CNAS

CNAS Departments

There are 13 departments within the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, reflecting the deep diversity of programs and research. Each offers a unique and real learning experience, access to excellence and a dynamic learning environment. The college is making a difference, today and tomorrow.

Biochemistry

Biochemists study life at the chemical, molecular, and cellular level. The Department of Biochemistry includes the following areas of concentration: molecular biology, physical biochemistry, molecular endocrinology, plant biochemistry & molecular biology, signal transduction, and biomedical research.

Biology

Faculty and students in the Department of Biology are working in many areas of the life sciences, including animal behavior, behavioral endocrinology, bioinformatics, cell biology, conservation biology, developmental biology, ecology, evolution, molecular biology, physiology, population biology, and systematics.

Botany and Plant Sciences

One of the oldest and largest departments on campus, the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences is unique in its integration of basic and applied plant sciences. It has particular strengths in plant cell biology, plant responses to environmental stresses, plant ecology, genetics, genomics, and evolution, as well as strong programs focusing on subtropical crop plants.

Cell Biology and Neuroscience

The Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience takes multidisciplinary approaches to understanding basic cellular processes in tissues, including the nervous system, as well as more integrative levels of analysis, including behavior. Some of the areas of study include mechanisms of toxicity, membrane transport, reproductive biology and fertilization, brainstem and spinal cord control of locomotion, and many others.

Chemistry

Chemistry, the study of matter and its changes, is typically divided into analytical, environmental, inorganic, materials, organic, and physical. The Department of Chemistry participates in a number of interdisciplinary institutes and research groups, such as the Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering and the Center for S&P Block Chemistry.

Earth Sciences

The Department of Earth Sciences focuses on Earth’s dynamic nature and history, investigating geological processes operating at a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. and our research interests span many disciplines within the Earth sciences. Two new areas of graduate study are global climate and environmental change and earthquake processes and geophysics.

Entomology

The Department of Entomology at UCR, ranked among the top five in the nation, studies insects at the molecular, cellular, organismal, and population levels. Current research specializations include: arthropod vectors of plant pathogens, biological control, insect behavior, chemical ecology, ecology, morphology, pathology, pest management, physiology, insect-plant interactions, systematics, toxicology, insecticide resistance, medical/veterinary entomology, molecular entomology, neuroscience, and urban entomology.

Environmental Sciences

Today the world is aware as never before of the importance of preserving environmental quality. To practice environmental science requires a basic understanding of the physical, biological, and social sciences, as well as their application to environmental processes and issues. Department of Environmental Sciences faculty also participate in graduate programs in environmental toxicology, microbiology, chemical and environmental engineering, and economics.

Mathematics

Mathematics is the study of the relationship between objects in the universe expressed numerically, and as such is the language of science. The Department of Mathematics has special research interests in algebra, analysis, geometry, topology, mathematical physics, and combinatorics.

Nematology

The Phylum Nematoda includes the most abundant and diverse multi-cellular organisms on Earth. A small fraction of nematode species are parasites of humans, livestock, or agricultural crops. Certain nematodes are helpful, including some that are used to manage harmful insects. The Department of Nematology’s research on nematodes benefits humanity and enhances our understanding of Earth’s biodiversity.

Physics and Astronomy

The Department of Physics and Astronomy seeks greater understanding of the origin and structure of the universe, and the basic interactions which govern it. It also seeks atomic and molecular scale understanding of condensed and biological material systems and to provide the nucleus of interaction between materials and biological engineering and science researchers at UCR.

Plant Pathology and Microbiology

Plant pathology is a multidisciplinary field, and the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology employs genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, and chemistry in its approaches to disease control. Research subjects range from gene identification, function, and manipulation to proteomics and biochemistry, and programs can include both laboratory and substantial field components.

Statistics

Defined as the science of learning from data, statistics has become central to virtually all scientific experimentation. The Department of Statistics is renowned for its emphases in statistical computing and quantitative management, and its Statistical Consulting Collaboratory, which provides faculty and students a rich environment for collaboration in research and instruction, emphasizing statistical/quantitative approaches.