UIS offers students the opportunity to have close relationships with their professors. In the Biology Program particularly, spending time with the professors teaches students to become more disciplined thinkers. It also helps them form a new perspective of biology.

The smaller size of UIS, compared to other universities, ensures that faculty have more time for each student. Undergraduate students receive instruction from fully-qualified professors rather than graduate assistants. One-on-one appointments with professors outside of the classroom are also much more likely at UIS than at larger institutions.

Essentially, the smaller size practically guarantees that each student will have not only greater opportunities for success, but that she or he will also be a name rather than a number.

Alumni Profiles

Outstanding Students

  • Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award presented to former biology graduate student. Sarah Lindholm was presented with the Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award. She graduated from UIS in July 2018 with a master’s degree in biology with a specialization in ecology and evolution. Her thesis was chaired by Amy McEuen and Hua Chen, both associate professors of biology, and Megan Styles, assistant professor of environmental studies.
  • A University of Illinois Springfield social media campaign is highlighting students who graduated with a job. Biology major Tonda Chasteen of Lewistown is graduating Saturday with a job lined up as a science teacher at Havana High School in Havana, Illinois. Congratulations!

Featured Students