UNT Home | Graduate Studies | College of Arts and Sciences | Biological Sciences
Graduate faculty and areas of research
Michael S. Allen, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., University of Tennessee. Molecular environmental microbiology/microbial ecology; global gene regulation in bacteria; stress response; cell signaling; wastewater treatment; biofuels; biotechnology.
Samuel F. Atkinson, Regents Professor; Ph.D., University of Oklahoma. Environmental systems modeling using satellite imagery; water resources and water quality; environmental impact assessment; environmental determinants in the transmission of disease
Brian Ayre, Associate Professor; Ph.D., University of Alberta. Plant physiology; tissue-specific metabolic engineering to understand nutrient partitioning and signaling via phloem with an emphasis on sugar transport and biomass accumulation; phloem- mobile signals that regulate flowering.
Rajeev Azad, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Jawaharlal Nehru University. Bioinformatics and computational biology; genome evolution; pathogenomics; metagenomics; gene prediction; structural variation detection; disease gene identification
Robert C. Benjamin, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Harvard University. Forensic applications of DNA profiling; characterization of avian loci useful for population and lineage analyses.
Stevens Brumbley, Associate Professor; Ph.D., University of Georgia. Plant metabolic engineering to produce industrial bulk and fine chemicals such as bioplastics and bioplastic precursors; the use of high biomass C4 grasses in the development of a bio- based economy.
Warren W. Burggren, Professor, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs; Ph.D., University of East Anglia. Developmental physiology; environmental and genetic influences on developmental trajectories of developing vertebrate embryos and fetuses; neural and endocrine regulation of embryonic physiological processes; science policy and processes of science evaluation.
Kent Chapman, Regents Professor; Ph.D., Arizona State University. Lipid signaling pathways in plants; engineering added-value traits in cotton; phytochemicals and agricultural biotechnology; compartmentation of neutral lipids in plants; cellular and subcellular lipidomics.
Dane Crossley, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., University of North Texas. Developmental vertebrate physiology; study of plasticity of cardiovascular physiology and the differences in cardiovascular maturation between vertebrate species during embryonic development using phylogenetic, pharmacological, environmental and molecular techniques.
Rebecca Dickstein, Professor; Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University. Genetics, biochemistry and molecular and cell biology of developing symbiotic nitrogen fixing nodules in legumes.
Qunfeng Dong, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Iowa State University. Bioinformatics; comparative genomics and metagenomics.
Edward Dzialowski, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Drexel University. Cardiovascular and respiratory developmental physiology; physiological ecology; physiological responses to environmental stress and toxins.
Lloyd C. Fitzpatrick, Professor; Ph.D., Kent State University. Ecophysiology and life history.
Jannon L. Fuchs, Professor; Ph.D., University of California- San Diego. Role of primary cilia in the nervous system; cell proliferation, neural development and neurodegenerative diseases.
Harrell Gill-King, Professor; Ph.D., Southern Methodist University. Human identification; skeletal biology; taphonomy; thermobaric trauma in humans; craniofacial effects of intranasal/ intraoral methamphetamine and/or cocaine use.
Art J. Goven, Professor and Department Chair; Ph.D., University of North Carolina. Comparative immunology; immunotoxicology; immunoparasitology.
Guenter W. Gross, Regents Professor; Ph.D., Florida State University. Network neurophysiology, pharmacology and toxicology using neuronal networks growing on microelectrode arrays; applications to drug development and biosensors.
Michael S. Hedrick, Professor; Ph.D., University of British Columbia. Development of respiratory rhythm generation in amphibians; physiological ecology of lymph movement in amphibians; respiratory and cardiovascular physiology of vertebrates.
David J. Hoeinghaus, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Texas A&M University. Responses of aquatic communities and ecosystems to environmental change; food webs; biodiversity and ecosystem function; fisheries; tropical rivers.
Duane Huggett, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., University of Mississippi. Aquatic and mechanistic toxicology; comparative animal physiology and pharmacology; toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics; pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment.
Lee E. Hughes, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., University of North Texas. Pyrimidine metabolism in actinomycetes; student learning and retention through undergraduate research experiences; assessment of blended and online learning in the biological sciences.
Ione Hunt von Herbing, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Dalhousie University. Marine conservation physiology; use of physiological tools to study impacts of anthropogenic stress on marine fish populations.
Pudur Jagadeeswaran, Professor; Ph.D., Indian Institute of Science. Genetics of blood diseases; use of zebrafish as a model to study mammalian hemostasis and thrombosis; role of aquatic proteins in hemostasis.
Jaime Jiménez, Professor; Ph.D., Utah State University. Ecology and conservation of terrestrial vertebrates; trophic ecology.
Jeff A. Johnson,Assistant Professor; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee. Evolution; speciation; systematic; phylogenetics; phylogeography; population genetics; conservation biology.
James H. Kennedy, Regents Professor; Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Ecology and life cycles of benthic invertebrates; ecotoxicology.
Daniel A. Kunz, Professor; Ph.D., University of Minnesota. Cyanide biology; enzymology and molecular biology of microbial cyanide metabolism; bacterial physiology; antibiotic resistance.
Thomas W. La Point, Professor; Ph.D., Idaho State University. Aquatic ecotoxicology; ecological risk assessment; sediment toxicity; contaminant fate and effects in aquatic communities.
Ron Mittler, Professor; Ph.D., Rutgers University. Reactive oxygen metabolism and signaling; abiotic stress tolerance and stress combination; genes of unknown function; gene discovery.
Gerard A. O’Donovan, Professor; Ph.D., University of California-Davis. Pyrimidine metabolism in bacteria; Pseudomonas ATCase; pyrimidine recycling (salvage) circuits.
Pamela Padilla, Associate Professor; Ph.D., University of New Mexico. How organisms respond to and survive environmental stress.
Aaron P. Roberts, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Miami University. Environmental toxicology.
Douglas D. Root, Associate Professor; Ph.D., University of California-Los Angeles. Molecular motors; single molecule assays; protein chemistry; molecular modeling; super-resolution microscopy; fluorescence spectroscopy; muscle contractile proteins.
Harris D. Schwark, Associate Professor; Ph.D., University of Illinois. Neurobiology primary cilia with emphasis on roles in the somatosensory system.
Jyoti Shah, Professor; Ph.D., University of Notre Dame. Plant defense mechanisms against pathogens and insects; signaling mechanisms in plant stress response; long-distance communication in plants; genetic engineering for stress resistance in plants.
Vladimir Shulaev, Professor; Ph.D., Rutgers University. Metabolomics technology and bioinformatics; novel analytical techniques for metabolomics; systems biology; fruit functional genomics; Arabidopsis gene function elucidation; cancer development and progression; malaria and mode of action of antimalarial drugs; modeling and simulation of biological networks; yeast systems biology.
Richard J. Sinclair, Associate Professor; Ph.D., University of Oklahoma. Neurohumoral control of circulation.
Nicoladie Tam, Associate Professor; Ph.D., University of Minnesota. Behavioral and computational neuroscience; multi-unit spatiotemporal neural spike train analysis; emotional processing, cognition and emotional intelligence, simulation and analysis; neural encoding and decoding; neural network and learning; sensorimotor integration; neurophysiology; neuropsychopharmacology; neuroengineering; brain-computer interface; brain imaging.
Ruthanne Thompson, Assistant Professor; Ed.D., University of North Texas. Science education; science efficacy.
Barney Venables, Professor; Ph.D., University of North Texas. Biological effects and instrumental analysis of environmental contaminants; comparative immunotoxicology.
Amanda J. Wright, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Harvard University. Genetic analysis of the control of division plane orientation in maize and Arabidopsis; plant cell biology.
For More Information
University of North Texas Department of Biological Sciences
940-565-3627
www.biol.unt.edu
biology@unt.edu
Life Sciences Complex, Room A128
Learn more about UNT
Toulouse Graduate School
940-565-2383
Biological Sciences
Master’s and Doctoral Programs
Graduate opportunities
The Department of Biological Sciences provides you with a high quality education while you pursue a graduate degree in Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, or Environmental Science at the University of North Texas. Scholarly research, strong professor-student mentoring, high- quality instruction and professional community service are the foundation of the department.
The cornerstone of our graduate programs is the creation of new knowledge through research. The research is supported through numerous federal, state, private and nonprofit sources. We offer opportunities to conduct research in:
- Aquatic biology
- Cell/molecular biology
- Ecology
- Forensic biology
- Genetics
- Neurobiology
- Physiology
- Plant sciences
Our faculty members include two internationally renowned researchers in plant science and other professors who have earned recognition from prominent organizations. The rigorous curriculum has helped students receive prestigious appointments and awards from organizations such as the Entomological Society of America.
The department’s research and training facilities are found in the Life Sciences Complex; Science Research Building; and the Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building. The Life Sciences Complex includes an aquatics laboratory and four climate-controlled rooftop research greenhouses.
Research centers
The Center for Network Neuroscience focuses on in vitro preparations, especially monolayer cultures of mammalian central nervous system cells, and emphasizes research on pattern generation, storage and recognition. www.cnns.org
The Center for Watershed and Reservoir Assessment and Management conducts research on techniques and best management practices for assessing and managing watersheds and reservoirs, and addressing current and emerging problems and issues. www.geog.unt.edu/~hunter/files/cwram
The Elm Fork Education Center is dedicated to educating the public, especially K-12 students, about environmental issues. The center provides investigative encounters that engage students in field activities and discovery experiences. www.efec.unt.edu
The Institute of Applied Science provides research and educational programs addressing natural and human resource issues. The institute also has laboratories for environmental chemistry, aquatic toxicology, geographic information systems, data visualization and analyses of archaeological samples. www.ias.unt.edu
Attending UNT
Admission requirements
You will need to meet the requirements for the Toulouse Graduate School and specific program requirements. Visit www.unt.edu/catalog for specific requirements.
Degree requirements
Master of Science degrees
- Biology – a scholarly research degree requiring 24 credit hours of formal course work, special problems and seminars, and a 6-credit-hour thesis
- Biology: Teaching in the Life Sciences – a nonresearch degree that includes teacher certification at the secondary level and requires 18 credit hours each in biology and secondary education (Admission to the secondary education courses requires meeting College of Education requirements.)
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (option I) – a scholarly research degree requiring 24 credit hours of formal course work, special problems and seminars, and a 6-credit-hour thesis
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (option II) – a Professional Science Master’s Degree that prepares students for science and technology careers in industry and government and requires 36 credit hours, including a 4- to 6-credit-hour internship
- Environmental Science (option I) – a scholarly research degree requiring 30 credit hours of organized course work, special problems and seminars, and a 6-credit-hour thesis
- Environmental Science (option II) – a Professional Science Master’s Degree requiring 10 credit hours of core environmental science courses; 12 credit hours of environmental science electives; 12 credit hours of business, writing, communication, public administration, economics and philosophy courses; and a 3- to 6-credit-hour internship
Master of Arts degree
- Biology – a 36-credit-hour, nonthesis degree requiring course work at the 5000-6000 levels and a language requirement (Students completing the M.A. are not eligible for our Ph.D. program.)
Doctor of Philosophy degree
- A Ph.D. in Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, or Environmental Science requires 90 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree or 60 credit hours beyond the master’s degree. Specific requirements vary among the four programs.
The Ph.D. culminates in a dissertation of scientific merit. You are expected to be published or accepted for publication before graduation.
Financial assistance
Qualified students are supported through competitive teaching assistantships or research assistantships funded through research grants to faculty members. Nine- month stipends range from $14,100 for entering master’s students to $19,100 for Ph.D. candidates. Out-of-state and international students who are supported at least half time are eligible for in-state tuition. Contact the department for information about assistantships.