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Department of Biology

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Students in Eastern's biology program become biologists through extensive practice, spending more time in the laboratory and field than in lecture. They learn about life processes while developing analytical skills and technical expertise.

  • State-of-art scientific equipment
  • Small classes
  • Full-time faculty
  • Tropical Biology field course—50 years in the Caribbean and counting
  • Summer internship opportunities
  • Independent research mentored by individual faculty members
  • Present your work at regional, national and international scientific conferences
  • Prepare for graduate/professional school
  • Careers range from genetics to dentistry; from medicine to optometry and veterinary science; from ecology to plant biology, marine biology, biotechnology and teaching
Employability for Biology Majors Our Faculty

Eastern Success Scholars Program

Success Scholars seeks to support students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, through scholarships and purposeful faculty and peer relationships formed to foster academic learning and trust, ultimately leading to improved achievement, retention and graduation rates. You must be a US citizen or permanent resident to be eligible.  The comprehensive plan includes a summer orientation program, a STEM-focused first-year seminar, faculty and peer mentoring in biology and mathematical sciences courses, learning communities that continue through a scholar’s tenure, research experiences, and research and career seminars.

Department Chair
Joshua Idjadi
Science Building Rm. 358
(860) 465-0034
(860) 465-5213
idjadij@easternct.edu		 Assistant Chair
W. Brett Mattingly
Science Building Rm. 364
(860) 465-4499
(860) 465-5213
mattinglyw@easternct.edu
Secretary II
Julie McGowan
Science Building Rm. 368
(860) 465-4369
(860) 465-5213
mcgowanju@easternct.edu
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Biology Department (@ecsubiology) • Instagram photos and videos

In the News

Jolie Garcia and Sajae Willis at their White Coat ceremony at Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine Florida Campus in Melbourne on July 2025

Alumni couple pursues medical school side by side

 October 10, 2025

Since meeting as first-year students, Sajae Willis ’22 and Jolie Garcia ’22 have been inseparable. Together, they navigated the rigors of Eastern’s biology program and now continue their journey side by side in medical school.

Close-up of mycelial bio-block

Mushrooms as building materials

 August 12, 2025

Mushrooms — you see them in the woods, put them on salads, and inadvertently grow them on old bread. Soon, you could be living in them. Mycelial bio-blocks are building materials grown with root strands of fungi. The material is strong, renewable, and biodegradable, and being studied at Eastern Connecticut State University. Senior biology major Derek Davis explored this new technology in an independent study with biology Professor Jonathan Hulvey this past spring.

A graphic featuring Walter Scudder '25 on the soccer field.

Men’s soccer captain, aspiring physician named LEC Student-Athlete-of-the-Year

 August 12, 2025

Walter Scudder ’25, a four-year starting midfielder and two-year captain on Eastern Connecticut State University’s men’s soccer team, was named one of three recipients of the Little East Conference (LEC) Student Athlete-of-the-Year Award for the 2024-25 academic year.

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Connect With Us on Social Media Biology Department @ECSUBiology ecsubiology

Programs of Study

  • Biology students at Eastern gain extensive practical experience and spend more time in the laboratory and on field projects than in lecture. Students receive the full attention of their professors, all of whom have Ph.D. degrees from top universities — professors teach both lectures and laboratories. Working in small classes with state-of-art scientific equipment ranging from a qPCR machine to a confocal microscope, students acquire hands-on experiences in the laboratory and in terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments. Just one example of the major's flexibility is its pre-med focus. In addition to the Biology major, a Biology minor is offered to other majors.

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  • The Genetic Counseling minor exposes students to this growing field, and provides coursework required for admission to a genetic counseling graduate program. As we enter the age of personalized medicine, there will be an increased demand for genetic counselors who know how to analyze and interpret sequencing results for patients and consumers.

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  • Students in the Bioinformatics minor use computers to analyze genomic information, which is revolutionizing our understanding of health and disease. Students will learn core concepts in computer programming, genomics and data analysis, and will apply bioinformatics programming and analytic skills to solve biological problems.

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  • The Cannabis Cultivation and Chemistry minor uses hands-on and theoretical approaches to train students to cultivate and chemically analyze cannabis or hemp. In addition to instruction in cannabis cultivation and chemical analysis, students can also learn about the related fields of sustainability, public health and policy, plant taxonomy, mycology, genetics, integrated pest management, biotechnology, and data analysis.

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