Interested in the biological and life sciences?? If so, the BSC is for you!
Meetings are every other week, beginning the second week of the semester, in Bessey Hall room 2226 on Wednesdays from 7:00-8:00 p.m. Meeting information can be found in weekly emails to biology undergrads, flyers in Bessey Hall, and on the @isu.bsc Instagram page. Regular meetings typically involve a presentation by a guest regarding a biologically significant topic by faculty, staff, and graduate students. Additionally, socials will allow members to build connections with peers and mentors.
One of the Biological Sciences Club's main focuses is to guide undergraduate students through topics and courses in biology so that undergraduates can prepare themselves for a successful career in the sciences. Topics covering most fields in biology are presented throughout the semester so that students can explore different future research and development opportunities. Oftentimes, student panels are held where underclassmen can ask upper-level students about getting involved in opportunities on campus, such as for research.
Additionally, the Biological Sciences Club offers opportunities for field trips and volunteering. Past field trips have included hikes across some of Iowa's State Parks and zoos in Iowa and Nebraska; BSC's foremost volunteering opportunity is a food packaging drive for Meals from the Heartland during the fall semester.
Club Leadership Opportunities
BSC still has great leadership opportunities available! Consider running or volunteering for a leadership position:
President: Taylor Grasz (tgrasz@iastate.edu)
Vice President: Merit Williams (meritwil@iastate.edu)
Treasure: Mac Feldmann (@iastate.edu)
Secretary: Dylan Luong (luongdyl@iastate.edu)
Fundraising Chair: Peyton Bowers (pbowers@iastate.edu) and Sydney Gasser (sgasser1@iastate.edu)
Social Outreach Chair: Makayla Haugen (mhaugen@iastate.edu)
Creative Director: Caleb Shafer (caleb214@iastate.edu)
LAS Representatives: positions open
CALS Representative: Jacob Wilson (willsonj@iastate.edu)
Recycling chair: John Moellers (johnmoel@iastate.edu)
Check out some of our activities at Instagram: isu.bsc
BSC Meeting Schedule for Spring 2025 (Meetings held on Wednesday's in Bessey 2226 at 7:00 PM)
| Date | Speaker | Presentation |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 29 | Welcome Back Everyone! Speaker: Prof Dean Adams | Understanding How Morphological Diversity Evolves |
| Feb12 | Special activity!!! | We will be doing a social meeting in collaboration with the Letters of Love club to create some 'letters of love' that will be sent to children battling serious illnesses. For more information on the general organization, you can visit this link: https://www.lettersofloveglobal.com/ |
| Feb 26 | Dr Gwyn Beattie (PPEM) | Exploring the roles of climate and plant-insect-bacteria interactions in emerging plant diseases |
| Mar 12 | Dr. Jennifer Schieltz (NREM) | From Kenya to Montana and everywhere in between: my journey so far as a field ecologist |
| Mar 26 | Reptile Show from Spock’s Sanctuary | This will be the second time Spock’s Sanctuary has come to BSC, so we are very excited to have them back for another fantastic show! Get the incredible chance to see, learn about, and maybe even hold some exotic reptiles! It's going to be a fun, hands-on experience. |
| Apr 9 | TBD | |
| Apr 23 | TBD |
Some Past Semester BSC Meetings and Activities
| Date | Speaker | Presentation |
|---|---|---|
| Sept 4 | Welcome Back! | Bessey Scavenger Hunt |
| Sept 18 | Dr. Julie Blanchong | Acoustic Monitoring of Iowa's Bat Population |
| Oct 2 | LAS Career Services | Resume workshop w/ LAS career services |
| Oct 16 | Registration planning and study break meeting with pizza! | |
| Oct 30 | Fun time | field trip canceled due to weather, but we will have GAME night with pizza!!!! |
| Nov 13 | Dr. Pheobe Edwards | “The fascinatingly weird biology of naked mole rats: what we learn from unusual rodents" also Club elections |
| Dec 4 | Therapy | ISU PD and Therapy Dogs |
December 2nd 2022 from 12-2 PM: will be the Undergraduate Research Symposium. Atrium of Bessey Hall. More information about this event will be coming soon!
Biology and Genetics are hosting a Meals From the Heartland community service activity:
When: Saturday, October 15, 2022 (ISU football game is away)
Time: 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon
Where: Molecular Biology Building Atrium
Our goal is to package between 20,000 - 40,000 meals !!!!
8:30-10 AM: setup
10-12: Package thousands and thousands of meals
12-1:30 PM: Cleanup
How do I get involved and volunteer?
We also really need volunteers to assist in setup and cleanup.
Setup will start at 8:30 AM, cleanup will take about an hour or so after the final food package has been sealed (~12:00-1:30 PM).
For additional information email: dssakagu@iastate.edu.
Club Dues (due in August)
Club dues are $10 per semester or $15 for the entire year. Dues-paying members get to enjoy the snacks we provide after every meeting, which have historically included pizza, Insomnia cookies, and other great treats. If you are interested in becoming a dues-paying member, please bring cash to the next club meeting you attend!