Welcome to Biology at SSU!
The Department of Biology offers a dynamic learning environment, exciting research and training opportunities and intensive mentoring of students at all levels. Our faculty are not only dedicated educators but also active scholars who engage in primary research to address diverse topics in the biological sciences.
The overall mission of our undergraduate and graduate programs is to educate the next generation of scholars, professionals and citizens so that they are prepared to meet the biological, environmental and technological challenges of the future.
Areas of educational and research activities include ecology, conservation and evolutionary biology, genetics, molecular and cell biology, and physiology.
Please feel free to contact any of the department faculty or staff if you have questions about our programs, or email biology@sonoma.edu.
California Sea Otters: Life on the Edge, featuring Dr. Brent Hughes
The Department of Biology is proud to announce Dr. Brent Hughes's research is featured in the PBS Documentary California Sea Otters: Life on the Edge! Read more from SSU News.
Congratulations, Dr. Hughes!
Announcements
The Department of Biology is proud to announce Aiyanna Singh (Zippay Lab) won the CSU Grad Slam 2025 People's Choice Award! Congratulations, Aiyanna - way to snag the trophy!
Shout out to our MESA Summer Scholarship Award winners: Bella Bibayoff & Valerie Meza-Hua Lab, Claudia Kamiya Shikina-Bentley Lab, Olivia Kalogiannis-Girman Lab. Congratulations All!
Don't miss the CSU-wide Grad Slam this Friday, and cheer on SSU winner Aiyana Singh (Zippay Lab) going for the trophy! You must register to watch. Go go Aiyana!!!
Congratulations to Grad Student Aiyana Singh (Zippay Lab), who received the CSU Coale Graduate Scholar Program Award! Way to go Aiyana!
Congratulations to Dr. Brent Hughes and Abbey Dias '23 on their recent contribution to The Seagrass Restoration Handbook! Read more about Dr. Hughes, Abbey and the handbook on SSU News.
A big Thank You to Kieran Chiddix & Sarah Sanchez (Hua Lab) who mentored 2 students at Healdsburg High School! Read more about the new SSU - HHS collaboration on SSU News!
SSU has been recognized as one of Carnegie's Research Colleges & Universities (RCUs)! Take a look at the article on SSU News and the Carnegie Classifications List. Hua Lab student Dora Avanzi Mesquita's photo is featured in the article (pc: A. Stadie)
If you need to add or drop a class, please visit your advisor and do it soon! And the last day to apply for Graduation is Feb 1st!
Congratulations to former Grad Students Julieta Gomez and Rachael Karm! Their work was highlighted in this Dec 1 NYT article! See Student Highlights page for details.
Hey BIOL Students - Registration begins Monday, November 18! Contact your Biology faculty advisor if you need help.
Biology Department Highlights
Congratulations to Zippay Lab member Aiyana Singh! She was awarded the CSU Coale Graduate Scholarship! Look for more urchin research in the near future....
Kudos to Kieran Chiddix & Sarah Sanchez (not pictured) from Dr. Lisa Hua's lab team who was tapped to mentor Healdsburg High School juniors as part of a new internship collaboration between SSU and HHS! Kieran is pictured here with HHS student Meher Dhiman. Read more about the partnership on the SSU News website.
Congratulations to Dr. Brent Hughes (pictured) and former Grad Abbey Dias '23 whose contributions are part of the newly published Seagrass Restoration Handbook! This how-to handbook demonstrates how citizen scientists can participate in restoration projects! Read all about it on SSU News.
Congratulations to former Biology Grad Students & Hughes Lab Members Julieta Gomez and Rachael Karm! Their hard work on bull kelp restoration was highlighted in this Dec 1st NYT article! We are so proud of you both! More info on Student Highlights page. Photo of Rachael Karm by Ian C. Bates for the NYT.
Listen to KSUN's Ecosphere on Tuesdays from 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm, hosted by Biology Grad student Randi Carter (Bentley Lab)! Each week, Ecosphere presents Biology-related lab research as well as research by Grad students in other Departments. For more info, check out Ecosphere's Substack: https://ssuecosphere.substack.com/