Biological Sciences
Facts
- 75 faculty members
- 745 undergraduate majors
- 143 graduate students
Research Award Dollars
- Ecology, Evolution & Organismal
Biology - $13,711,629
- Genetics Development & Cell Biology
- $11,445,466
- Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular
Biology - $20,040,019
July '99 to March 02
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Editor's Note: The Board of Regents, State of Iowa, has approved phase
two of Iowa State's reorganization of the biological sciences, forming
four new departments (biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology;
ecology, evolution and organismal biology; genetics, development and cell
biology; and natural resources ecology and management). The changes take
effect July 1, while curriculum changes will be presented to the board
for approval as they are developed.
The following article appeared in the October 7, 2002 issue of Around
LAS, the bi-monthly faculty and staff newsletter of the College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences
When the National Research Council (NRC) rankings come out, it's fairly
easy to see where most Iowa State academic departments rank.
You don't have to search hard to spot the Departments of Chemistry,
Statistics, and Physics
and Astronomy.
But you have to look hard to find the Departments of Botany
and Zoology and Genetics.
That's not because these departments aren't highly regarded. Each ranks
in the 50th percentile or above in the NRC rankings.
Yet at first glance, the names botany, zoology and genetics are nowhere
to be found. Instead the NRC ranks academic disciplines in the biological
sciences with names such as cell and developmental biology or ecology
and evolutionary behavior.
"The NRC divides biologists up into these categories," said
Steve
Rodermel, associate dean of the College
of Liberal Arts and Sciences and professor of botany. "Our biological
sciences departments are ranked in the top 10 departments on the Iowa
State campus in regards to the NRC rankings."
Iowa State's biological sciences may have been ranked, but Rodermel and
others thought that the current departments of botany and zoology and
genetics could be better organized.
"We sought to put biologists into different groupings to enhance
both teaching and research excellence," Rodermel said.
The result is a total reorganization of the biological sciences academic
departments jointly administered by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
and the College of Agriculture.
Gone after this year will be the Department of Botany, the Department
of Zoology and Genetics, and the Department of Microbiology in the College
of Agriculture. In their place will be the Department
of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology (EEOB) and the Department
of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology (GDCB).
"We hope to build these programs and achieve international recognition
in the biological sciences," said Jonathan
Wendel, professor of botany and chair of the executive committee of
the virtual EEOB department.
The reorganization is much more than just a name change.
"People addressing similar types of questions regardless of organism
will now be placed together in the same academic department," said
Martin
Spalding, chair of the executive committee of the virtual department
of GDCB and professor of botany. "This really builds two brand new
departments that never existed before and brings together researchers
with similar perspectives."
Spalding, Wendel and their executive committees will work over the next
fiscal year to get the new departments up and running. Come July 1, 2003,
the Departments of Botany and Zoology and Genetics will cease to exist.
EEOB and GDCB will take their place, pending the necessary approvals both
on and off campus.
The new departments were approved by the faculty within the biological
sciences areas by a 70% approval margin last spring. The proposal was
then approved by LAS
Dean Peter Rabideau and Catherine Woteki, dean of the College of Agriculture.
Faculty members in the biological sciences then self-selected membership
in one of the new virtual departments.
Because the proposed membership of the new Biochemistry,
Biophysics and Molecular Biology (BBMB) has changed only slightly,
Alan Myers,
professor of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, will remain
as the department chair. BBMB will continue to be jointly administered
by LAS and the College of Agriculture.
Typically faculty members in BBMB will deal with molecular mechanisms
and subcellular issues, while GDCB faculty research revolves around questions
of biological function mainly at the cellular and subcellular levels.
EEOB faculty deal with biological issues from evolution at all levels
of biological organization to ecosystems.
In a related matter, two academic departments in the College of Agriculture
(Forestry and Animal Ecology) have merged to form the new Department of
Natural Resource, Ecology and Management (NREM). That department is functioning
beginning this academic year.
Over the next few months, faculty members in EEOB and GDCB are working
on a number of issues including developing a strategic plan/mission statement,
governance of the new departments, space, resource allocation, and the
biology undergraduate and graduate curriculum. Improvement of the administration
of the interdepartmental majors will also be discussed.
"From the very beginning we have tried to get faculty input and involvement
into the process and there has been very active input by the faculty,"
said Rodermel. "The faculty have really provided the vision for the
restructuring."
That input continues as faculty look at such issues as space and curriculum.
"We're undergoing a total review of the curriculum in the biosciences,"
Rodermel said. "Everything from what majors we should offer and what
graduate programs we should have. We also want to put the interdepartmental
majors on a solid financial footing."
"This is basically a whole new look at the biological sciences curriculum,"
Spalding said. "Instead of looking at a historical reason to keep
a program or major, we will sit down and design what is best for the students
in regards to majors, courses and service courses."
The changes in the biological sciences curriculum will not affect any
currently enrolled biology major.
Space is also an issue, with the biological sciences faculty spread out
across campus in four buildings - Bessey Hall, Molecular Biology, Science
I and Science II. By establishing new departments of faculty with like
interests, the next challenge is to physically relocate those faculty
and their lab spaces together.
That’s a challenge that Rodermel, Spalding and Wendel are glad to
undertake.
"It's been really fun and challenging to build a department from
scratch," Wendel said. "How often do you get the opportunity
to start over?
"I'm looking forward to a few years from now when we'll look back
at all this work and challenges, hopefully with the satisfaction that
we have achieved many of our goals, and be able to say what a great thing
it is."
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