Biology & Wildlife

Our location in the middle of a vast expanse of boreal forest, with easy access to alpine and arctic tundra environments, shapes our teaching, research, and daily lives. Members of the Department of Biology and Wildlife have a long history of working in the Arctic and Subarctic. Areas of strength include ecology, animal physiology, wildlife management, and biomedical sciences with an emphasis on human-environment interactions and challenges facing Alaska's rural populations.

While the environments and biological communities in Alaska are more intact than those in many other places, the state is undergoing a period of flux: rapid climate change, expansion of human populations, and the proliferation of introduced species are affecting plant and animal populations, the landscape, and people. The Department of Biology and Wildlife is on the forefront of studying these changes and their consequences. Our expertise extends beyond the northern environments as well, with faculty and students working in exotic places like Vietnam, Madagascar, and Antarctica. We foster strong international ties with students, faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and other researchers from around the world.

Our Vision

The Biology and Wildlife Department’s aim is to educate a diverse population of students to critically evaluate, apply, and create biological knowledge, thereby positioning them for future educational and professional opportunities and preparing them to serve global, national, and state needs for a sustainable world.

Our Mission

The Biology and Wildlife Department educates students from diverse backgrounds worldwide about living systems with an emphasis on the circumpolar North by fostering intellectual inquiry, problem solving, and creativity through coursework and research.  

Our Values

We value intellectual honesty and scientific integrity in knowledge generation and in service to responsible stewardship of human and environmental health. We strive to create an equitable, diverse, and inclusive learning environment that integrates traditional coursework with research and outreach to empower students to achieve their educational goals.

Our Goals

The Biology and Wildlife Department aims to provide its students a strong foundation in biological knowledge; to empower them through course experiences, research and inquiry to think creatively, flexibly, and critically; and to prepare them to achieve their future educational and professional goals.