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College of Sciences
Department of Biological Sciences

Beyond Basic Biology

Our department redefines multidisciplinary when it comes to our educational and research opportunities. Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Microbiology, Paleontology, and Toxicology encompass only a few of the exciting areas in which our faculty and students are impacting global scientific challenges.

Interested in Biology? You’ve come to the right place!

The Department of Biological Sciences is one of the largest academic units at NC State with over 2000 undergraduate students, 100 graduate students, and 76 faculty in diverse disciplines from genetics to paleobiology.

Spring 2026 Graduation

Please join us on Friday, May 8th, at 7:30 pm in Reynolds Coliseum.


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Enriching the Student Experience Beyond the Classroom and Campus

Because so much critical learning occurs outside of the classroom, we have partnerships with communities and institutions across the state and are expanding our study abroad offerings to provide exciting opportunities for exploration, research, and engagement.

Upcoming Events

All Events
Apr 13

Monday10:00 AM

Spring 2026 Walk-in Advising
Apr 13

Monday1:30 PM

GGA Seminar Series
Apr 14

Tuesday9:00 AM

Spring 2026 Walk-in Advising

Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions was recognized with the 2024 Gertrude Cox Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning with Technology.

Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions is a multidisciplinary experience created for all incoming first-year and transfer students at NC State University. Each year, this course focuses on a current “wicked problem,” defined as a highly complex problem that can only be addressed through collaborative, multidisciplinary efforts.

Dr. Natalia Duque-Wilckens: A Bright Light and Loving Soul

The NC State University community and the global scientific world mourn the devastating loss of Natalia Duque-Wilckens, a beloved Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, who tragically passed away on November 12, 2025. She was 41 years old.

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‘A Wicked Success’: Award-Winning NC State Experience Celebrates Five Years of Impact

As Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions marks five years of challenging incoming students to Think and Do, it’s also earning national recognition, including winning the Online Learning Consortium Award of Excellence in Digital Learning Innovation at OLC Innovate 2025.

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2025 Mathews Medal Recipient

Emma Budden is a microbiology and environmental sciences major. With immense passion for global engagement, Budden has served as a teaching assistant and team leader within the Alternative Service Break program, co-leading five international service-learning experiences in the Dominican Republic, Peru, Italy and Panama. In these roles, she has developed lasting partnerships with global organizations and has encouraged students to think critically and compassionately about social issues.

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2025 Sciences Student Leadership Award

Emily Phillips is a senior majoring in biological sciences, a Sciences Ambassador and a volunteer at Urban Ministries. She also serves in a leadership role as a CPR instructor and founded the first neuroscience club at NC State. As the club’s first president, she brought freshmen and sophomores to research labs across the university for the first time. She also helped her board members organize an undergraduate research symposium.

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BioSci and NC State – a national hub for Environmental Health Sciences research

We are one of very few institutions to support several major Centers funded by the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to improve understanding about chemical exposures in the environment, their health impacts, and prevention.

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news

Brain Night 2026

April 08, 2026

Brain Night 2026 Has Most Successful Year Yet

At the end of March, the Department of Biological Sciences had the opportunity to be part of the largest Brain Night yet. The event has been around for over a…
Undergraduate research assistant and NC State student Leah Edwards holds an animal skeleton during the Hartstone-Rose Research Lab's visit to the American Museum of Natural History.

March 05, 2026

How High-Impact Experiences Are Setting Biological Sciences Students Up for Post-Grad Success

In January, Professor of Biological Sciences Adam Hartstone-Rose took a team of 13 students to the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City to collect data for…

February 19, 2026

GGA and the Interdisciplinary Approach

The Genetics and Genomics Academy (GGA) continues to be a leader in interdisciplinary programming, especially through its undergraduate course offerings that allows any NC State major to explore the world…
The Technology Tower at Talley Student Union

January 21, 2026

Smith, Wagoner Selected for Digital Science Communication Fellowship

Fellows will work alongside mentors from top-tier academic, media and scientific institutions across the nation to master the art of reaching diverse audiences across digital platforms.
Lloyd and Genevieve Bostian sitting on their couch

November 14, 2025

Loyal Like Lloyd

When Lloyd Bostian made his first gift to NC State in 1955, he wasn’t thinking about long-term philanthropic goals. He wasn’t thinking about making a gift each year. He was simply grateful for his time at the university and proud to be a member of the class of 1954. But that gift led to another,…

November 03, 2025

Rooted in Leadership: Mesha Strickland

Mesha Strickland is a Human Biology major with minors in Psychology and Health, Medicine, and Human Values in the Caldwell Class of 2027. Despite being the youngest, Mesha has felt…

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