What does being a Biological Sciences student at Chapman actually look like? We're glad you asked. Here's a quick rundown of what you'll do as a student in the program.
We see research as being invaluable to your experience as a science student. That's why unlike most schools, we let you get involved in research as early as your first year.
For your first two years in the program, you'll tackle relevant, real-world scientific challenges as part of a Grand Challenges Initiative team.
Along the way, your professors will be there to help guide you and support you in achieving your goals, whether that means earning grants or fellowships to assist with research projects, getting your scientific work published, pursuing a career in the medical professions or anything else.
Finally, as a senior, you'll synthesize all you've learned to prepare for your post-graduation path.
Our faculty are a team of passionate, committed scientists who love working with undergraduate students. You can get to know more about them and their research in the menus below.
Our faculty are all eager to have undergraduate students join their research projects. Many projects utilize the innovative facilities and equipment in the Keck Center of Science and Engineering. And with Chapman’s R2 Carnegie Classification, research opportunities will continue to expand.
Biological Sciences faculty and students have collaborated on projects such as:
Hagop Atamian
Associate Professor
atamian@chapman.edu
Dr. Atamian’s research spans two interconnected areas under the umbrella of genetics,
genomics, bioinformatics, and machine learning. One part focuses on sustainable agriculture
and uses high-throughput sequencing, molecular approaches, and field trials to investigate
how plants adapt to environmental stresses such as drought and heat, and how they
defend against pests and pathogens. The second part centers on cancer biology and
drug discovery, applying computational tools and natural product chemistry to better
understand cancer progression and design novel therapeutics targeting pathogenic diseases
in both humans and plants. Dr Atamian teaches a lecture and lab course in genetics
that explores the genetic blueprints that govern trait inheritance and the transmission
of genetic diseases.
Jean-Louis Bru
Assistant Professor; Instructional Faculty
bru@chapman.edu
Dr. Jean-Louis Bru received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine, where
he focused his research on Pseudomonas aeruginosa response to antibiotic and stress.
With his extensive background in biology and teaching, he takes a personalized approach
to elevate his students’ learning experience. His goal is to provide excellence in
teaching, emphasizing critical thinking and problem-solving skills for his students
to thrive in their academic and professional careers. He teaches courses primarily
in the fields of microbiology, immunology, cell biology, and molecular genetics. Visit
his website to learn more about him. Additionally, Dr. Bru is currently a Faculty Fellow for
the Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation, where he promotes faculty development in teaching, intuitive course design, and
strategies to enhance the learning experience for undergraduates.
Douglas Fudge
Professor
fudge@chapman.edu
Dr. Fudge’s research aims to understand the biophysics of marine animals, with a focus on processes such
as predator defense, feeding, and locomotion. Current projects aim to understand predator-prey
interactions between hagfishes and sharks, the function and biogenesis of hagfish
slime, and the development of biomimetic applications inspired by hagfish slime. He
teaches the Biology capstone course and upper division courses on animal physiology
and biomechanics. Rebecca Glineburg
Assistant Professor
glineburg@chapman.edu
Dr. Glineburg is a molecular biologist who leads the Glineburg Fly lab, where she uses Drosophila to investigate the role of cellular stress pathways in
ovarian and brain development, and their contribution to diseases such as neurodegeneration.
She loves teaches any course where she gets to discuss human genetic diseases including
Molecular Genetics, Developmental Biology, and General Genetics Lab.
Gregory Goldsmith
Associate Professor, Associate Dean of Research and Development
goldsmit@chapman.edu
Dr. Goldsmith is a plant physiological ecologist who studies the flow of water and
carbon through forest ecosystems. He has conducted research in Costa Rica, Panama,
Mexico, Peru, and Switzerland.
Kate Hill
Assistant Professor, Director of Student Success; Instructional Faculty
kathill@chapman.edu
Dr. Kate Hill is an Instructional Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences and Director
of Student Success in the Schmid College of Science and Technology. She teaches introductory
biology (BIOL 204 and BIOL 205) and upper-division Ecology courses. Her advanced lab
courses are designed as course-based undergraduate research experiences, where students
explore topics such as ecosystem tradeoffs in constructed wetlands and the ecophysiology
of native California shrubs under climate-induced heat stress. Dr. Hill is dedicated
to creating inclusive learning environments and expanding access to authentic research
experiences that foster STEM identity and student belonging. Her approach is shaped
by her early career as a middle-school science teacher with Teach For America. She
earned her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Florida State University, where she studied
the community ecology of marine sponges and their symbiotic fauna. Her fieldwork has
taken her to the Florida Keys, Panama, and Belize. Dr. Hill also holds a BAS in Biology
and Music from Stanford University, where she performed with the Harmonics a cappella
group.
Jeremy Hsu
Associate Professor
hsu@chapman.edu
Dr. Jeremy Hsu received his Ph.D. from Stanford University, where he conducted research
on the evolutionary genetics of the tuco-tuco. He now leads the Chapman Biology Education Research group, where he studies teaching and learning in biology with the goal of improving student
success across STEM. He teaches courses on molecular genetics, evolution, and more,
and also serves as the assistant director for undergraduate research and creative
activities with Chapman’s Center for Undergraduate Excellence.
Patricia C. Lopes
Associate Professor
lopes@chapman.edu
Dr. Lopes is interested in understanding the causes and consequences of animal social
behavior, with an emphasis on disease transmission. 
Christine O'Connell
Assistant Professor
coconn@chapman.edu
Dr. O’Connell is an ecosystem ecologist and global change scientist. Her research asks questions about how climate change and land use change are altering the carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles in terrestrial ecosystems, and what this means for the future of climate. She teaches various courses focused on ecology and global change.
Walter Piper
Professor
wpiper@chapman.edu
Dr. Walter Piper received his Ph.D. from UNC-Chapel Hill where he conducted field
study of the behavioral ecology of the white-throated sparrow. Since 1993, he has
led the Loon Project, a field research effort investigating the territorial behavior, breeding ecology,
and population dynamics of the common loon in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. Piper
teaches the evolution/ecology half of the introductory biology sequence and two courses
for upper-level undergrads: Ornithology and Animal Behavior. 
Melissa Rowland-Goldsmith
Professor; Instructional Faculty
rowlandg@chapman.edu
Dr. Melissa Rowland-Goldsmith earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from UC Riverside and
completed postdoctoral research at UC Irvine with an emphasis on pancreatic cancer.
She teaches molecular genetics, cancer biology, and a service-learning course where
students teach science to underserved youth. Her innovative and experiential approach
to teaching blends science communication with community engagement, inspiring students
to connect STEM with real-world impact. Many of her students credit her mentorship
and teaching style with shaping their paths to graduate and professional schools.
Kristianna Sarkan
Assistant Professor; Instructional Faculty
sarkan@chapman.edu
Dr. Kristianna Sarkan received her Ph.D. from the University of California Irvine,
where she researched the regulation of RNA processing in eukaryotic cells, specifically
alternation splicing and alternative polyadenylation. She is now an instructional
assistant professor at Chapman where she teaches introductory biology courses including
Biol 204 and Biol 208 (molecular genetics) as well as upper division courses including
Microbiology Lab and marine biology. 
Carolyn Sherff
Associate Professor, Instructional Faculty
sherff@chapman.edu
Dr. Sherff is an Associate Professor.
Gennady Verkhivker
Professor
verkhivk@chapman.edu
Dr. Gennady Verkhivker is Professor of Computational Biosciences at Schmid College
of Science & Technology, Chapman University and Professor at the Department of Biomedical
and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Chapman University School of Pharmacy. He is the
author of more than 300 peer reviewed publications and is internationally recognized
for research contributions in the fields of bioinformatics, computational biology,
drug discovery and artificial intelligence. His research group - Quantitative Biology
and Computational Intelligence (QBCI) lab (https://verkhivkerlab.chapman.edu/) focuses
broadly on computational structural biology, translational bioinformatics, network
science and artificial intelligence in biomedical sciences with the focus on application
of these approaches in virology and translational oncology research. In 2020-2024
he has been featured in the Stanford Top 2% World Scientists Rankings. Dr. Verkhivker
is an Associate Editor of Plos Computational Biology, Proteins, International Journal
of Molecular Sciences and Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences and Standing Member of
NIH Study Sections.
Lindsay Waldrop
Assistant Professor
waldrop@chapman.edu
Dr. Lindsay Waldrop received her Ph.D. in Integrative Biology from Univ. of California,
Berkeley with a focus on experimental biological fluid dynamics and completed postdoctoral
research fellowships at the Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Univ. of California,
Merced in mathematics. Her research group focuses on the evolution of fluid-structure
interactions in biological systems, including odor capture by sensory hair arrays,
detection of target odors by trained dogs, and the fluid dynamics of early heart development.
Joseph Waterton
Assistant Professor
waterton@chapman.edu
Dr. José Waterton is an instructional assistant professor of biology at Chapman specializing
in ecology and evolutionary biology. Originally from the UK, he moved to the US for
his PhD and has been here ever since, teaching and doing research in San Diego, Indiana,
and now Orange.
William Wright
Associate Professor
wwright@chapman.edu
Dr. Wright studies marine invertebrate behavior, including the behavioral ecology
of predator-prey relationships across three trophic levels (hermit crabs, rock crabs,
giant pacific octopus). He and Chapman professors, Atamian and Bisoffi, are also investigating
molecular mechanisms of territorial behavior in the owl limpet, Lottia gigantea (a
marine snail).
Susan Yang
Professor
kyang@chapman.edu
Dr. Yang's research focuses on electrophysiology, f-MRI modeling, bioinformatics, health and pollution and computational and experimental biology neuroscience.
Cassandra Zalman
Associate Professor, Director of Academic Programs; Instructional Faculty
medvedef@chapman.edu
Dr. Zalman's research interests include understanding mechanistic regulators and interactive controls on anaerobic microbial decomposition in wetland ecosystem.
Internships are a great way to earn college credit and money while gaining research experience in a professional environment.
At Chapman, you'll be able to tap into our network of local hospitals, medical companies, environmental organizations and much more to find internships that will help you during your college career and beyond. You'll even have a dedicated career advisor and plenty of resources to help you out along the way.
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Take your passion for science abroad in one of our many study abroad programs. We'll work closely with you to find one that aligns with your schedule and goals so that you can go abroad and still graduate on time. Our programs range from a full year living and studying abroad to international internships over summer/winter break, and everything in between.
Joining a Schmid student club or organization is a great way to build your skills and meet new people, and at Chapman, you'll have hundreds of clubs and organizations to choose from. Join a community of fellow aspiring scientists in organizations like:
Interested in taking the next step? Learn how to apply or check out our transfer prerequisites.
Want to see all that Chapman has to offer? Join us for a tour of campus or explore our Keck Center for Science and Engineering.
You can explore all of Chapman’s undergraduate majors and minors with our program finder.
The Keck Center is the home of Schmid College and where you will take classes, research and collaborate.
Want to earn a master's degree in just one additional year on top of your bachelor's degree? Check out our accelerated science programs.
