Biology Careers & GC Outcomes

Student Summer Activities

Our students did some amazing things during the summer, here is a slice of their activities in biology:

Research

• Modeling aflatoxin levels in maize in the Kongwa district of Tanzania using remote sensing and GIS, Alex Neufeld, summer 2022
• Remodeling of lipid biosynthesis by Dengue virus (DENV) at Colorado State University, Ainslee Zou, summer 2021
• Blanding’s turtle research at Merry Lea Environmental Center, Liam Elias, summer 2021
• Impact of sphingolipids on replication and dissemination of Dengue virus at Colorado State University, Ella Jantzen, summer 2021
• Prairie grazing and burning research at Merry Lea Environmental Center and Little Bluestem Farm, Janell Stoltzfus, Josie Strader, Maddie Sorg, Skylar Antonides, summer 2021
• Pulmonary artery response to changes in intracellular and extracellular pH changes, Maple Scholars program, Rediet Delelegne, summer 2021
• Bird banding at Merry Lea Environmental Center, Mira Yoder, summer 2021
• Drug development at AbbVie, Joel Yoder, summer 2021
• Measuring outcomes with new cancer scan at Goshen Center for Cancer Care, Brayton Yoder, summer 2021
• SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitor development at AbbVie, Jen Richie, summer 2020
• Providing internet access to Elkhart County Community schools students and education regarding ecological benefits of removing the Elkhart Dam with the Center for Civic Innovation in South Bend, IN, Irving Suarez, summer 2020
• Creating a recycling website and raingarden for a community center with the Center for Civic Innovation in South Bend, IN, Lisa Nalliah, summer 2020
• Sponge, lobster, and crab research with Old Dominion University in the Florida Keys, Emily Brandeberry and Max Burkholder, summer 2019
• Bacterial motility and biofilm formation at University of Notre Dame, Olivia Wenger, summer 2018.
• Gastric cancer research at the IU School of Medicine, Erin Bontrager, summer 2018.
• Community Cleaning Water Project (CCWP), Goshen College, Valentin Calvillo & Bella Torres, summer 2017.
• Fish shocking and monitoring stream health in Elkhart and South Bend counties, Skye McKinnell and Joshua Schwalm, summer 2018.

NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)

• Responses to myocardial injury in neonatal and adult mice, REU at Stanford University, Bongiwe Ncube, summer 2022
• A Chemical Analysis of Vitis vinifera, REU at Cornell University, Alexa Kennel, summer 2022
• Investigating Non-Photochemical Quenching in Transgenic Nicotiana tabacum, REU at the University of Nebraska, Cailin Smith, summer 2020
• Determination of the midpoint potential of a regulatory lumenal disulfide bond in Arabidopsis thaliana State Transition 7 kinase, REU at Purdue University, Seth Weaver, summer 2019
• Effects of biological and physical structure on forest productivity, Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region REU at University of Michigan Biological Station, Mark Kreider, summer 2017.
• Integrating Local Knowledge: A Community Based Framework for Researching Flooding and Disaster Management in Hopkins, Belize, REU at University Central Florida, Brenner Burkholder, summer 2017.
• Biology Education Research REU at the University of Georgia, David Jantz, summer 2016.

• Generalist insect herbivory and plant defense traits, REU at UC Davis, Jacob Penner, summer 2016.

Projects, Leadership & Campus Initiatives

• Applied to be a Bicycle Friendly University, installed (soon!) a bicycle repair station on campus, Nat Dick, spring 2016.

Internships

• Shadowing a variety of physicians at Rush University and Loyola Medical Centers, Caroline Robling-Griest, summer 2022
• Student teaching in biology at Goshen High School, Axel Brown, fall 2022
• Trail maintenance at the New York department of Environmental Conservation, Erica Gunden, summer 2022
• Water sampling and analysis at Biosolutions, LLC, Amelia Witmer Rich, summer 2022
• Keys Marine Laboratory. Jarrod Price and Carolina Olivo, assist with research projects and community events, fall 2021
• Internship with MOTE in the Florida Keys. Leah Otto and Trey Santiago, coral restoration, fall 2021
• Aquatic Encounters. Nick Davis and Kaylie Gaby, exhibit hosts, fall 2021
• Elkhart County Aquatic Department. Simon Graber-Miller, Fish electroshocking and population survey, summer 2021
• Goshen Hospital. Lesly Rios-Mendoza and Alex Rabadzhiev, assisting in the ER and NeuroCare departments, summer 2021 and spring 2022
• Internship with the Green Bay Botanical Gardens. Megan Raimbault, husbandry and care of butterflies for the Butterfly Gardens, summer 2020
• Internship at ETHOS Innovation Center in Elkhart, IN. McKinzi Vega, providing K-12 hands-on experience with science activities, spring 2020
• Internship at the Center for Healing and Hope. Jorge Soto, Spanish interpreter and medical intake, summer 2019
• Internship at Black Pine Animal Sanctuary. Lexus Garces, Providing care and therapy to wild animals at private sanctuary, summer 2019
• Internship at Promega Corporation in Madison, Wisconsin (biotech company). Simon Weaver, Automating high-throughput nucleic acid purification and processing, summer 2017
• A natural history study of Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy type 2A in an Amish community (with the Clinic for Special Children, Strasburg, Pennsylvania), Caleb Liechty, summer 2017.

Goshen College Alumni Outcomes

Health-related Activities & Molecular Biology Research

• Gretta Rempel ’23 – MS program in public health
• Ainslee Zou ’22 – NIH post-baccalaureate research program
• Cailin Smith ’21 – PhD program at University of Nebraska
• Josh Garcia ’20 – Genetics research at NIH
• Ally Roehr ’20 – DMD program, Midwestern University
• Evan Beck ’20 – Cancer research at John Hopkins
• James Garcia ’17 – MD program at Washington Univ. in St. Louis, MO
• Brianne Brenneman ’17 – MS program in Public Health at University of Michigan
• Sophie Sears ’17- PhD program in Molecular Pharmacology, University of Louisville
• Rebekah Steiner ’13 – PhD program in Molecular Biology – University of Basel
• Matthew Glick ’14 – Medical Student – Indiana University School of Medicine (Indianapolis)
• Jana (Beitler) Yoder ’13 – Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program – Chatham University
• Alita Yoder Funk ’13 – Master’s of Nursing Program, DePaul University
• Hyuntaek Guan ’14 – Doctorate of Pharmacy program – Fairleigh Dickinson University

Field Biology & Environmental Science

• Nick Davis ’22 – MS program in marine biology
• Mandira Panta ’20 – MS program in Natural Resources, University of Idaho
• Ben Wiebe ’20 – PhD program in forest ecology at Northern Arizona University
• David Jantz ’18 – PhD at University of Hawaii
• Jacob Penner ’17 – PhD program in Ecology at Syracuse University
• Derek Swartzendruber ’15 – Graduate Program in Environmental Science, University of Arizona
• Avery Bischoff ’15 – Graduate Program in Marine Biology – University of Central Florida
• Josh Yoder ’14 – Buyer at Maple City Market
• Ben Adams ’13 –  The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
• Barrett Donna ’13 – Student Conservation Association New Hampshire Corps
• Luke Zehr ’13 – Entomology Graduate Program – University of Illinois
• Aradhana Roberts ’13 – Graduate program in Environmental Policy, Northern Arizona University

 Biology Education & Teaching

• Axel Brown ’23 – Biology Teacher, Goshen High School, Goshen, IN
• Evan Krabill ’22 – Biology Teacher, Goshen High School, Goshen, IN
• David Jantz ’18 – Biology Teacher, Attucks High School, Hollywood, FL
• Michelle Salgado ’14 – Biology Teacher, Concord High School, Elkhart, IN
• Cortney Quick ’14- Masters in Education Program, Bethel College
• Ali Gotwals ’10 – Biology & Environmental Science Teacher, Goshen High School

Goshen College Alumni Careers

Here are current positions held by some biology alumni:

Overview of Biology

According to the American Institute of Biological Sciences:

“Studying biology teaches us to ask questions, make observations, evaluate evidence, and solve problems. Biologists learn how living things work, how they interact with one another, and how they evolve. They may study cells under a microscope, insects in a rainforest, viruses that affect human beings, plants in a greenhouse, or lions in the African grasslands.

Their work increases our understanding about the natural world in which we live and helps us address issues of personal well being and worldwide concern, such as environmental depletion, threats to human health, and maintaining viable and abundant food supplies.”

About the Coursework

In addition to the excellent on-campus facility for the study of biological science, GC also offers exceptional locations for field work. Most field biology courses take place at the Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center, a 1,189-acre natural area located 30 miles from campus. This preserve contains prairies, grasslands, upland forests, lowland forests, lakes, ponds, and senescent bogs.

Areas of interest for which majors may prepare by careful selection of courses include: agriculture, allied health (medical technology, pharmacy), biotechnology, botany, cellular biology, ecology, environmental biology, field biology, genetics, human biology, marine biology, microbiology, molecular biology, pre-professional (dentistry, medicine, veterinary medicine, physical therapy), teaching biology, tropical agriculture, wildlife biology or zoology.

Possible courses include:

For a full list of courses and requirements, refer to the course catalog.

Teacher certification in Life Sciences or Life Sciences and Chemistry is also available. See the education department’s website for more information.

Possible Career Paths

The possible career choices are broad for every major. GC biology graduates are active in human medicine, veterinary medicine, the agricultural sciences, cell biology, microbiology, marine biology, biotechnology, ecology, environmental analysis, science communications and science education, as well as basic research in numerous biological areas.

The list below will provide you with several additional career options, but it is not exhaustive. Please note that some positions require additional education.

Additional Resources

• Careers in the Biological Sciences
  from the American Institute of Biological Sciences
• Conservation Career Ideas
  from Conservation International
• So You Want to be a Forensic Scientist?
  from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences
• Becoming a Veterinarian
  from the American Veterinary Medical Association
• Careers in Botany
  from the Botanical Society of America
• Marine Careers
  from Sea Grant
• Be a Dentist
  from the American Dental Association
• Explore Health Careers
• From the Occupational Outlook Handbook:
  • Physicians and Surgeons
  • Agricultural and Food Science Technicians
  • Biological Scientists
  • Medical Scientists
  • Veterinarians
  • Dentists
  • Teachers