December 11, 2023
Reagan Lewis, a McDermott, Ohio native, has experienced her major of Organismal Biology firsthand in the field. When starting college, Lewis was not sure what route she wanted to take in her education. Now in her sophomore year, she ended up picking the Biology program because of her long interest in science and nature.
“Now that I’m halfway through my sophomore year, I’m feeling more confident that this major is the one for me,” she said. “I’m still not sure what career path I’m going to choose, but I’m getting a better idea of what careers are out there for Bio majors.”
This past summer Lewis was given an opportunity to travel to Costa Rica for a field Biology course. Visiting the Caño Palma Biological Research Station, she traveled with Dr. Sarah Ivers and other students in her program.
“While we were there, we got to participate in the conservation work the station does,” she said. “We got to go on field surveys for different animals and we would record if we saw an animal or evidence the animal had been in the area.”
Lewis and the other SSU students were also able to take part in research over the marine turtles the Station observes. In the mornings they looked for turtle nests and at night they searched the beach for actively nesting turtles.
A member of the SSU volleyball team, Lewis originally chose to attend SSU because it was close to home. Enjoying her major, she’s grateful to see where her program has taken her so far.
SSU’s Organismal Biology program provides students with sufficient depth and diversity of study in the biological sciences to be optimally prepared for successful pursuit of opportunities – including in professional, medical, and graduate school or for immediate entry into the scientific workforce. The degree is designed for students interested in a broad intellectual foundation in life science, while also allowing the student to pursue courses in particular areas of biology they have interest.
To learn more about the Organismal Biology degree at Shawnee State University, visit shawnee.edu/biology.