Freshman biology students will take the time to discover more about Biology and to really learn about what is available to them. Students will have the opportunity to explore different topics and cultivate a love for science and learning. In your first year, you will be able to take advantage of: club fairs, workshops, peer mentoring, meetings with faculty advisors, and beginning a digital portfolio.

Sophomore students take the skills they learned freshman year and begin to apply them to the research process. They start to take their first steps into creating their own projects, and learn how to synthesize and analyze information to benefit their work. In your second year, you will learn how to analyze and synthesize primary and secondary sources, develop projects and write hypotheses, and write grant proposals.

Through working with a faculty mentor, junior biology students will begin to repeat existing biological experiments, while learning more about how to properly research and perform tests and studies. In your third year, you can expect to work with a faculty mentor, repeat known experiments, practice research ethics, develop methodologies to test hypotheses, research and keep lab notes.

In their final year at MAC, senior biology students will present their work to faculty and peers. Students will learn how best to display their findings and how to communicate about their projects with their contemporaries, all with the goal of finding their perfect job upon graduation. In your fourth year, you will present works, complete a 10-page review on a topic of your choice, a paper on the Mercy values and ethics as they apply to your chosen career, and a paper on how research translates to the real world.

Students graduating with a biology degree can pursue careers in a variety of science-based fields, including:

• Research
• Medicine and Other Areas of Healthcare
• Environmental Conservation
• Education

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the following employment growth from 2021-2031:

• Physicians/Surgeon employment rate will grow by 3% with a median pay of $208,000.
• Zoologists/Wildlife Biologists employment rate will grow by 1% with a median pay of $64,650.
• Environmental Scientists employment rate will grow by 5% with a median pay of $76,530.
• Biological Technicians employment rate will grow by 9% with a median pay of $48,140.

• Scientific Method – Students will be able to effectively define and use the scientific method to answer biological questions;
• Reasoning and Analysis – Students will be able to critically analyze scientific data and its interpretation both in the literature and in their own experimental work;
• Core Biological Knowledge – Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of core biological subjects;
• Research Skills – Students will be able to identify and utilize appropriate resources for both primary and secondary research. In addition, students will be able to identify and utilize the appropriate experimental design, methodology, and equipment to conduct field and laboratory research in an ethically sound manner; and
• Communication Skills: Students will demonstrate respectful communication and collaboration within groups to function cooperatively in a team setting. In addition, students will be able to organize and express scientific knowledge and their own ideas clearly and coherently both in written and oral formats.

Meet the Faculty & Staff

Merrilee Anderson

Professor of Science and Mathematics

Juan Diaz, Jr.

Professor of Science and Mathematics

Mike Engle

Associate Professor Science & Mathematics

Crystal Goldyn

Associate Professor of Science and Mathematics, Chair, Science & Math Department

Aimee Itle

Instructor of Science & Mathematics

Penny O'Connor

Professor of Science and Mathematics

Mina Rezaei

Assistant Professor of Science & Mathematics

John Whitlock

Department Chair of Science and Math, Associate Professor of Science & Mathematics