What can I do with a Biology Degree from Hiram College?
Download the Biology program description in Adobe PDF format.
Anything and everything! In addition to pursuing advanced degrees in the Life Sciences, Hiram grads work in government, research, education and big business. Here's what some recent grads are doing since leaving the College.
Sarah Douglas '93
"I might be able to be a resource for biology students that weren't sure what they could do with a Biology degree outside of going to grad school in a basic field of study. I know that I wasn't really sure what to do after graduation, but somehow found my way. . . .
After my degree at Hiram I worked at Case for a while, trying to decide just what to study in grad school. I finally found this great discipline called Food Science and finished my master's degree at Cornell in 1997. What amazed me was that because of the combo of my degree at Hiram --the science core and the liberal arts -- and the 2 years of work experience I had, I was accepted at every school I applied to and was able to get really good funding. My grad advisor, Kathryn Boor, is an amazing woman and scientist (hmmm, I see a pattern here!) and has been recognized as one of the key young researchers in her field. Her lab does a lot of work with food safety, on a molecular level and on food spoilage on a microbial and molecular level. I was one of her first students and the work that I did was the starting point for a whole line of research for the lab. Some of the undergraduates that worked for me, stayed on in the lab and did their graduate degrees, building on the work we were doing for my thesis.
I can't tell you how much I connect with being a Food Scientist. All the great science, in such a practical way. I couldn't have found an area of science that is more fascinating. Plus, it is a career field with a lot of options for someone with a master's degree. I have been working in my field for about 6 years now, focusing on product development. I spent the first five at M&M Mars in N.J. doing product development on the Starburst and Skittles product lines. In the end, I was the core scientist responsible for new development and maintenance of products worth $300 million dollars in product sales. My family got bragging rights that I created the new flavors for Starburst and "invented" Mint Skittles! I've traveled all over the world and have gotten some great exposure to business, engineering and processing of comsumer goods.
After 5 years with Mars, it was time to try some new challenges. For the past year, I have been the product development manager for Godiva Chocolatier (in PA). A completely different world, but one that is still very exciting. I'm a manager now, so my job is that great mix of strategic and functional. It is definitely a skill to know how to balance both! Working for a much smaller company and with premium chocolate is amazing. One of my great joys is that I create products that make people happy -- and I can use them to show how science touches everyone's life, everyday. Being such a science nerd, I sometimes just shake my head in amazement that people don't know that much about the science happening right in their world. Don't they know that is what makes life so interesting?"
Jodi Creasap `00
Recipient of 2002 Toepfer Scholarship
Hiram alumna, Class of 2000, will be going to Germany this summer with a scholarship from the Toepfer scholarship awarded by the Alexander von Humbolt award for Agriculture, a German foundation. She'll be working at the University of Technology in Darmstadt, near Frankfurt. The lab in which she'll be working studies Agrobacterium tumefaciens (closely related to A. vitis, the grape plant pathogen she's been studying), and she'll be using some of their techniques to help determine which cells in grape woody tissue are susceptible to transformation by A. vitis.
Kathleen Lacasse ‘01
Entered PhD Program in Ecology at the University of Minnesota Fall 2001
"Hiram's biology program gave me a very broad background as well as ample hands-on experience. The study abroad classes in New Zealand and Costa Rica were eye-opening and inspiring. Looking
back, I am amazed at how much I learned and how much I changed during my four years at Hiram!"
Bryan Swindell '01
Bureau of Land Management, Idaho
Bryan landed a field assistant position for the Bureau of Land Management, Upper Snake River District in South Central Idaho. "I used the skills I acquired at Hiram, GIS/GPS for mapping "fuel loads" for land management and wildlife management."
Richard Blatchford '01 Psychobiology
International Crane Foundation
Aaron Harnar '01 Biochemistry
Developed the "Harnar Process" to produce biodisel fuel simply and cost effectively
Aaron developed this process while working on an independent research project in his senior year at Hiram. He was originally studying the biochemistry of ethanol. "I have always been interested in the idea of biofuel," he said, "and couldn't figure out why ethanol couldn't be produced in a more cost efficient way. I didn't really know too much about biodiesel when I started this. I was looking for a clue to producing cheaper ethanol." Aaron was invited to the Farm Bureau national convention in Reno, NV to showcase his idea. To find out more about the process, contact Aaron at harnarar@excite.com.
Chris Moeller '95 Field Biology
Firefighting Specialist based in Arizona
Chris spends "forest fire" season battling blazes in Arizona, Utah, California and South Carolina. In the "off" seasons, he cycles around the country, teaches scuba in Guatemala and white water rafting in West Virginia and Costa Rica. He received his Masters degree from the University of Alabama @ Birmingham after he spent two field seasons under the ice in Antarctica. His advice to wanna-be biologists? "Sit in the woods for a few days and realize how boring it is. If you still love it, you're field biologist material."
Danielle Rastetter '94 Biology
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, 1998, Ohio State University
"My life has take turns I dreamed of at Hiram College and some that I never even foresaw. One reason I chose Hiram was because of its graduate’s high acceptance rate into veterinary medicine. In 1998, I earned my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree from the Ohio State University. Many people helped me achieve that dream – family, friends from both high school and Hiram College, and the faculty of Hiram College. It was actually difficult making a transition to such a focused program of study as veterinary medicine after the liberal arts curriculum of Hiram College. I missed delving into side interests, as I was able to at Hiram College.
While I am passionate about veterinary medicine, I have also found another passion. Hiram College fosters a desire to look beyond one’s own world, to help others, to create order in a world of chaos, to educate, and to take action. I put those principles to work in 1997 when I created a listserver, Network for Overcoming Increased Silence Effectively (NOISE) that allows medical professionals with hearing losses to communicate in a way not previously available. We share our solutions, our problems, our joys, and our tears. NOISE led to contacts that eventually established a non-profit organization in the year 2000, the Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses (www.amphl.org). AMPHL had its inaugural conference in June 2001, which was huge success with over 70 attendees. We are in the midst of planning AMPHL’s second conference in Dayton, Ohio for July 2002.
Hiram College holds a special place in my memories. It’s hard to believe my college graduation was eight years ago. So many memories bring a smile to my face – studying in Booth/Centennial Lounge and talking to passer-bys, challenging classes that widened my vision, visiting friends, Phi Gam and Phi Beta parties, the faculty, and the satisfaction of learning. I know my education was superior and I want the same for my son, Tamir. I have to thank the faculty and friends who contributed to such a good experience and to establishing the lessons of life and learning which helped me achieve so much in my life. These lessons will help me guide my son and thus create a better world for him."
Mary Garvin '84 Biology
Assistant Professor of Biology, Oberlin College. Chair, Oberlin Mosquito-Control Project
"From the time I was little, I collected insects. I remember my grandmother scolding me for playing with bugs... At Hiram, I played with bugs and look where it led!"
Willa Schrlau '78 Biology
Laboratory Instructor, Hiram College
Willa began teaching at Hiram in 1999. In addition to teaching labs for our introductory Biology sequence, Willa is also an adjunct faculty member in the Weekend College Biology Program.