While many students may not consider attending a small liberal arts college in order to study a STEM field, a recent study by the Council of Independent Colleges suggests that “small and mid-sized independent institutions are preparing students for careers and graduate study in STEM fields more efficiently than many public universities.”  

At Maryville College, about half of our alumni in STEM fields pursue graduate study or professional school within the first five years after graduation and over 90% are employed in their field. Some recent news stories highlighting the types of programs and opportunities open to a large number of MC students may be the key to why this is true.

While lots of students spend time at the beach during spring break, a group of biology students went a step further, traveling to the Caribbean Island of Bonaire to study ecology and perform research.  You can read the full story here:

Maryville Students Dive into Caribbean Ecology

This video about the trip is a taste of this amazing experience:

Closer to home, students did work in the Great Smokies National Park learning about macroinvertebrate sampling and identification.  Maryville’s proximity to the National Park provides a wealth of opportunities for our students to work and play.

Students with Dr. Dave Unger.

MC Students Evaluate the health of Great Smokies National Park Streams

Finally, the work of three Maryville alumni continues to impact the herpetology community.  The results of a study of turtle genetics  that began as a Maryville College senior study has resulted in a publication in the journal of Linnean Society, the oldest extant biology society.

Marly Kalis, whose senior study began the work published in the Journal of the Linnean Society.

Trio of MC alums digs into turtle DNA, settles decades-old controversy