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Biology Department Overview


WKU Biology

snell hall

Department Head: Dr. Michael Smith 

The Department of Biology is comprised of 26 regular faculty and academic professionals, approximately 60 full-time/parttime M. S. students and 800 undergraduate majors. The department is home to the Center for Biodiversity Studies, BISC (Informatics) Center and Biotechnology Center, integral parts of Western's Applied Research and Technology Program (ARTP). In 1998, the ARTP was recognized as a Program of Distinction by the state Council on Postsecondary Education. The Department of Biology has cooperative research agreements in place with the National Park Service, NSF, USDA, EPA, and participates in the NIH-sponsored Kentucky Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network/KINBRE and SKyTeach.

The department owns or manages 1,300 acres of land to establish the Western Kentucky University Upper Green River Biological Preserve. In addition, the department owns a 43 acre farm on the outskirts of Bowling Green (approximately 20 min. from campus). Both of these properties are used for class field trips and research activities by members of the department.

The Biology Department has moved its research labs and some teaching labs into the, $20-million Research and Teaching facilty, Complex for Engineering and Biological Sciences and Snell Hall (above) provides additional modern classroom and instructional lab space.

Where are we: Biology Department: 1906 College Heights Blvd., #11080 Bowling Green, Ky. 42101-1080. Phone; (270) 745-3696; Fax; (270) 745-6856. Email; biology@wku.edu

Western Kentucky University is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, a city with a population of 50,000, and located approximately 110 miles south of Louisville and 65 miles north of Nashville, Tennessee. U.S. Highway 31-W and Interstate 65 intersect with U.S. Highways 68 and 231 at Bowling Green, and the Cumberland and William H. Natcher parkways provide additional easy highway access to Bowling Green. WKU has an undergraduate population of over 18,000 students and is the fastest growing university in the commonwealth.



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 Last Modified 4/15/22