Breadcrumb
Careers
Our Biology, Botany, and Zoology majors are broadly based which allows latitude of choices when developing a program suitable to individual needs.
Favorable opportunities can be expected for biological scientists with advanced degrees and for bachelor's candidates with outstanding educational and experiential backgrounds. Employment in the life sciences is expected to grow due to recent advances in genetic research, advances in biological technology, and efforts to conserve the environment.
The employment outlook will vary by specialty. Those who have the ability to do research in areas related to the genetic, cellular, and biochemical areas of biology should experience better employment opportunities than those in other specialties. However, many persons with a bachelor's degree find jobs in occupations such as sciences or engineering technicians or medical laboratory technologists. There is a continuing demand for secondary and private school life science teachers.
Related Job Titles
The following list is not meant to be all-inclusive; many other job alternatives and titles may exist. Many of the job titles listed require further education.
Agriculture Inspector
Aquatic Biologist
Biological Technician
Biologist
Biotechnologist
Biotechnology Research Technician
Botanist
Conservation Officer
Ecotourism Specialist
Environ. Protection Specialist
Environmental Consultant
Environmental Educator
Environmental Health Sanitarian
Environmental Planner
Environmental Scientist
Horticulturist
Industrial Hygienist
Laboratory Asst/Tech.
Life Scientist
Marine Biologist
Marine Educator
Microbiologist (Public Health Micro.)
Museum Curator
Naturalist
Park Ranger
Pharmaceutical Sales Rep.
Plant Ecologist
Plant Geneticist
Plant Physiologist
Research Assistant
Science Teacher/Professor
Science Writers
Science Writers
Scientific Divers
Scientific Illustrator
Technical Writer
Water Quality Biologist
Zoologist
Marketable Skills
Communication
- Writing precise technical reports
- Working as part of a team
- Media, public relations, and public speaking
- Writing precise technical reports and research papers
- Designing and presenting scientific posters
Technical Skills
- Knowledge of plant and animal ecology
- Operating and maintaining specialized scientific equipment
- Conducting chemical analyses
- Culturing body fluids or tissue samples
Recording & Interpreting Data
- Categorizing specimens & experiments
- Studying & describing normal plant and animal physiological functions
- Observing and recording animal behavior or habits
- Observing, characterizing, and recording traits of microorganisms and eukaryotic cells
- capturing and analyzing microscopy data
- collecting and analyzing molecular markers from a wide range of sample types
- performing statistical analyses and reasoning
- bioinformatics analysis
Featured Alumni
Degrees in the Biological Sciences have given alumni opportunities to work in their fields around the world.
Some Biology, Botany, and Zoology alumni have gone on to graduate schools. Others are making a difference as teachers and professors, have documented rare insects in Patagonia, work in orchid conservation, and have become health care professionals.
Alumni Profiles - Biology B.S.
Alumni Profiles - Botany B.S.
Alumni Updates
Cindy Purnell Frakes
Biological Sciences, 1981
After 33 years in the high-tech industry, Cindy Purnell Frakes ('81, Biology) retired from her most recent position of 13 years as Senior Director, Information Development at Oracle. Her career journey prior to that included stints at Borland, PeopleSoft, Computer Associates, and the Paradigm Group. She's now happily retired, living in Ferndale, WA, and has picked up her binoculars to pursue bird #485 and beyond to add to her life list.
Jessie Perez
Biological SciencesHSU - CIRM Scholar Alumni, 2010
Jessie Perez recently founded a company to help provide clean air during the global pandemic and the company would like to spread the word about a new technology that can keep people safe in the spaces they work, learn, and live. https://www.geekwire.com/2022/former-dod-nuclear-engineer-leads-new-seattle-startup-developing-air-purification-technology/
Richard T Sayre
Biological Sciences, 1974
Richard Sayre was elected to the National Academy of Inventors.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-academy-of-inventors-…
David J Fisher
Biological Sciences, 1983
After graduating with a biology degree from Humboldt State in 1983, Dr. Dave Fisher received his DVM from Washington State University and practiced at a small-animal clinic prior to his residency in clinical pathology at the University of California, Davis. Following board certification, he was a clinical pathology instructor at the University of Wisconsin. In 1995, he started working for IDEXX at the company’s reference laboratory in West Sacramento. Dave was recently awarded the American Society of Veterinary Clinical Pathology’s (ASVCP) Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions to the profession.
Jon Dohlin
Biological Sciences, 1992
After 25 years with the Wildlife Conservation Society-- including 12 as the Director of the New York Aquarium, Jon accepted a new position as CEO of the Fresno Chaffee Zoo in Fresno CA
Leigh-Ann King
Biological Sciences, 2005
Leigh-Ann King transferred after 2003 to Fresno State and majored in Natural Science with a teaching credential obtained from Fresno State. She is now teaching Biology, Honors Biology, and AP Biology at her old high school in the Central Valley of California.
Kevin Morris
Biological SciencesMolecular cellular biology, 1996
Kevin was leader of a team that recently developed the first-ever virus specific targeted therapy for treating COVID-19.
https://www.cell.com/molecular-therapy-family/molecular-therapy/fulltex…
And the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMYpKVs1fQg
And some of the press:
https://www.cityofhope.org/breakthroughs/city-of-hope-researcher-helps-…
https://www.vice.com/en/article/5dbgab/scientists-remove-covid-19-from-…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9589611/Queensland-researchers…
The work is now being developed into a Phase 1 trial in Australia and works as a therapy for all beta coronaviruses.
Tim Kellison
Biological SciencesBotany, 2005
After a brief stint with the National Park Service, Kellison began working for the US Forest Service. He had spent the last 15 years working as a Botanist on the Lassen and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forests. The past five years he has lived in Carson City, NV working as the Sierra Zone Botanist for the Humboldt-Toiyabe managing Rare Plants, Native Plant Community and Pollinator Habitat, and Native Plant Materials Program Development on the Bridgeport and Carson Ranger Districts.
Bob Freeman
Biological Sciences, 1976
Bob is retired from Imperial County as a Public Health Lab Director, He is also supporting his Laboratory Information System while writing more SciFi Novels
H2LiftShips Vol 1-3 Beyond Luna
H2LiftShips Vol 4 A back Story
And Vol 5 is a slow slog forward
Links to books:
https://www.h2liftship.com/beyondluna
https://www.h2liftship.com/backstory
The stories take place in the Desert, Humboldt, Yosemite, Phobos, the Asteroid Belt, and beyond with Solar Sail Ships and a few rockets thrown in for good measure.
Charles Lamb
Biological Sciences, 1983
After graduation from HSU, Charles Lamb completed a Ph.D. in Neurophysiology at Louisiana State University in 1991. During his doctoral studies he spent one year conducting research at Kagoshima University School of Dentistry in Kagoshima, Japan. He then completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center from 1991-1995. Since 1995, he has been a faculty member at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota. His positions there have included Professor of Biology, Chair of the School of Natural Sciences, and Chief Research Officer for the university.