Department of Biology & Earth Science
Be ready to hit the ground running in the Biology and Earth Science department! We offer a rigorous curriculum that provides a strong foundation in the sciences, while preparing students for a variety of exciting postgraduate endeavors, including employment and graduate or professional school. From the very first year, students are actively engaged in the classroom, laboratory, and field as they take classes in each of the diverse areas offered by the department:
- Biology: The exploration of life
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology: Understanding how organisms, cells, and molecules function at the molecular level
- Environmental Science: Science for tackling today’s environmental issues
- Zoo & Conservation Science: Animal Husbandry, Rehabilitation, and Conservation
- Pre-Professional Health Studies: Preparation for Medical, Dental, Veterinary, and other professional schools
- Science Education Teacher Licenses: in partnership with the Otterbein Education Department.
To keep up with the latest news in the Department of Biology, check out our newsletter, Lifeline, at the Otterbein Digital Commons.
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Student, Faculty, & Alumni Spotlights

You will have the opportunity to join research projects as early as your first year at Otterbein and may also present your work at a national conference or publish it in a peer-reviewed journal.
WE ARE developing a new generation of STEM Scholars.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Mindful connections in a community of Otterbein peers and integrative studies fostered Mina Makary’s creative growth by teaching him different ways to think. Dr. Makary continues to honor what he learned at Otterbein by utilizing “outside of the box” thinking and creative skills as an interventional radiologist, where medical imaging is used to guide minimally invasive surgical procedures that diagnose, treat and cure many kinds of conditions.
Mina Makary ’09, MD, DABR
Learn more about this 2020 Otterbein Alumni Research Achievement Award Winner >

MEET OUR NEWEST FACULTY MEMBERS
Brandon T. Sinn, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Research: Plant genome evolution, speciation, morphology, and conservation.
Learn about his research >

Alicia M. Rich, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Research: The health, development, and genetics of human and nonhuman primates.
Learn about her research >

Department Features & Student Opportunities

Scholarships
We believe in investing in talent — from research funding to travel support to scholarships that will fuel your discovery and learning.

Facilities
Explore the state-of-the-art Science Complex and its 96,000 square feet of discipline-specific laboratories, research space and classrooms.

Internships
You are encouraged to take advantage of Otterbein’s many connections and partnerships for professional internships that literally span the world.

Student Research
“Research helped me think critically and develop skills — it also taught me that life will always be a learning process.” What will you discover?

Student Organizations
Whether it’s a BMB Tea to chart Oreo flavors or traveling to offer global medical relief, we have many student organizations and other ways to get involved.

Travel Experiences
Count the shark population off the coast of Africa. Explore the coral reefs and rainforests of Belize. Prepare medicine from local plants in Costa Rica.
Biology & Earth Science Department News

Interdisciplinary Show and Competition Spotlights the Art of STEM
News - February 9, 2021
Otterbein University’s STEM faculty have an eye for art, so each year they host an interdisciplinary STEM Art Show and Competition open to students, faculty, and staff. The primary rule of the annual competition is that each piece of art must be related to the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and/or Mathematics (STEM). Participants could enter pieces in the categories of painting, sculpture, wildlife/nature photography, agar art, computer art, chemistry art, microscopy art, technology art, and more. “One of the things that I love about Otterbein is that…
Part-Time Teaching Awards Honorees Display Full-Time Passion for Education and Students
News - November 17, 2020
The seventh annual Otterbein University Part-time Faculty Awards were presented virtually on Nov. 6, 2020. Recipients of this year’s awards were Casey J. Tucker, Department of Biology and Earth Science, for the Teaching in General Education category and Wendy N. Johnston, Department of Chemistry, for the Teaching in Discipline category. The Part-Time Faculty Awards are given out each year to honor and celebrate the contributions of part-time faculty to the campus community. There are 150 part-time faculty members at Otterbein this academic year. “Without fail, each year it is clear that our nominees are incredibly dedicated, phenomenal…
Student-Run Organization Donates $3000 to Fight Food Insecurity in Westerville
News - October 7, 2020
Otterbein student-run organization Kneading Minds recently donated $3,000 to Westerville Area Resource Ministry (WARM), a local food pantry and family outreach center. The donation was the result of two years' worth of fundraising for the group. “It’s quite amazing that college students, who are focused on their higher learning goals, have gathered together to recognize the need for hunger awareness by investing funds directly into the community they live and learn in,” said Dana Lawrence Forsythe, WARM’s director of development and communications. “We are so grateful for this extremely generous gift and continued support from Kneading…Programs of Study in Biology & Earth Science
Contact Us
Science Center 236
155 W. Main St
Westerville, OH 43081
Administrative Assistant
Donna Rhodeback
614-823-1517
drhodeback@otterbein.edu
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