Program Mission
Our goal is to spark engaging and informative dialogue among UCSD students and professors about innovative biological topics. Students taking BISP 170 will have the opportunity to dialogue with professors about current research in a small classroom setting.
Join SPC and Design the Course!
The Seminar Planning Committee (SPC), usually consisting of about 5 BioScholars, create the course together with the support of our faculty advisor, Dr. French. Members design the course theme, designate subtopics in the course schedule, and invite professors to speak. Being a part of this team will give members the opportunity to develop collaboration skills, network with professors, and gain insight into how courses are designed.
Look out for an email at the beginning of Fall Quarter with details on how to apply!
Attend the Course
Any student with upper-division standing is encouraged to enroll in BISP 170 during Spring Quarter to gain 2 units of upper-division biology elective credit. You can even take this course more than once!
If you are a BioScholar who doesn’t have time to enroll in the full course, you are still welcome to attend individual class sessions to earn one academic credit for BioScholars!
Student Testimonials
The seminar planning committee was honestly one of my favorite parts about Bioscholars! You get to work with an amazing group of people to come up with an interesting seminar topic and invite faculty to come speak about specific subtopics. It’s such a unique experience to help shape a class and in the end, you learn so much from the speakers.
– Noorhan Monther, Class of 2020
Serving as the secretary for the 2020 Seminar Committee was a wonderful experience as I was able to better appreciate the effort and dedication it takes in creating and planning a class. I had the opportunity to come up with potential topics and a list of professors to speak at the weekly classes with a supportive and friendly committee. I was also able to take the seminar during Spring Quarter 2020. Taking this seminar was quite enjoyable as I was able to learn more about climate change, which is a subject that I do not normally study in my major.
– Lindsay Wong, Class of 2021
Past Themes
- Spring 2023: Personalized Medicine
- Spring 2022: Circadian Rhythem
- Spring 2021: The Virology and Spread of SARS-CoV-2
- Spring 2020: Climate Change and Sustainability: A Biological Perspective
- Spring 2019: Nutrition in Health and Disease
- Spring 2018: Drugs and Addiction
- Spring 2017: The Biology of Cancer
- Spring 2016: Medical Controversies