Advising - The Basics

SSU only uses the sonoma.edu email address to send out important information regarding Financial Aid, Registration dates and times, etc. Biology majors receive information about advising, registration and job/internship opportunities via their sonoma.edu email address. We encourage students to check their sonoma.edu email daily, especially if you are receiving Financial Aid.

If you are undeclared, and interested in the Biology major, please check University Advising's Declaring a Major page. Both the Biology BA and Biology BS degree programs are listed in the Open Majors category! Click on the Current Students - Declaring a Major tab. You will see the Change of Major form link - this is the form needed to declare your new major. However, it is strongly recommended that you meet with a Biology Faculty member or Luis Vega an Advisor in the University Advising Center prior to submitting the Change of Major form!

All new students must attend Orientation. Please visit the Noma Nation Orientation website or contact the Orientation office, [email protected], 707- 664-4464 for more information.

"Who is my advisor?" During Orientation, you will register for classes, and get your questions answered by Faculty and Academic advisors. After classes begin, you will be assigned a Biology faculty advisor who is a full-time faculty member in the biology department. Please look for your advisor in your MySSU or LoboConnect account, then check the Biology Faculty page for contact information and office hours. You are welcome to change your advisor if you prefer someone else.

All students must attend Orientation. For more information, please check the Noma Nation Orientation website or email [email protected], (707) 664-4464. Please bring a copy of your unofficial transcripts with you if you can. 

At Orientation, you will be able to register for some of your key classes. Please email the Biology Department Chair, Dr. Sean Place for more information: [email protected] or the Biology Department: [email protected]. You will be assigned a permanent Biology faculty advisor after the semester begins.

The University Advising Center website offers a wide variety of resources about registration, advising, declaring a major, using LoboConnect, etc.  Also, the Registrar's Office has an extensive list of forms you may need throughout your journey at SSU.

Students in the BS degree program are required to complete research units. Students in the BA program have the option to take research courses as upper-division electives. Generally, students will complete research in their senior or final year.  We encourage students to meet with their Biology faculty advisor sometime in their third year to discuss and prepare for starting research in the fall.  For more information, please visit our Undergraduate Research page.

During their academic journey, Biology students will have the opportunity to add a concentration to their degree program. Interested students must meet with their advisor, or an advisor who can help with their concentration of interest.

Biology BS degree:

• Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: Lisa Bentley, Daniel Crocker, Derek Girman, Brent Hughes, Nathan Rank, Richard Whitkus, or Mackenzie Zippay
• Marine Biology: Daniel Crocker, Brent Hughes, Sean Place, Mackenzie Zippay
• Molecular Cell Biology: Lisa Hua, Joseph Lin, Sean Place 
• Physiology: Daniel Crocker, Lisa Hua, Sean Place, Mackenzie Zippay 

Biology-BA degree:

• Zoology: Daniel Crocker, Derek Girman, Brent Hughes, Sean Place, Nathan Rank, Mackenzie Zippay 

Contact information can be found on the Biology Faculty & Staff webpage.

When you arrive, meet with your PI and/or the Graduate Coordinator to help you create your schedule. There is an orientation within the biology department at the start of each semester. For more information, please visit the Graduate Program pages or contact the Biology Graduate Program Coordinator, Dr. Mackenzie Zippay: [email protected].