Biology

Student Research

From the Chair

Department of Biology students have the opportunity of doing either an internship or an independent research project. These opportunities provide students with firsthand views of research in the real world. Such experiences provide students with the opportunity to mesh the theory of science with the practical application of biological processes to real-world problems.

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Independent Research

Students may participate in either independent research or an internship to enhance their academic experience and build their resumes at Hofstra.

For independent research, students can participate in research in the areas of Computational Biology, Ecology, Genetics, Development, Neurobiology, Behavior, Microbiology, Cell Biology and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. For more details visit our Faculty Research page. Students get credit for research by enrolling in the following courses: BIOL 190, 191, 192, 193, 194 and 195. BIOL 193 – 195 are designated honors level courses that can be used to fulfill Honors College credits. Students normally take two semesters of research (maximum total of 6 semester hours), thus register for two courses (i.e., BIOL 190 and 191; or BIOL 193 and 194).

Internships

The department also has two internship courses (BIOL 196, 197). Once again, students are allowed to receive up to 6 semester hours of credit for internships. If a student wishes to do an internship, there are two options:

  • Faculty will help the student to identify internship opportunities.
  • Alternatively, if the student has identified a potential internship opportunity, they can bring it to the Chair of Biology, Dr. Maureen Krause (Email or 516-463-6178), or the Director of the Urban Ecology program, Dr. Lisa Filippi (Email or 516-463-5831).

Of prime importance to the department is whether the internship will develop valuable skills and experiences that will contribute to the student's long-term goals. Examples of places where students recently interned include:

  • Atlantis Aquarium
  • Bronx Zoo
  • CHSL Fish Hatchery
  • Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
  • Museum of Natural History
  • New York Aquarium
  • Sands Point Preserve
  • Town of Hempstead Department of Conservation and Waterways
  • Volunteers for Wildlife

The Hofstra Center for Career Design and Development is another resource for finding internships. Call 516-463-6060 for more information or email the Center for Career Design and Development's HCLAS liaison, careerdesign@hofstra.edu.

Biology Research Opportunities at Hofstra during the Summer

All full-time Hofstra faculty and several adjunct faculty in the Department of Biology offer opportunities for summer research and may mentor undergraduate students. For details, consult our Faculty link.

Opportunities for Undergraduate and Graduate Students

The Department of Biology offers several competitive summer fellowships to undergraduate and graduate students wishing to pursue independent research. These fellowships provide a stipend of $6,000 to students for an intensive 10-week summer research program. These fellowships may be used in conjunction with coursework (i.e., BIOL 190, 191, 192, 193, 194 or 195) to extend research activities. Email the Department of Biology for more details. Please download the appropriate form from the links below.

The deadline for Undergraduate and Graduate Summer Fellowship applications for usually in April of every year.

Opportunities for High School Students

There are ample opportunities in the Department of Biology for high school students to engage in research projects during the summer. All interested high school students should refer to the Hofstra University Summer Science Research Program (HUSSRP) for further details, including how to apply to this program. 

Some additional sites to explore:

  • National Science Foundation's (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates home page and the list of biology sites for the summer.
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research and Training, which links to several educational programs sponsored by NIH.
  • Department of Energy (DOE) Student Programs and Internships. You might be thinking "DOE and biology?" but just remember that DOE was the federal agency in charge of the human genome project, and they run all of the national laboratories, including Brookhaven National Lab here on Long Island.
  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers internships as well.