2026-2027 UWYO New Catalog
Department of Zoology and Physiology
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Biological Sciences Building, Room 428
Phone: (307) 766-4208
Web site: www.uwyo.edu/Zoology
Department Head: Amy M. Navratil
Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Unit
Unit Leader: Matthew W. Kauffman
Assistant Unit Leader for Fisheries: Annika W. Walters
Assistant Unit Leader for Wildlife: Anna D. Chalfoun
About
The Department of Zoology and Physiology offers a variety of courses in the biological sciences that encompass many aspects of animal form, function, and biology. Whether you are interested in the intricacies of cell biology or the complexities of ecosystem functioning and whether you want to become a wildlife biologist or a physician, we offer a major that will suit your needs.
Students can choose from three undergraduate degrees: physiology, wildlife and fisheries biology and management, or zoology.
Learning Outcomes for Undergraduates
The learning outcomes that direct the teaching of the department’s degrees and which we expect our graduates to have acquired are:
- Competence in basic sciences;
- Competence in the content of the specific courses that constitute the principal knowledge of the degree;
- Ability to comprehend, analyze, and interpret biological data where appropriate; and
- Ability to synthesize information from the biological literature, and communicate it effectively in writing or orally.
Special Requirements and Information
Degree Options
Undergraduate Degrees
Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Arts
Minors options:
Graduate Degrees
Master of Science
Master of Arts
Doctor of Philosophy
Certificate Programs
Internships and Assistantships
Graduate Degree Programs Information
The Department of Zoology and Physiology offers programs leading to the master of science and the doctor of philosophy in zoology and physiology. We also participate in graduate programs through the Neuroscience Program and the Program in Ecology.
Program Specific Admission Requirements
M.S. in Zoology and Physiology
Ph.D in Zoology and Physiology
Those interested in graduate study in this program are encouraged to contact the Department of Zoology and Physiology (zprequest@uwyo.edu) for more information and guidance regarding applying.
The initial step is to identify faculty members in the Department of Zoology & Physiology whose research interests align with your academic and career goals and interests. A listing of faculty and their research areas is available through the Department of Zoology and Physiology web page. Contact faculty members by email to find a faculty member interested in serving as your graduate advisor. After determining interest from a potential graduate adviser in the department, proceed with the official online application outlined below.
In order to apply, please submit the following via the University of Wyoming’s online application system (http://www.uwyo.edu/admissions/apply.html): Components of the application are the departmental application form, your curriculum vitae, your college transcripts, and three letters of recommendation along with the recommendation form cover sheet. A minimum of a 3.0 undergraduate cumulative GPA is required for admission. GRE scores are not required for admission to the Department of Zoology & Physiology.
Applications must be submitted by no later than February 1 to be considered for summer/fall admission and Sept 15 for spring admission.
International applicants, who are not native English-speakers, must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. If an international applicant wishes to be considered for Graduate Assistantship funding, the applicant should also submit the results of an Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI). Please contact the UW English Language Center (http://www.uwyo.edu/elc/) if you have questions regarding the English proficiency requirements.”
Please see the Graduate Admissions and Graduate Student Regulations and Policies entries in the front section of the UW Catalog for more information.
Learning Outcomes for M.S. Students:
- Comprehend and synthesize advanced knowledge in a specific area of biology.
- College and analyze data to address a research question.
- Summarize research findings and communicate them effectively in writing and orally.
Learning Outcomes for Doctoral Students:
- Comprehend and synthesize advanced knowledge in a specific area of biology.
- Develop a research project which constitutes a substantial and original contribution to the field of study.
- Summarize research findings and communicate them effectively in writing and orally.
Faculty
Professors:
MERAV BEN-DAVID, B.S. Tel Aviv University 1984; M.S. 1988; Ph.D. University of Alaska 1996; Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2010, 2000.
MICHAEL E. DILLON, B.S. University of Texas, Austin 1998; Ph.D. University of Washington 2005; Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2021, 2009.
MATTHEW J. KAUFFMAN, B.A. University of Oregon 1992; Ph.D. University of California, Santa Cruz 2003; Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2021, 2006.
JOHN L. KOPROWSKI, B.S. Ohio State University 1983; M.A. Southern Illinois University 1985; Ph.D. University of Kansas; Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2020.
KEVIN L. MONTEITH, B.Sc. South Dakota State University 2003; MSc South Dakota State University 2006; PhD Idaho State University 2011; Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2015, 2022.
JONATHAN F. PRATHER, B.S. University of Virginia 1995; Ph.D. Emory University 2001; Associate Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2021, 2009.
ROBERT S. SEVILLE, B.S. San Diego State University 1981; M.S. University of Wyoming 1987; Ph.D. 1992; Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2011, 1995.
QIAN-QUAN SUN, B.Sc. Shandong Normal University 1990; M.S. 1993; Ph.D. St. Andrews University 1998; Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2016, 2004.
Associate Professors:
MATTHEW D. CARLING, B.S. University of Michigan 1997; M.S. University of Idaho 2002; Ph.D. Louisiana State University 2008; Associate Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2017, 2011.
ANNA D. CHALFOUN, B.A. Smith College 1995; M.S. University of MissouriColumbia 2000; Ph.D. University of MontanaMissoula 2006; Associate Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2016, 2011.
BRIAN D. CHERRINGTON, B.A. Washington University 1996; M.S. Colorado State University 2001; Ph.D. 2005; Associate Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2017, 2011.
SARAH M. COLLINS, B.A. Lewis & Clark College 2007; Ph.D. Cornell University 2015; Assistant Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2018, 2024.
JOE HOLBROOK, B.S. University of Idaho 2008; M.S. Texas A&M University - Kingsville 2011; Ph.D. University of Idaho 2015; Associate Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2024, 2018.
AMY C. KRIST, B.A. State University of New York at Potsdam 1991; Ph.D. Indiana University 1998; Associate Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2017, 2004.
YUN LI, B.S. University of Science and Technology of Chine 1996; M.S. 1998; Ph.D. University of Texas Health Center at San Antonio 2003; Assistant Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2018, 2024.
JEROD A. MERKLE, B.S. University of Arizona 2006; M.S. University of Montana 2011; Ph.D. Univesité Laval 2014; Assistant Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2018, 2024.
AMY M. NAVRATIL, B.S. Colorado State University 1999; Ph.D. 2005; Associate Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2019, 2011.
KARA PRATT, B.A.S. University of Delaware 1989; Ph.D. Brandeis University 2004; Associate Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2017, 2011.
COREY TARWATER, B.S. University of California, Davis 1999; M.S. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign 2006; Ph.D. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign 2010. Associate Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2022, 2015.
ANNIKA W. WALTERS, B.A. Princeton University 2002; M.S. Yale University 2006; Ph.D. 2009; Associate Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2019, 2011.
Assistant Professors:
GABRIEL M. BARRILE, B.S. Bloomsburg University 2013; Ph.D. University of Wyoming 2021; Assistant Professor of Zoology & Physiology and School of Computing 2024.
NICOLE L. BEDFORD, B.S. University of British Columbia 2010; Ph.D Harvard University 2019; Assistant Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2021.
RILEY FEHR BERNARD, B.Sc. Linfield College 2007; M.Sc. University of Hawaii Hilo 2011; Ph.D. University of Tennessee 2015; Assistant Professor of Zoology and Physiology, 2020.
WILLIAM WARREN FETZER, B.S. University of Wisconsin-Madison 2005; M.S. Cornell University 2009; Ph.D. 2013. Assistant Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2020.
BEN KOGER, B.S.E. Princeton University 2016; Ph.D. University of Konstanz 2022; Assistant Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2023.
ADAM C. NELSON, B.S. University of Montana 2001; Ph.D. University of Utah 2011; Assistant Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2021.
BRANDON ROBERTS, B.S. Washington State University 2009; Ph.D. Washington State University 2015; Assistant Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2023.
RAMMOHAN SHUKLA, B.S. College of Agriculture Nagpur 2004; M.S. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University 2006; Ph.D. National Institute for Basic Biology, Japan 2014 ; Assistant Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2023.
W.D. (TREY) TODD, B.S. Baylor University 2005; M.A. University of Iowa 2009; Ph.D. 2012; Assistant Professor of Zoology and Physiology 2019.
Assistant Professor of Practice:
BETHANN G. MERKLE, B.A. University of Montana 2007; M.F.A. University of Wyoming 2017; Assistant Professor of Practice 2021.
Senior Academic Professional Research Scientist:
ZHAOJIE ZHANG, B.S. Shandong University 1985; M.S. 1988; Ph.D. University of Oklahoma 1999; Director, Microscopy Core Facility, University of Wyoming 2001; Senior Research Scientist in Zoology and Physiology 2012.
Assistant Academic Professional Research Scientist:
JONATHAN PATRICK KELLEY, A.B. Harvard 2001; Ph.D. University of California, Davis 2012; Assistant Research Scientist in Zoology and Physiology 2018.
Professors Emeritus:
Craig W. Benkman, Harold L. Bergman, Steven W. Buskirk, Francis W. Flynn, Zoltan M. Fuzessery, Robert P. George, William A. Gern, Robert O. Hall, Henry J. Harlow, Wayne A. Hubert, Robert M. Kitchin, J.A. Lillegraven, Frederick G. Lindzey, James R. Lovvorn, Carlos Martinez del Rio, David B. McDonald, Graham Mitchell, Frank J. Rahel, James D. Rose, Joan Smith-Sonneborn
Academic Professional Lecturer Emeritus:
Jane Beiswenger
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