Northwestern’s biology department includes an environmental scientist who holds a doctorate in ecology and marine biology, as well as a zoologist who studies birds, ants and prairie restoration.

Opened in 2019 for $24 million, the DeWitt Family Science Center is as impressive as Northwestern’s science programs. In addition to biology labs on the main and second floors, the center also houses five research labs, a confocal microscope, a mass spectrometer, and a DNA sequencer. Northwestern also has one of the largest herbariums in Iowa.

Northwestern owns a 21-acre tallgrass prairie where students study plant pollination, streams and prairie ecosystems. A four-acre forest near campus is the setting for research exploring forest succession, predators and ground nests, invasive species, territoriality, and habitat preferences. Students also do research at local wetlands and a large prairie restoration site.

Outside of class, you can work with biology professors as a Junior Scholar or summer research assistant, earning a stipend and presenting research findings at regional and national conferences.

For a fresh perspective on caring for the environment, you can participate in the Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies, a Christian program with campuses in northern Michigan, the Pacific Northwest, India and Costa Rica that is designed to inspire and educate students to serve, protect and restore God’s earth.

The Creation Care Study Program helps students connect their Christian faith with complex, urgent global issues. Students in the semester-long program take courses in theology, tropical ecology and sustainable development while exploring rainforests, mountain streams and coral reefs. Campuses are in Belize and New Zealand.