option that prepares students for subsequent doctoral study and for careers that involve research and research-related skills.  The doctoral program emphasizes research and prepares students for the highest levels of scholarship and career opportunities in academia and research-related agencies and industries.

Dr. Stauffer investigates protistan and phytoplankton community dynamics and how these populations contribute to and are affected by environmental perturbations in coastal and estuarine ecosystems, including harmful algal blooms (HABs) and coastal hypoxia. Generally, her interest is in understanding how we can best understand complex biological systems and their forcing mechanisms operating on different spatio-temporal scales. She is also highly interested in the intersection of human activities and development with the natural coastal environment and with the health and sustainability of aquatic ecosystems.