Administrative Offices

Department Head

Associate Department Head

Graduate Advising

Undergraduate Advising

Lower Division Instruction

External Links

Strategic Plan (2006)
Commitees
Policies
Forms

In addition to the usual teaching, research and service functions that all faculty have, the Biology Department Head is the administrative leader of the unit; he makes budgetary decisions, decides the direction the department will take on many issues and interacts with upper administration on behalf of all of the Biology faculty, staff and students. See our past department heads here.

Vincent Cassone 3258 TAMU Biological Sciences Building West Room 027A Butler 100D College Station, TX 77843-3258 Office: 979-845-2301 Lab: 979-845-0304 Fax: 979-845-2891 Email: vmc@mail.bio.tamu.edu

Vincent M. Cassone is Professor and Head in the Department of Biology. He received a bachelor's degree in English Literature and Biology from Colby College in 1975. In 1988, he moved to Texas A&M University to continue his research on comparative aspects of biological clock function. His research interests are the evolution of biological clocks and the mechanisms by which the clock regulates vertebrate behavior. His laboratory employs behavioral, electrophysiological and molecular biological techniques.

Associate Department Head

The Associate Department Head directs the academic functions of the department. He determines the courses that will be offered each semester and makes sure that appropriate faculty are available to teach each course. He acts for the Department Head in his absence.

Tom McKnight 3258 TAMU Biological Sciences Building East Room 202C Butler 100B College Station, TX 77843-3258 Office: 979-845-3896 Lab: 979-845-6749 Fax: 979-845-2891 Email: mcknight@mail.bio.tamu.edu

Tom McKnight received his B.S. degree in Microbiology and Ph.D. in Molecular and Population Genetics from the University of Georgia, and did postdoctoral research at Atlantic Richfield's Plant Cell Research Institute. He is a Professor and Associate Head in the Department of Biology and a member of the interdepartmental faculties of Genetics, Plant Physiology and Molecular and Cell Biology. Dr. McKnight teaches molecular cell biology and microbiology at the undergraduate level, and plant molecular biology and plant cell biology at the graduate level.

Graduate Advising

The Graduate Advisor is the faculty member tasked with directing our graduate student programs. He actively recruits new graduate students each year. Along with his staff, he guides the graduate students through the complex rules and regulations to allow them to complete advanced degrees. He also assigns the teaching assistants (TA) to the various labs so that they will all gain valued teaching experience. Visit the Office of Graduate Advising.

Michael Benedik 3258 TAMU Biological Sciences Building East Room 306C College Station, TX 77843-3258 Office: 979-845-5776 Fax: 979-845-2891 Email: benedik@tamu.edu

Michael Benedik earned a B.A. with Honors in 1976 from the University of Chicago. In 1984 Dr. Benedik joined Texas A&M University, first in the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Genetics and then in Biology as an Assistant Professor. In 1989 he moved to the University of Houston where he eventually earned the rank of Professor and was Vice-Chair of the Department of Biology and Biochemistry. In 2004 Dr. Benedik returned to Texas A&M University as a Professor in the Department of Biology. Dr. Benedik has taught a variety of courses in the areas of microbiology, molecular biology and genetics.

Undergraduate Advising

The offices of the Undergraduate Advisors are located in Butler Hall room 107. The advisors will help students register for classes as well as process changes to majors, course drops and other adjustments to student transcripts.

Lower Division Programs

The Biology Lower Division Instruction Programs encompass a series of lab courses offered in the biological sciences. Many of these courses are open to students in any major to cover their science requirements. The Biology Lower Division Program office is located in Heldenfels Hall room 315.