Welcome to the School of Biological Sciences at Illinois State University Our faculty have active research programs many different fields of biology from genetics and neurobiology to evolution and ecology. As a graduate student of Biological Sciences at ISU, you will have the opportunity to get involved with cutting-edge research programs. Our graduate student organizations provide opportunities presentationsdiscussions of research and social interactions. Students working toward the Ph.D. degree in Biological Sciences may pursue research in most of the major subdisciplines. The scholar-educator option in the Ph.D. program combines traditional training in research with formal training in university- and college-level teaching for those students planning a career in teaching and research at liberal arts colleges and comprehensive universities.