Zoology Majors

Ohio Wesleyan is one of a few small colleges with two closely integrated life science departments: Botany & Microbiology and Zoology. This structure allows our program to provide students with the personal attention of a small college - and a large array of specialty courses in sub-disciplines across the biological sciences. That combination is rare.

About the Majors

Ohio Wesleyan's zoology program gives you two major options, so you can create a program that fits your interests and career goals.

  • The Zoology (B.A.) major is designed for students who are interested in the study of human beings and other animals, but perhaps do not want to pursue a professional career in medicine or zoology. Often, general zoology majors choose to double major in another discipline, further expanding their career options.
  • The Zoology (B.S.) major is more suited for those preparing for medical school or graduate study in zoology. Completing this major will satisfy the minimum entrance requirements of almost all graduate programs in biology or zoology as well as meeting most of the prerequisites for medical, dental, and veterinary medicine schools.
Botany Microbiology Biochemistry
Biology Health & Human Kinetics Neuroscience
Environment & Sustainability Genetics  

Related Minors

Think Big

Undergraduate research is a core part of The OWU Connection, and zoology students participate in independent projects, internships, and research with OWU professors and at other universities, research centers. and zoos.

In the 10-week Summer Science Research Program, students work in paid positions, carrying out cutting-edge research alongside faculty mentors.

Research & Independent Study Student Symposium Interdisciplinary Study

More Than Squid Games

Doyi Kim '27 teamed up with another OWU student to research whether bacteria that protect squid eggs involve antimicrobials with the potential to benefit human health. Their work is part of OWU's Summer Science Research Program (SSRP).

Microbes and Bird Trapping

Larynn Cutshaw '17 and Nadya Sotnychuk '17 investigated whether bird-trapping methods influenced the amount of feather-degrading bacteria present in the plumage of Eastern Yellow Robins, an Australian bird. Their faculty mentor was Laura Tuhela-Reuning.

Evolutionary Case Study

Invasive species provide unique opportunities to study how long it takes species to adapt. Kyle Davis '19 studied the change in size of the House sparrow, which was introduced to North America only 400 years ago. He worked with Professor Dustin Reichard.

Aggression in Birds

Madeleine Sorrick '19 worked with Professor Dustin Reichard to study the aggressive behaviors that Carolina and House wrens exhibit when they feel threatened. Although the two species are closely related, the House wren responded to threatening stimuli with significantly more aggression than the Carolina wren.

The Mysterious Merrick Museum

Josh Pletcher '21 gave an iCubed lecture about his internship cataloguing items in OWU's on-campus Brandt Museum of Zoology.

Watch the Video

Lizard League

Jasmyn Zimmerman '25 spent 10 weeks researching the spread of an invasive reptile in urban environments as part of the annual Summer Science Research Program (SSRP).

Fish Mating Behavior

Serena George '19 observed the mating behavior of fish. With the help of Professor Shala Hankison and advanced computer software, Serena looked for correlations between the frequency of certain male behaviors and the representation of offspring sires. This informs understanding of population divergence and speciation.

Go Global

From your first year on campus, you can get off campus with Travel-Learning Courses, a key part of The OWU Connection. Journey to a distant land and immerse yourself in another landscape and culture.

Recent Travel-Learning Courses have taken zoology students to Brazil, Costa Rica, East Africa, the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador, and North Carolina.

Travel-Learning Courses

Exploring Kenya

Amelia Thrasher '25 spent a semester abroad in Kenya, focusing on endangered species and biodiversity conservation, wildlife and natural resource management, and the impacts of tourism and climate change on rural communities.

Traveling Learner

Abbi Turner '20 enhanced her classroom experience with trips to the Galapagos Islands, the US Virgin Islands, Zimbabwe and Tanzania.

STEM + Society

Becca Strider '20 received a full-tuition program scholarship for the Council on International Educational Exchange to participate in its fall 2019 STEM + Society program in Central America.

Marine Biology & Math

In 2017, Zoology Professor Amy Downing and Mathematics Professor Craig Jackson taught a class on marine biology and mathematical modeling, and led the class in field work in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Watch the Video

Going on Safari

Margaret Michicich '19 spent two weeks exploring Tanzania through the popular Travel-Learning Course "Biology of East Africa."

Get Real

Build your experience and connections to the professional world with internships at the Columbus Zoo, wildlife centers around the world, universities, museums, and other organizations. OWU zoology faculty use their connections in the field to help many students secure valuable internships.

Zoology students also have received University-funded Theory-to-Practice Grants for research projects from Bolivia to Japan to Vietnam.

Internships Theory-to-Practice Grants

Wildlife Preservation in Africa

Serena George '19, left, and Abbi Turner '20 the summer of 2018 volunteering at the Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage in Zimbabwe, where they participated in wildlife rehabilitation, conducted human-carnivore research, and helped with conservation education programs.

Rhino Orphange

Shannon Schlater '17 volunteered at The Rhino Orphanage in South Africa, helping raise 11 calves with the hopes of releasing them back into the wild.

Watch the Video

Ohio Wildlife Center

Karis Lowrie '18 had internships at the Columbus Zoo and Ohio Wildlife Center, where she worked in animal rehabilitation. She was later hired at the Wildlife Center.

Raising Nemo

Jenn Douglas '21 named and helped to care for baby penguin Nemo during her summer internship as an assistant penguin keeper at the Jacksonville Zoo in Florida.

Veterinary Externship

Taylor Honaker '20 spent Spring Break as an Extern at Animal Car Unlimited working alongside OWU alumnus Dr. Sam Valerius '08.

Texas & Minnesota Internships

Zoology and Environmental Science major Liza Dmitrieva '21 completed a 7-week veterinary clinic internship working with farm animals and pets in Texas. She also used an OWU Connection Grant to work with animals and conduct research on invasive species in northern Minnesota.

Thailand Wildlife Rescue

With a Theory-to-Practice Grant, Izzy Sommerdorf '18 volunteered at the Wildlife Friends Rescue Center in Thailand for six weeks to expand her understanding of mammal conservation.

Inspired Teaching

OWU faculty are outstanding scholars and researchers—and passionate teachers. They will push you, challenge you, inspire you, and work with you on your own research and creative projects.

They can even pack a 3-minute lecture with ideas, insight, and imagination. Check out our unique I³ lectures.

I³ Lectures

Dr. Amy Downing

Feeding the Planet: Lessons from Ecology

Watch the Video

Dr. Dustin Reichard

On the Origin and Evolution of Genitalia

Watch the Video

Dr. Shala Hankison

Tinder for Fish: Sexual Selection & Evolution

Watch the Video

"Why Is My Dog So Cute?"

Blog post by Dr. Shala Hankison

Highlights

Natural History Museum

OWU's Brant Museum is an often-overlooked gem on campus. Located on the atrium level of the Schimmel/Conrades Science Center, it houses teaching collections of mammals, birds and their eggs and nests, insects, mollusks, and corals, with smaller collections of other phyla. The collection includes more than 400 mounted birds, including a golden eagle. Researchers from across the country come to check our egg and specimen collections. However, the collections are used primarily for classroom and laboratory teaching.

More Information

Women in Science

The OWU Women in Science (WinS) organization is a collection of students who share a passion for mathematics and the natural and social sciences. WinS strives to cultivate a love of science and research and provide information about research opportunities, graduate school positions, and summer jobs and internships. WinS promotes discussion of issues facing women in science, brings guest lecturers to campus, arranges field trips, and participates in community service.

Pre-Health Club

The Pre-Health Club helps students understand and overcome the challenges of entering medical school to make the preparation more manageable. They also help educate the public about illnesses, preventative measure to take to remain healthy, and how to perform self-exams.

Pet Pals

Pet Pals, a club for all animal lovers, organizes activities on campus and in the community to raise awareness about animal welfare. Pet Pals works closely with the Humane Society of Delaware County to host socialization and adoption events. They also volunteer at animal shelters and take trips to the Columbus Zoo.

Pet Pals on Facebook

Graduate Outcomes

Abbi Turner '20

Abbi is in graduate school at the University of Illinois studying evolution, ecology & behavior. Her many OWU experiences included travel biology classes in the Galapagos Islands & U.S. Virgin Islands; a semester study-abroad program in Tanzania; a summer research project on wren behavior, and an internship at a wildlife orphanage in Zimbabwe.

Biological Sciences Alumni

Award-Winning Grads

At OWU, Kristen Lear '11 used a Theory-to-Practice grant to study bats in Texas, helping her net a Fulbright Scholarship to do research in Australia. She later received a prestigious National Science Foundation Fellowship and is in the Ph.D. program at the University of Georgia. In the past few years, OWU Biological Sciences graduates have won three Fulbright Scholarships, four NSF Graduate Research Fellowships, two Goldwater Scholarships, and the NCAA's highest scholastic honor, the Walter Byers Award, given to only one male and one female scholar-athlete in the United States each year.

Immediate Outcomes

OWU's 2017 class of zoology majors secured immediate jobs at Mount Carmel Health, Brukner Nature Center, and Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Western Australia - and grad school placements at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati College of Pharmacy, and Michigan State University School of Veterinary Medicine.

Pathway to Grad School

Zoo & Conservation Centers

Nancy McToldridge '75 is one of many OWU graduates working in zoos and animal conservation across the country. She is director of the Santa Barbara Zoo in California. "Our mission of saving wild animals in wild places is my personal passion," she says.

Veterinary Medicine

Serena George '19 was admitted to the veterinary medicine program at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. At OWU she conducted research in Tanzania, completed an internship at Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage in Zimbabwe, and studied tropical biology in Costa Rica and marine biology in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

A Look at Zoology

See All 18 Items
Horseshoe Crabs— Student-faculty research team studying horseshoe crabs in the labs at OWU.

Horseshoe Crabs

Student-faculty research team studying horseshoe crabs in the labs at OWU.
Columbus Zoo Internship— Kelly Summers '17 studied dusting behavior of elephants.

Columbus Zoo Internship

Kelly Summers '17 studied dusting behavior of elephants.
Saving Sea Turtles— Lauren Kiebler '16 and Emily Webb '16 used a Theory-to-Practice Grant to volunteer at the Sea Turtle Conservancy in Costa Rica.

Saving Sea Turtles

Lauren Kiebler '16 and Emily Webb '16 used a Theory-to-Practice Grant to volunteer at the Sea Turtle Conservancy in Costa Rica.
Gecko Research— Zoology major Madeline Miguel ’14 used a Theory-to-Practice grant to work with researchers at California State University focusing on Mediterranean House Geckos. She also attended the Joint Herpetology and Ichthyology Meeting hosted by the Society of the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.

Gecko Research

Zoology major Madeline Miguel ’14 used a Theory-to-Practice grant to work with researchers at California State University focusing on Mediterranean House Geckos. She also attended the Joint Herpetology and Ichthyology Meeting hosted by the Society of the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.
Rhino Orphanage Internship— Shannon Schlater '17 helped rhinoceros calves prepare for release into the wild.

Rhino Orphanage Internship

Shannon Schlater '17 helped rhinoceros calves prepare for release into the wild.
Connecting biology and mathematics— Biology-mathematics class studies samples they collected during a trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Connecting biology and mathematics

Biology-mathematics class studies samples they collected during a trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Cloud Forest Ecuador— Island Biology class in Ecuador and the Galapagos.

Cloud Forest Ecuador

Island Biology class in Ecuador and the Galapagos.
Biology-Math Class— Collecting samples in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Biology-Math Class

Collecting samples in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Ohio Wildlife Center Internship— Karis Lowrie '18 with a  red-tailed hawk named Naaka-Hay while interning at the Ohio Wildlife Center.

Ohio Wildlife Center Internship

Karis Lowrie '18 with a  red-tailed hawk named Naaka-Hay while interning at the Ohio Wildlife Center.
Cloud Forest in Ecuador— Island Biology Travel-Learning class in 2017.

Cloud Forest in Ecuador

Island Biology Travel-Learning class in 2017.
Travel-Learning in Costa Rica— Serena George '19 studied the behavior and activity budgets of Costa Rican basilisks.

Travel-Learning in Costa Rica

Serena George '19 studied the behavior and activity budgets of Costa Rican basilisks.

Zoology Faculty

Zoology Faculty
Quito, Ecuador— Island Biology Travel-Learning class.

Quito, Ecuador

Island Biology Travel-Learning class.

Department Contact Info

Location

Schimmel/Conrades Science Center
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, OH 43015
P 740-368-3907
F 740-368-3011
E jjseiders@owu.edu

Social Media

Facebook Visit Us

Department Contact

Chair: Amy Downing
Professor of Biological Sciences
Schimmel/Conrades Science Center 325
740-368-3890
aldownin@owu.edu

Academic Assistant: Joshua Seiders
Schimmel/Conrades Science Center 201
740-368-3907
jjseiders@owu.edu