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Department of Zoology


College of Science
Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Illinois



Detailed Information

Program of Study


The Department of Zoology’s Ph.D. program has been a major contributor to Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s (SIUC’s) classification by the Carnegie Foundation as a Research University with high research activity (RU/H) and is one of SIUC’s top programs. Zoology faculty members have established research programs in the broad areas of environmental biology (biodiversity studies, conservation biology, wildlife ecology, fisheries biology, terrestrial and aquatic ecology, toxicology, and large-river ecology) and evolutionary genetics (population genetics, molecular systematics, molecular evolution, and conservation genetics). These programs range in scope from assessing the stability of local ecosystems and their impact on the regional economy to international collaborative efforts on basic and applied research problems. Many faculty members have ongoing collaborations with international scientists or have performed research abroad, with most of such efforts focusing on the Caribbean, South America, Australia, Africa, and Europe. There is a close affiliation between the Department of Zoology, the Fisheries and Illinois Aquaculture Center, the Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, and the Center for Ecology. The zoology Ph.D. program emphasizes original research by students under the mentorship of graduate faculty members and advanced course work in the area of specialization.

Research Facilities


The Department has well-equipped laboratories for environmental and molecular research in the Life Science II and III buildings, the Fisheries Wet Lab, and the Wildlife Annex. Zoology and related units also have extensive infrastructure for field research in terrestrial and aquatic habitats. A variety of specimen collections are available, including mammals (1,500 specimens), birds (3,000 specimens), fish (250,000 specimens), reptiles and amphibians (10,000 specimens), parasites (1,000 specimens), insects (200,000 specimens), arachnids (125,000 specimens), and other invertebrates (200,000 specimens). Related botanical collections include vascular plants (150,000 specimens) and bryophytes (30,000 specimens). The southern Illinois region is extremely diverse and offers a natural outdoor laboratory. Many species of plants and animals are endemic to the region, which also represents the intersection of distinct biotic provinces to the north, south, east, and west. Natural areas such as the Shawnee National Forest (more than 800,000 acres), the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, numerous state parks, nature reserves, and smaller lakes and rivers provide diverse research opportunities within a short distance of campus. The Department and the College of Science maintain up-to-date computer facilities for graduate student use. SIUC’s Morris Library is rated among the top 100 research libraries in the U.S. by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Financial Aid


Stipends for graduate students are available in the form of fellowships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships. Fellowship recipients are nominated by the Department and selected on the basis of academic merit in a University-wide competition each year. Teaching assistantships are assigned by the Department; research assistants are chosen by individual faculty members or programs with funding available. All assistantship assignments of quarter-time or greater carry a tuition waiver. Most active students in the Department are supported by one of these stipends.

Cost of Study


In-state graduate tuition is $328 per credit hour in 2009–10. Out-of-state tuition is 2.5 times the in-state tuition rate ($820 per credit hour). Graduate students with at least a 25 percent appointment as a graduate assistant receive a tuition scholarship. Fees vary from $589.03 (1 credit hour) to $1557.50 (12 credit hours). Students with a graduate assistantship receive a 50 percent reduction in the primary care medical fee. New graduate students from Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee qualify for the alternate tuition rate, which is equivalent to the in-state graduate tuition rate.

Living and Housing Costs


For married couples, students with families, and single graduate students, the University has 690 efficiency and one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom apartments that rent for $499 to $720 per month in 2009–10. Residence halls for single graduate students are also available, as are accessible residence hall rooms and apartments for students with disabilities.

Location


SIUC is 350 miles south of Chicago and 100 miles southeast of St. Louis. Nestled in rolling hills bordered by the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and enhanced by a mild climate, the area has state parks, national forests and wildlife refuges, and large lakes for outdoor recreation. Cultural offerings include theater, opera, concerts, art exhibits, and cinema. Educational facilities for the families of students are excellent.

The University and The Department


Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a comprehensive public university with a variety of general and professional education programs. The University offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, as well as the J.D. and M.D. degrees. The University is fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The Graduate School has an essential role in the development and coordination of graduate instruction and research programs. The Graduate Council has academic responsibility for determining graduate standards, recommending new graduate programs and research centers, and establishing policies to facilitate the research effort. SIUC is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a Research University with high research activity. The graduate education experience in the Department is enriched by activities associated with various student organizations, such as the Zoology Club, Zoology Graduate Student Association (ZGSA), Student Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, and Student Chapter of the Wildlife Society. In conjunction with the ZGSA, the Department sponsors an excellent seminar series each semester, featuring presentations and discussions by visiting scientists from across the country.

Applying


Application forms are available online. Each application must include the completed Graduate School application form, the completed Departmental application form, three letters of recommendation, original transcripts of all previous academic work, and official scores for the Graduate Record Examinations. Additional materials are required for international applicants. Applications are considered for fall, spring, and summer admissions, though most new graduate students are admitted in the fall. Fellowship competitions take place in the early spring for fall admissions, so students wishing to be nominated for fellowships should have complete applications on file by December 1. Successful applicants for admission to the Ph.D. program ordinarily have an undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.8 (on a 4.0 scale).

The Faculty and Their Research


  • Frank E. Anderson, Associate Professor; Ph.D., California, Santa Cruz, 1999. Invertebrates; molecular systematics; molecular evolution.
  • Terence R. Anthony, Associate Professor Emeritus; M.D., 1968, Ph.D., 1975, Chicago.
  • Joseph A. Beatty, Associate Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Harvard, 1969.
  • Ronald A. Brandon, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Illinois, 1962.
  • Marjorie Brooks, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Wyoming, 2003. Limnology.
  • Brooks M. Burr, Professor; Ph.D., Illinois, 1977. Ichthyology.
  • Michael Eichholz, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Alaska, 1998. Waterfowl/wetland ecology.
  • DuWayne C. Englert, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Purdue, 1964.
  • George A. Feldhamer, Professor; Ph.D., Oregon State, 1977. Mammalogy; wildlife ecology.
  • James Garvey, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Ohio State, 1997. Fisheries biology.
  • Richard S. Halbrook, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Virginia Tech, 1990. Wildlife toxicology.
  • Roy C. Heidinger, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Southern Illinois at Carbondale, 1970.
  • Edward J. Heist, Associate Professor; Ph.D., William and Mary, 1998. Population genetics; conversation genetics; fishery management.
  • Eric C. Hellgren, Professor; Ph.D., Virginia Tech, 1988. Wildlife ecology.
  • Kamal Ibrahim, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Cambridge, 1989. Population genetics.
  • F. Agustin Jiménez, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Nebraska, 2004. Parasitology.
  • David G. King, Associate Professor; Ph.D., California, San Diego, 1975. Invertebrate neurobiology; evolution.
  • Christopher C. Kohler, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Virginia Tech, 1980.
  • Carey Krajewski, Professor and Director, Graduate Studies; Ph.D., Wisconsin–Madison, 1988. Vertebrate molecular systematics.
  • Eugene A. LeFebvre, Associate Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Minnesota, 1962.
  • William M. Lewis, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Iowa State, 1949.
  • James R. Lovvorn, Professor; Ph.D., Wisconsin–Madison, 1987. Waterbird ecology and energetics; food webs of marine and fresh waters.
  • Michael J. Lydy, Professor; Ph.D., Ohio State, 2001. Aquatic toxicology.
  • John E. McPherson Jr., Professor; Ph.D., Michigan State, 1968. Entomology; insect ecology.
  • William L. Muhlach, Associate Professor and Chair; Ph.D., Illinois at Chicago, 1986. Developmental biology.
  • John Reeve, Associate Professor; Ph.D., California, Santa Barbara, 1985. Quantitative ecology.
  • Eric Schauber, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Connecticut, 2000. Wildlife ecology.
  • Benjamin A. Shepherd, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Kansas State, 1970.
  • Donald W. Sparling, Associate Professor; Ph.D., North Dakota, 1979. Wildlife ecology.
  • John B. Stahl, Associate Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Indiana, 1958.
  • Richard H. Thomas, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Arizona, 1985. Molecular evolution.
  • Jesse Trushenski, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Southern Illinois Carbondale, 2006. Fish physiology and aquaculture.
  • George H. Waring, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Colorado State, 1966.
  • Matt R. Whiles, Professor; Ph.D., Georgia, 1995. Stream ecology; freshwater invertebrates; entomology.
  • Gregory Whitledge, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Missouri, 2001. Fish ecology and management.

Correspondence and Information


Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Zoology, Mailcode 6501
Carbondale, Illinois 62901
Telephone: 618-453-4110
Email: jrains@zoology.siu.edu
World Wide Web: http://www.siu.edu/gradschl (Graduate School)