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A line of people in a field have one arm thrown up into the sky, releasing the handful of seeds they just gathered from the large white buckets held in their other arm.

Welcome to the Department of Biology


Studying life in all its forms and scales through cutting-edge research and innovative teaching.

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Meet the New Center for Botany

Botanical sciences are more important than ever. Learn about the research and outreach our dedicated researchers are investing in.

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Giving

Your donations can improve the student experience, advance research, and support efforts across the Department of Biology.

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Undergraduate Programs

Explore majors, honors curriculums and certificates.

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Graduate Programs

Considering a Master or PhD? Explore these programs.

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Research

Researchers in the Department of Biology are in the field and in the lab studying flora, fauna, fungi and more.

Featured News

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Plant enthusiasts joined the Wisconsin Herbarium’s 2026 Foray in La Crosse County, Wi

Research

This past July, the Wisconsin Herbarium and Botanical Club of Wisconsin hosted their 8th annual foray. Over the course of three days, a total of 46 volunteers explored habitats throughout La Crosse County, Wisconsin to document their flora. Together, they collected over 1,200 plant specimens.

Each year the foray is held in a different region of Wisconsin, inviting plant enthusiasts, students and professional botanists alike into the field to help with the collection.

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NSF Career Award supports Daijiang Li’s efforts to build a global database of urban biodiversity

Research

Assistant professor Daijiang Li has been granted a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to build new tools that will help scientists understand, analyze, and forecast urban biodiversity.

Faculty Q&A: Zach Feiner studies fisheries to sustain them for both anglers and the ecosystem

Faculty

As a new faculty member, UW–Madison alumnus and Wisconsin native, Feiner wants his work to benefit the state’s ecosystems and communities alike.

Department of Biology FAQs

Department News

Answers to frequently asked questions about the new Department of Biology.

Department Events

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Biology Colloquium

The Biology Colloquium is a series of lectures hosted by the Department of Biology.

To subscribe to the Biology Colloquium mailing list…

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News

Media Mentions

  • Botany Grad Student talks mentorship in Science Careers

    Botany Grad Student talks mentorship in Science Careers

    To help readers at all career stages become the supportive mentors and supervisors they aspire to be, Science Careers asked researchers, including Botany Graduate Student Joseph Walston, to share the lessons they’ve learned on…

  • Agave Death Bloom featured as State Journal Photo of the day

    Agave Death Bloom featured as State Journal Photo of the day

    UW–Madison’s Botany Garden and Greenhouse’s Agave victoriae-reginae plant bloomed in early June, catching the attention of the public and the Wisconsin State Journal. The plant, which is about 30 years old, blooms…

  • Professor Damschen talks biodiversity on WPR

    Professor Damschen talks biodiversity on WPR

    Professor Ellen Damschen joins WPR’s The Larry Meiller Show to discuss why biodiversity matters in Wisconsin, and what scientists are doing to conserve plant and animal life. Listen to the episode.

  • Professor Simon Gilroy on Startalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson

    Professor Simon Gilroy on Startalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson

    Are plants more aware than we think? Do they have feelings? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Gary O’Reilly, and Harrison Greenbaum explore the intelligence of plants with astrobotanist Simon Gilroy. From venus flytraps to…

  • What’s wrong with ‘The Most Studied Lake in the World’?

    What’s wrong with ‘The Most Studied Lake in the World’?

    The algae bloom-covered shorelines of Lake Mendota indicate serious lake health issues. How do we right the ship? It starts with science. View full article here.

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