Department of Biology

Biology at SUNY Potsdam is founded on the principle of providing a quality undergraduate education for students with diverse interests. A broad general background in biology allows students to pursue a variety of careers or continue learning at the graduate level.

Our Programs

Undergraduate Research

The Department of Biology is always providing new course offerings and research projects. Faculty members' interests include a wide range of subjects in the fields of ecology and evolutionary biology, cell and molecular biology, and anatomy and physiology, all of which are reflected in the program.

Thinking about Pre-Med?

We tailored the B.S. in Biology program to be one of the best preparations for medical school. Also, our new Biomedical Sciences program provides another route to fully customize your academic experiences for medical school. Ask your advisor to help you choose the right combination of classes to help you succeed on your MCATs or other entrance exams as you pursue a career as a doctor, physician assistant, ophthalmologist, or dentist.

"My educational experience at SUNY Potsdam has been vital to my journey toward medical school. As a future physician, I will now have the skills to digest complicated research and explain it to my patients in accessible ways."
Lucas Scalcione '25

Bringing Back the Spruce Grouse

A 13-year partnership between SUNY Potsdam and the New York State DEC has helped return endangered spruce grouse to the Adirondacks—strengthening ecosystems, launching careers, and leaving a lasting legacy of research, mentorship and applied learning. Dr. Glenn Johnson and alumna Angie Ross ’02 recently completed the Spruce Grouse Translocation Program, a landmark effort to increase population numbers and improve genetic diversity by relocating birds from remote regions of Ontario and Maine to New York’s boreal forests.

Bloodsuckers Beware

SUNY Potsdam students are on the front lines of mosquito surveillance, tracking viruses like EEE and West Nile to help keep the North Country safe. Supported by the Presidential Internship Program, their research is making a real impact—one trap at a time.

Future in Focus

Ever since he was in middle school, Lucas Scalcione '25 knew that he wanted to pursue a career in medicine, specifically ophthalmology. Now he has completed the rigorous MCAT exam, is wrapping up his degree in biology at SUNY Potsdam, and will be entering medical school next fall.

Realizing His Dreams

When Wilber Parada ’20 arrived at SUNY Potsdam his freshman year, he already had a vision for his future. His plans to one day become a Doctor of Physical Therapy would involve years of hard work, completing undergraduate and graduate degrees, and passing the National Physical Therapy Examination. Seven years later he has made his dream a reality. Parada is now working at Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC, one of the top-rated hospitals in the country, where he’s conducting research on exoskeletons and robotics, and helping to rehabilitate patients suffering from chronic illnesses.

Smile for the camera

Imagine a game camera with reading glasses. That’s one of the creative ways that four faculty members have been capturing photos of an unsuspecting assortment of small mammals through the modified lens of a wildlife camera. Funded by a grant through the Lougheed Center for Applied Learning, Dr. Glenn Johnson, Dr. Kate Cleary, Dr. Jessica Rogers, and Dr. Bridget Amulike launched a pilot project this summer to determine the most effective ways to collect data on a variety of critters ranging from deer mice and shrews to chipmunks and weasels—research that will inform future projects looking at tick abundance in the region.

The Tick Trackers

As Jada West ’24 drags a light-colored flannel sheet across the forest floor, she searches for microscopic creatures most of us hope to never encounter. Pulling the sheet over leaves, plants, and soil she captures Blacklegged ticks like a lint roller absorbing fuzz balls from a favorite sweater. Working with Dr. Kate Cleary, Dr. Glenn Johnson, Dr. Bridget Amulike, and Dr. Jessica Rogers, West and four other students were able to get hands-on experience through grant-funded research this summer, studying small mammals and examining tick abundance around Potsdam.

Looking for the Varroa Mite in Beehives

Experiential learning is the at the heart of a SUNY Potsdam education and that is no more clearly expressed than when four students ventured out to inspect local honey bee hives as they were looking for the presence of the Varroa Mite.

Protecting the Majestic Grey Crowned Crane

Taking flight like the endangered birds she studies, Bridget Amulike has launched an inspiring career as a conservation biologist, educator, and researcher. Born and raised in Tanzania, Amulike is now in the middle of a prestigious two-year SUNY PRODiG Fellowship at SUNY Potsdam, teaching her students about wildlife conservation with real world examples from her research in Africa on grey crowned cranes.