Faculty Research

Teaching and learning biology

Our world-class professors don’t exclusively teach biology, they practice it. They study the complexities of life on Earth, from predator-prey relationships to identifying cancer-fighting compounds and enzymes that treat celiac disease. And they welcome students to participate in this groundbreaking research, giving hands-on learning experiences unmatched by any lecture. 

Mentoring student researchers

After students interested in biology research identify an area of interest and contact the professor who is conducting research on that topic, the student is usually welcomed into the lab. Undergraduate students often coauthor presentations and publications in scientific journals with their professors. 

Wide-ranging research

The Piney Woods region in east Texas is among the most diverse ecosystems in the nation, and our professors take advantage of SFA’s incredible setting to explore broad research interests. Here are a few of the arenas in which you’ll find our faculty members researching:

• Conservation of amphibians
• Behavior of bees and wasps
• Identifying eco-friendly biopesticides
• Physiological and ecological adaptations of plants to stress
• Natural products that inhibit viral infections
• Changing dynamics of sexual selection