Ames, Iowa
October 12, 2005
Mark Goering has always had a fascination with vaccines and
helping people but the white lab coat he wants to wear
probably won't say "M.D." Goering is a freshman at
Iowa State University,
majoring in biology in the College of Agriculture.
Raised on an acreage near Agency, his career path is set for
agriculture research. "By taking agriculture biology, I may
be creating hybrid plants or vaccines for plants or animals.
I am actually considering getting a Ph.D.," he said.
Biology is the newest major offered by the College of
Agriculture. With the long-time biology program in the
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the addition of the
College of Agriculture program brings the total to more than
400 students. The College of Agriculture major has 36
students, including Goering, in its first semester. The new
major is one result of a reorganization of biological
science programs at Iowa State.
"For students, the agriculture biology major can open up
lots of career opportunities as well as graduate school
options," said David Acker, associate dean for academic and
global programs. "Agriculture, as we know it today, is not
one discipline. It is composed of a wide variety of
disciplines all of which work together to improve the lives
and livelihoods of our people and communities."
"When students examine the biology major from the outside,
we want them to see a single, seamless program supported by
two colleges and guided by one highly competent team of
instructors and advisers," Acker said. "The College of
Agriculture's strength is that we are composed of over 20
majors that deal with everything from the life sciences to
production agriculture and many areas in between."
Biology program coordinator Jim Colbert said the new
academic major benefits students because those previously
interested in College of Agriculture scholarships or careers
didn't have the option of majoring in biology.
"This is going to provide some wonderful opportunities and
is hopefully a way to increase the total number of biology
majors," Colbert said. He added that five of the hottest
jobs today for biology majors include biological
journalists, biodiversity specialists, ethno-botanists,
biomedical engineers and bioinformatics specialists.
Kelsi Jurik, a freshman from Ames, is one of the new biology
recruits to join the College of Agriculture. Jurik is
interested in agronomy as a second major.
"I really enjoyed my agriculture classes in high school,"
she said. Before enrolling at Iowa State she looked forward
to a research career at a large agriculture company, but now
she's leaning toward organic crop research. Jurik is a
member of the Biological Sciences Club, a cross-college
organization.
Kate Wiegert is a junior from Iowa City in the College of
Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) biology major, but her
career may lead her down the path to agriculture. "I decided
I'd like to work on the human side of things when I realized
how much of a need there is for international medical help,"
Wiegert said. She is earning a Spanish minor in hopes of
working with Spanish-speaking migrant farm workers.
The only academic difference between ag majors like Jurik
and Goering and LAS majors like Wiegert is the general
education requirements they must meet to graduate.
Agriculture majors are required to take an ethics course and
LAS students need to take a foreign language. "The biology
courses, supporting courses and the number of required upper
level courses are the same," Colbert said.
Jessica Wood of Geneva, a biology major in the College of
Agriculture who recently transferred from Ellsworth
Community College, plans to major in veterinary medicine.
"Biology gives me a large variety of classes to choose from.
The entire biological world fascinates me. The biology major
enables me to get the diversity I was looking for in my
classes," Wood said.
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