BIOS (Biology Club)

BIOS is the name of the Biology Club on the Ammerman Campus of Suffolk County Community College. It is open to any student of the college, although generally its members are those who are either currently enrolled in a biology course or have taken a biology course in the past. The activities of BIOS are determined by its membership, which varies from semester to semester.

When the active membership consists of science/biology majors, there is a bias toward activities which are pertinent to their level of learning and to transfer opportunities that lead to four-year institutions. However, when the active membership consists of health career students, then there is a bias towards medical applications and wellness concerns. Yet, at times, the active membership consists of general liberal arts students whose interests dictate a more lay approach to biological knowledge.

On campus, BIOS sponsored events in the past have included speakers on a wide variety of biologically related topics (career opportunities, governmental agencies, environmental agencies, hospitals, clinics, research institutions, local physicians, faculty, etc.). BIOS members have had special viewings of prosected cadavers and have been involved in campus clean up and campus activities days.

There have been BIOS sponsored field trips and outings to such places as:

• Fire Island National Seashore and the "walking" dunes at Napeague and Hither Hills State Parks (LI)
• Seal walks and whale watches at Montauk Point State Park (LI)
• Marsh walks and hiking within Mashomack Preserve, Connetquot River State Park, and Orient Beach State Park (LI)
• Visits to the Vanderbilt Marine Museum, Okeanos Research Center, Bayard Cutting Arboretum, and Planting Fields Arboretum and State Park (LI)
• Visits to the American Museum of Natural History, New York Hall of Science, New York Aquarium, Brooklyn Botanical Garden, and Bronx Zoo (NYC)
• Mountain hiking at Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz (NY)
• Visits to Smithsonian Institution (DC), National Institute of Health (DC), and Mystic Aquarium (CT)
• Visits to research facilities such as Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cold Spring Harbor (LI)
• Visits to the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office (LI)
• Visits to medical facilities such as Stony Brook Hospital and Mather Intensive Care Unit (LI)
• Canoeing the Carmans, Connetquot, Nissequogue, and  Peconic Rivers (LI)
• Overnight trips to include canoeing the Delaware River and white water rafting the Lehigh River (PA)

Recent speakers have included:

• Pat Martinkovic, Project Leader, Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex
• Kimberly Zimmer, New York Sea Grant Institute
• Linda Sherlock-Reich, Forensic Scientist, Suffolk County Crime Lab
• Charles Wurster, Founding Trustee of the Environmental Defense Fund
• Mark Maghini, Chief Biologist, The LI National Wildlife Refuge Complex - US Fish and Wildlife Service
• Charles Wurster, Founding Trustee of the Environmental Defense Fund (Birds of the Arctic and Antarctic)
• Joanna Fowler, Senior Chemist, Brookhaven National Laboratory
• Arthur Cooley, Founding Member of the Environmental Defense Fund (Environmental Protection: Then and Now)
• Jack Mario, Suffolk County Crime Lab

End of the semester events have included fun activites such as picnics, canoe trips, and an occassional overnight white water rafting outings.

Involvement in BIOS has lead some previous students to NIH Summmer Internships and Broohaven Laboratory Internships.

If you are interested in learning more about BIOS and what activities are planned for the current academic year, please contact the BIOS advisor Dr. Rosa Gambier.

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  last update 2/10/2005