Student-Faculty Research | Ithaca College

Hands-On Research Across Biological Disciplines

Undergraduate participation in original research is a central tenet of our philosophy as a department.

All faculty research labs are a direct collaboration between faculty members and our undergraduate students, giving our students the opportunity to engage in real scientific inquiry in a broad range of disciplines. We provide four different levels of research courses to engage students during the academic year, as well as support summer scholars.

Research Opportunities

student pipetting into a well plate with bright yellow and blue solutions

Elective Research

Get your feet wet in a lab for the first time, or extend your current research pursuits

two students and a faculty look at a gel on the lab bench

Required Research

A core component of our majors, a 3-credit immersive experience mentored in a faculty research lab

student working over a light table while faculty member looks on

Honors Research

A full-year project to graduate with Departmental Honors

three people on a beach looking at equipment and a row of plants

Summer Research

Paid fellowships to work in a research lab 8-10 weeks over the summer

montage of deer, waterflea, cells, a false-color image of a leaf, a fish tail, and a flower

Areas of Research

With 12 active faculty research labs, we engage in a broad range of biological and biochemical research

Professional Results

Research efforts by majors in the department often result in publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Over the past five years, 40 undergraduates in the program coauthored scientific papers. Ithaca College Biology and Biochemistry students annually participate in national and regional undergraduate conferences, particularly the National Conference on Undergraduate Research and the Eastern Colleges Science Conference, both of which have been hosted by Ithaca College in recent years. Many students also join their mentors to present findings at professional scientific meetings, such as the Society for Neuroscience, the American Society of Plant Biologists, the Animal Behavior Society, and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Biology Research Opportunities for Spring 2023

Research in Biology as an academic course is offered at three levels:

BIOL 21000 – an initial research experience (normally 1-2 credits)

BIOL 30200 – required 3 credit research course for the major

BIOL 40000 – continuation of research following 302 (1-3 credits)

To request a spot in a lab, each semester there will be a time to do so.

Read the project descriptions carefully. Look at the faculty's full web pages for greater details.

If you are interested in any of these, please attend the session on October 11, 12:10, CNS 1st floor foyer. You will meet faculty and current research students.

To register for research:

You will need to fill out the electronic form shortly after the meeting: (October 24).

Interested in BIOL 2100? Fill out the form to indicate which research labs you’re interested in and the faculty members will contact you.

Need to take BIOL 30200? Use the form to indicate which labs you’re considering, and the faculty member will contact you

Want to continue in BIOL 40000? Talk to your professor and fill out the form

Research assignments will be announced shortly after the meeting, date TBA. All students who complete the form will receive an email with information on their research assignment. If we are not able to assign you to one of your 3 choices for a lab, you will receive notification as well as information on options.