Research

Student Research

Undergraduates and Master’s students in the Biological Sciences have the opportunity to participate in research with faculty in a variety of disciplines, ranging from field ecology and management of natural resources to molecular biology and biotechnology in both terrestrial and aquatic organisms. Students can become involved in exciting research projects funded by local and Federal agencies respectively.

Participation in hands-on research can be the most exciting and rewarding part of a student’s education and training as a scientist. In addition, involvement in research allows students to identify their interests and gain valuable experience for their future careers or entry into to graduate or medical programs. In keeping with the learn-by-doing mission of Cal Poly, undergraduate participation in research and a senior project are required for graduation by the College of Science and Mathematics at Cal Poly.

Potential faculty advisors and their research interests are identified in the Faculty Research section (below).  Potential students should first examine the attached list to identify an area of interest, then visit the individual faculty websites and contact the faculty directly for more information.

The Department of Biological Sciences provides small amount of money to each undergraduate and Masters student to cover costs of projects and travel to scientific meetings.  Additional support for research may be identified on specific faculty websites.  In addition, the Department of Biological Sciences has equipment and facilities specifically dedicated to student research including the Center for Coastal Marine Sciences Pier facility, the Environmental Biotechnology Institute, and the Undergraduate Biotechnology Laboratory as well as other field sites used regularly by larger ecological projects (See Research Institutes below).

Faculty Research

Information on Faculty research can be accessed by viewing faculty profiles

Research Institutes

Center for Coastal Marine Science (CCMS)
The Center for Coastal Marine Science at Cal Poly promotes and facilitates basic and applied studies of coastal marine systems for the purpose of addressing environmental concerns and fostering hands on learning through discovery and outreach. The CCMS provides the only marine laboratory facility along 320 km of some of the nation's least impacted coastline from Santa Barbara to Monterey, an area that offers a wide diversity of marine habitats (rocky intertidal, sandy coastline, estuarine communities, kelp forest communities) in close (<1 km) proximity to each other and the CCMS pier facility. The CCMS marine laboratory transects both rocky and sandy inter- and subtidal habitats. At the base of the pier facility there is rocky intertidal community with a kelp forest extending 200m offshore. The facility is also near the San Luis Obispo Creek outlet and is an ideal location to examine the effects of seasonal rainfall runoff events on these coastal habitats. Please visit the CCMS web page for a more detailed description of the research and educational activities of the faculty, staff, and students of Cal Poly's Center for Coastal Marine Science.

Environmental Biotechnology Institute (EBI)
EBI is developing biological tools to address environmental concerns through collaborative interdisciplinary research and education. The goal is to assess the well-being of ecosystems, transform pollutants into benign substances, generate biodegradable substances from renewable resources and develop environmentally safe manufacturing and disposal processes.

Undergraduate Biotechnology Laboratory (UBL)
Co-funded by Cal Poly and the National Science Foundation, UBL under the direction of Dr. Michael Black provides undergraduates with hands-on experience with biotechnology.

Research Affiliations

Monarch Alert: a study of fall migration patterns, wintering activity, and spring dispersal by monarch butterflies in western North America conducted by the Ventana Wildlife Society, a community-based, private non-profit organization committed to conserving native wildlife and their habitats. VWS has been monitoring monarch butterflies since 2001 and coordinates the Monterey County winter count and tagging program.