Detailed Information
Programs of Study
The ecology and marine biology section of the Department of Biological Sciences offers programs leading to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy. Programs focus on the applied and theoretical biology of the organism and its relationship to its environment. Areas of study and research include marine biology, aquaculture, conservation, climate change, community ecology and paleobiology, physiological ecology, life history analysis, taxonomy, habitat management, and population biology.
The programs consist of fundamental studies in the biological sciences, with emphasis on individual research under the supervision of graduate faculty members. Individual programs of study are designed by the student in consultation with a committee of faculty members. Courses include those that contribute to the professional and scientific development of the student, those that correct deficiencies in the student’s undergraduate preparation, and those required by the Department. Seminars by visiting scientists and close contact with faculty members prepare the student for an active program of independent research. Students are encouraged to pursue interdisciplinary studies, providing them with a competitive edge in career development. Advisory committees are tailored to individual needs.
Research Facilities
Florida Tech is located in east-central Florida, an area with many opportunities for field research. There is a wide array of ecosystems available, ranging from temperate salt marshes to subtropical upland forests to the estuarine Indian River Lagoon. Opportunities exist for fieldwork throughout the Americas and in Antarctica, the Caribbean, and the Indo-Pacific.
Facilities include two new buildings on the Melbourne campus and the Vero Beach Marine Laboratory, located on a barrier island within an hour’s drive. Common labs include aquaculture facilities; a museum; an imaging center with electron and confocal microscopes; and an instrumentation lab for spectroscopy and chromatography, biochemistry, and molecular genetics. The Department is home to the Sportfish Research Institute and the Institute for Adaptation to Global Climate Change.
Financial Aid
Graduate teaching and research assistantships are available to qualified students. For 2009–10, stipends range from $7600 to $12,500 for nine months, plus tuition remission (see below). Computer-based information on scholarships, loan funds, and other student assistance may be obtained from the Financial Aid Office. A limited number of assistantships providing tuition remission only are also available.
Cost of Study
The 2009–10 tuition is $1015 per semester credit hour. Tuition is remitted for graduate assistants.
Living and Housing Costs
Room and board on campus cost approximately $4500 per semester in 2009–10. On-campus housing (dormitories and apartments) is available for full-time single and married graduate students, but priority for dormitory rooms is given to undergraduate students. Many apartment complexes and rental houses are available near the campus.
Student Group
The Department currently has 65 graduate students enrolled from colleges throughout the United States. Approximately half of the graduate students are women, and approximately one fourth are married. Most graduate students receive financial support.
Student Outcomes
Many graduates of the Department of Biological Sciences hold academic positions at colleges and universities. Others are employed by government agencies, industry, and consulting firms.
Location
Florida Tech’s main campus is located in Melbourne on Florida’s east coast. The area’s economy is supported by a well-balanced mix of industries in electronics, aviation, light manufacturing, opticals, communications, agriculture, and tourism. The John F. Kennedy Space Center and Disney World are within a 90-minute drive of the campus.
The Institute
Florida Tech was founded in 1958 and has developed rapidly into a university providing both undergraduate and graduate education in the sciences and engineering for students from throughout the U.S. and internationally. Current enrollment on the Melbourne campus is 4,000. Florida Tech also offers graduate programs in applied mathematics, cell and molecular biology, chemical engineering, chemistry, civil engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, ocean engineering, oceanography, operations research, physics, science education, space sciences, and systems engineering.
Applying
Information and application forms are available from the Graduate Admissions Office. Applicants must take the Graduate Record Examinations (General Test) and have the scores sent to the Graduate Admissions Office. Separate application for financial aid must be made on forms available from the Department or the Graduate School and must be submitted to the Department by March 1.
The Faculty and Their Research
- Richard B. Aronson, Professor and Head of Department; Ph.D., Harvard, 1985. Coral reef ecology and paleoecology; paleobiology of marine communities in Antarctica; climate change and biological invasions; marine protected areas; salt marsh restoration.
- Mark B. Bush, Professor; Ph.D., Hull (England), 1986. Conservation biology; restoration and creation of coastal wetlands; paleoecology; refuge design and management.
- Junda Lin, Professor; Ph.D., North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1989. Molluscan and crustacean aquaculture; marine population and community ecology.
- Christin L. Pruett; Ph.D., Alaska Fairbanks, 2002. Evolutionary ecology of terrestrial vertebrates; population genetics, speciation, and biodiversity of birds; effects of climate change and habitat fragmentation.
- Jonathan M. Shenker, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Oregon State, 1986. Finfish aquaculture; larval and juvenile fish biology; ecology and management of recreational fishery species; coastal ecosystems.
- Richard A. Tankersley, Professor; Ph.D., Wake Forest, 1992. Behavioral processes controlling the distribution, transport, and reproduction of marine organisms.
- Ralph G. Turingan, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Puerto Rico, 1993. Environmental biology of fishes; vertebrate functional morphology; evolution of design in vertebrates.
- Richard L. Turner, Associate Professor; Ph.D., South Florida, 1977. Echinoderm biology; reproduction and ecology of the Florida applesnail; physiological ecology of crustaceans.
- Robert van Woesik, Professor; Ph.D., James Cook (Australia), 1993. Population and community ecology of corals; quantitative ecology; management of coral reefs.
- Associated Graduate Faculty
- M. Dennis Hanisak, Director, Division of Marine Science, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution; Ph.D., Rhode Island, 1977. Marine botany; physiological ecology of marine plants; biology of deep-water macroalgae; nutrient dynamics; coral reef ecology; aquaculture, particularly marine plant cultivation.
- Jose V. Lopez, Assistant Scientist, Division of Biomedical Research, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution; Ph.D., George Mason, 1995. Molecular evolution; conservation and biodiversity of marine invertebrates and their microbial associates.
- Richard Paperno, Research Administrator I, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Marine Research Institute; Ph.D., Delaware, 1991.
- Dolores R. Piperno, Research Scientist and Curator, Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C.; Ph.D., Temple, 1983.
- Marty A. Riche, Research Fishery Biologist, USDA; Ph.D., Michigan State, 2000. Sustainable marine aquaculture technologies; spawning, nutrition, and physiology of southern flounder and black sea bass.
- Hilary M. Swain, Executive Director, Archbold Biological Station, Lake Placid, Florida; Ph.D., Newcastle, 1981. Conservation biology; Florida ecosystems; geographic information systems (GIS); biodiversity; agroecology; restoration ecology.
Correspondence and Information
Florida Institute of Technology
Graduate Admissions Office
150 West University Boulevard
Melbourne, Florida 32901
Telephone:
321-674-8027
800-944-4348 (toll-free in the U.S.)
Fax:
321-723-9468
Email:
grad-admissions@fit.edu
Florida Institute of Technology
Dr. Richard B. Aronson, Head
Department of Biological Sciences
150 West University Boulevard
Melbourne, Florida 32901
Telephone:
321-674-8034
Email:
raronson@fit.edu
