Give to Biological Sciences

The Department of Biological Sciences boasts the largest and most diverse cadre of graduate student researchers, in both masters and doctoral programs, at the University of Alberta. These young people have devoted themselves to academic pursuits in diverse subdisciplines such as genetics, plant biology, microbiology, palaeontology, zoology, ecology, physiology, entomology, and developmental biology. Their goals are simple - to discover "something new" about the complexities of the living world all around us. Supporting graduate students in their research endeavours, through a wide variety of opportunities, is a core value for the department.

The Department of Biological Sciences recognizes experiential learning as a core pedagogical value and has worked to create unique local and international opportunities for hands-on student learning. Learning and studying in classrooms, labs and libraries remains an indispensible tool of learning, but actually measuring and observing organisms in their complex ecosystems in Africa, or prospecting and collecting fossil remains in Dinosaur Provincial Park, exposes students to the very personal process that is the discovery and interpretation of new knowledge. As such, field schools, though expensive, are not just life changing personal experiences for young learners, they are critical intellectual opportunities for understanding how observational science truly works. The department is seeking your support to help us build on our diverse and growing suite of opportunities to provide field school learning opportunities for young people to learn while traveling the world.