Major Beat: Biology

With a major that includes nearly 375 students, it's no surprise that senior Rachel Henderson has dedicated her career at Longwood to this field of study.

Henderson said that she chose to be a biology major because not only does she obviously enjoy science, but she also wanted to be challenged during her four years as an undergrad. She said the hands-on learning is the best aspect of her field and considers the aspiration to one day work with real patients as what keeps her on track with her major. Henderson said, "I plan to attend medical school and pursue either cosmetic or reconstructive surgery," after college.

Biology adviser and faculty member Dr. Buckalew said the biology department would like students to be able to critically read scientific information and come up with questions germane to topic. He mentioned that one of the most difficult aspects of being an undergraduate biology student was learning the jargon. "Like any other area of study, science has its own vocabulary toolbox that a student needs to be familiar with before really perusing their field."

Buckalew said there were two different sides to being a biology major. On the one hand, students understand molecular and cellular matter, then moving up to the whole organism, be they animal or plant, or microbial things, which all have their own special taxonomy. On the other hand, students being able to comprehend evolutionary relationships, studying biotic and abiotic elements, and being well versed in environmentally related topics. On top of all of this, Buckalew also pointed out the addition of physics, math and General Education.

Buckalew had many inclinations for his pupils. He wants students to have a basic appreciation of that science, of its development, and of the questions it is raising and answering. He also wants them to have a slight idea of where it's going in the future.

Buckalew said there are many different careers you could pursue with a biology degree. He said, "You can take research route, which is traditionally going from a bachelor's to a master's to a PhD. Once you get a 'research degree,' that doesn't cement you into doing research; you can go in many directions with that it." He said the next realm would be the health or applied science degrees, which includes the new nursing program, physicians, dentists, physical therapists, veterinarians and even pharmacy.

You don't have to stick to medicine with a biology degree. There are all sorts of fields you could contribute to, be it business, law, or journalism. Buckalew pointed out that all departments are intertwining, "It's important to say every major in an undergraduate realm has an influence on another area of study. The sciences can really play an important role in any other major."

Beyond that, biology has a very important role in teaching. You could teach secondary education, which includes middle and high school, but there's an increasing demand for primary school level biology teachers. There are also the jobs that require just a bachelor's degree with a little bit of experience, which is where internships help.

Buckalew's message about biology was the basic idea of environmental awareness: "Recent generations have been pillaging our natural environment, and it's up to the next generation of students to tackle a lot of those issues. That's what I'd want students to take away from the department when they become responsible adults: understanding issues and understanding that money is one thing, and being sustainable is another." He hoped students can understand that there's a lot to do, and there's no better place to start.

Dr. Buckalew last message was: "When it comes down to it there's only one politic, and that's the earth.