College of Science, Engineering and Technology

Department of Biology History

Price leads Science Area
In 1950, courses in biology at Jackson College were taught in a sub area within the Area of Science and Mathematics chaired by Dr. Bolton Price. Science and mathematics were housed in the SAB building, an old temporary Army building near Dalton Street that also housed the areas of education, language arts, and the credit union. The biology faculty consisted of three persons: Herman Nixon, A. C. Coleman, and Shirley Hardy.

Biology gets new Facility
In addition to teaching general biology, general zoology, bacteriology, an anatomy physiology, science in the secondary schools, the faculty also taught courses for home economics and physical education majors. The year that Professor Herman Nixon joined the biology faculty, Dr. Robert Anthony was a freshman in one of Professor Nixon's first classes. The biology faculty moved to a new facility, the Just Hall of Science Building, in 1957. At this time, Professor Herman Nixon developed a course in microbiology for minority students in the Baptist Hospital School of Nursing.

Nixon Becomes Acting Chair
This was also the time Professor Columbus Ricks joined the faculty and botany was added to the curriculum. In that same year, Dr. George Washington was hired. Professor Coleman continued to teach genetics until Professor Ricks began teaching the course. Professor Hardy taught genetics after Ricks.Also in 1957, biology officially became a department and Professor Herman Nixon was named acting chair.

New Courses Added
New courses including botany, embryology, microbiology, comparative anatomy were added to the curriculum. Additionally, Dr. Bolton Price created a concentration in biology education and Professor Nixon developed the curriculum and courses. The first group of students to receive a degree in biology consisted of five students including Dr. Bennye Henderson.

Greenfield Becomes Chair
A concerted effort was made in 1958 to attract top quality students to the liberal arts curriculum. Resultantly, the enrollment in biology jumped to 25. Among these students were Alice Connley Russell and Joe Ann Hammonds, the first two graduates from the biology department to receive Ph. D. degrees. Dr. Wilbert Greenfield became head of the department in 1961 and taught physiology and A&P courses. Later Dr. Young joined the faculty and began teaching the embryology course.

Faculty Join Department
Another milestone was achieved in 1962 when Elwin Grimes (Maharry) and Arthur Love were the first biology majors to be accepted to medical schools. In 1964, John Uzodinma joined the faculty. He was responsible for upgrading microbiology and adding new courses to the curriculum. Also joining the faculty in the late 60s we re Dr.Baldev Raj and Dr. Balwant Sekhon. At this time the masters of science in teaching program was begun.

Uzodinma Becomes Chair
Other faculty members joining the faculty in the 60s were Dr. Bennye Henderson (physiology), Dr. Roland Powell (veterinary medicine), and Dr.Robert Anthony (botany). Dr. Greenfield moved from department head to Dean of Liberal Arts and Dr. John Uzodinma became department head in 1970. In 1971, Dr. Fred Nelson was hired. Dr. Robert Mack joined the faculty in 1974. The M.S. degree in biology was added later. The first graduate coordinator for biology was Dr. Sekhon and later Dr. Joseph Cameron.

Archer and Mack Serve as Head
Dr. Joseph Cameron came in 1974 and courses were added to the curriculum. In 1978, the department moved to the JAP Science Building and Dr. Vernon Archer was hired and became chair. During his tenure, a variety of courses were added and policies instituted. Dr. Robert Mack became chair of the department in 1983. During his tenure there was an expansion of course offerings and an increase in grant funding. Later Dr. Mack became Dean and moved to the Dean’s office in the School of Science.

Jones succeeds Mohamed as Chair
•In 1986, Dr. Abdul Mohamed became chair. Mrs. Jen-Rong Yang and Mrs. LaDonnya Drummond were hired as instructors. Dr. Mohamed later became Dean of the School in 1991 and the Ph.D. Program in Environmental Science was established. The level of grantsmanship continued to increase under Dr. Mohamed’s leadership. Dr. Arthur Jones became chair that same year. During his tenure, Dr. Paul Tchounwou was hired as faculty and director of the Ph.D. Program.

Hardy Becomes Chair
In 1998, Dr. Mark Hardy was named chair. Under his leadership, the department continued to grow and become the largest department at the University. He was also responsible for developing the department’s website and the production of brochures and other recruitment materials. In the late 90s Dr. Jacqueline Stevens, Dr. Carolyn Howard, Dr. Barbara Wilson, Dr. Stephen Ekunwe, and Dr. Ernest Izevbigie joined the department.

Begonia Named Interim Chair
Dr. Paulinus Chigbu, Dr. Ibrahim Farah, Dr. Ramzi Kofoury, and Dr. Elgenaid Hamadain were added as faculty members. Dr. Gregorio Begonia was named interim Chair in 1999.. He led the department through the SACS reaccreditation process. The curricula and course offerings were also revised in 2000 to meet the demands of an ever expanding discipline.

Hardy Returns as Chair
As the department entered the new millennium, it continued to grow with an increase in majors and the addition of new courses in environmental science and marine science. In 2001, Dr. Mark Hardy returned to the department as chair. In that year, the department ranked 3rd in the nation in the production of African Americans who earned the baccalaureate in biology. In 2002, the department ranks 1st at JSU with over 700 majors.