Where do I go with biology?

Career World, Sept, 2004

Rebecca Hartman was about to give up. It was late at night, and the California fish and game warden was growing tired while searching through boxes at Los Angeles International Airport. But then she cut open one last box and there it was: a small leopard shark swimming around in a bag of water.

Hartman had interrupted a crime in progress--shipping leopard sharks out of state is illegal. She followed the shipment back to the suppliers, put a stop to their criminal activity, and made sure all the leopard sharks were freed.

Before working as a fish and game warden, Hartman studied marine biology at California State University at Long Beach. Like many others, she found that a degree in biology can lead to some exciting career options. "Most people think that the only thing they can do with biology is go to medical school," says Richard Niesenbaum, associate professor and head of the biology department at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pa. "Although medicine can be a wonderful career path, biology offers many other options. Marine biologist, genetic engineer, environmental scientist, and medical researcher are among the many other possibilities."

It's true. A background in biology, or life sciences, can set you up with a world of options. An explosion of new knowledge has led to a growing array of possible career paths: conducting research in tropical rain forests; developing new sources of food; scuba diving as a nature photographer; checking out life-forms in volcanoes and hot springs; cozying up to reptiles; protecting creatures living in wetlands. In these and other areas--ranging from drug research to patent law to landscape architecture--biology grads are making their marks.

FUR, FEATHERS, AND FROGS

Biology can lead to a career working with animals, either in their own habitats or in controlled environments. After earning a bachelor's degree in zoology from the University of Maryland, Beth Fitzpatrick became a rain forest technician at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, home to more than 10,500 animals. In this job she works with all the animals in the rain forest exhibit, including two-toed sloths, sun conures (small parrots), and poison dart frogs. Fitzpatrick feeds and trains the animals, cleans out their habitats, and provides the creatures with the best care possible.

"I learn new information all the time," states Fitzpatrick, "and I work with some really amazing animals."

Fitzpatrick has always enjoyed being outdoors and working with animals, so she felt that a life sciences degree would be the right choice for her. She also says she likes the options biology offers--"Field work, research, animal care, education, and so many other things!"

FINDING A CURE

For Tony Stefater, a biochemistry and molecular biology major at Centre College in Danville, Ky., the main appeal of a science career is the chance to solve problems.

"To me, scientific research is just like working intricate puzzles, whether that's describing new bio-chemical pathways or developing new drugs," he says. "What could be a better career than solving puzzles that can change our basic understanding and, in the case of medical research, make lives better and longer?"

After graduation, Stefater plans to pursue a career in academic medicine. To qualify, he will need to earn a doctorate. His goal is to run a major laboratory and help find cures for diseases. Although his plan sounds ambitious, Stefater is already on the road to success. In his sophomore year, he won a 2004 Goldwater Scholarship, a prestigious national science award.

Stefater says many students have the wrong idea about studying biology. "Some people think it's all memorizing facts, but that's not true," he says. "In the end, real science is about original thought, not memorization."

MIXING SCIENCE AND BUSINESS

The development of new drugs is an especially promising area. That's the career track for Elizabeth Renken, who serves as a research coordinator at Arizona's Rowpar Pharmaceuticals. In this role, she helps new drug products gain government approval.

"I like the interaction I have with people from various scientific disciplines," she says. "One day I may be coordinating a laboratory project with a microbiologist or a pharmacologist; the next day I may be working with a periodontist or physician."

Renken prepared for her career by completing an unusual master's degree program in applied biosciences and business at the University of Arizona. The program unites science with business courses and an internship to help students get ahead in biology-based careers.

LIFE IN THE FIELD

Some biology careers involve working daytime hours in labs or offices, but others are not so tightly structured.

"What I like best is that I make my own hours," says Hartman, the California fish and game warden. "We have to work 40 hours a week, but whether we work them day or night, and how many hours at a time, is completely up to us," she says. "And any place there is wildlife is my 'office.'"

Hartman also enjoys the variety her job offers. She might work on a patrol skiff one day and a large Coast Guard cutter the next, before staking out a spot to watch for people trying to take game illegally.