Several of our PUC biology graduates get accepted to professional schools and become doctors and dentists serving their communities.
Explore a wide range of fundamental biological questions whose answers will help us better understand the complexity of God’s living world.
Our students have gone on to the following graduate schools: Loma Linda University, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Duke University, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Oregon State University, Cal State East Bay, Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine, Meharry Medical College and Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Scott Butterfield, the Scientist in Residence is also a Senior Scientist at The Nature Conservancy where he has more than 20 years of experience developing and applying conservation technologies to some of the biggest environmental challenges we face in California and across the United States.
Faculty & student research takes place on campus, several locations in the Napa Valley and Northern California, Alaska, and international sites (Mexico, Fiji, Micronesia, and Honduras).
Brian Lee (’12) graduated from PUC with a degree in biology and used it to teach high school science and track gorillas in Rwanda, study forestry at Yale, and land a job predicting global deforestation for NASA.
Dr. Floyd Hayes, professor of biology, specializes in the ecology, behavior and biogeography of Neotropical birds. He has published more than 100 technical articles in peer-reviewed journals.
Dustin Baumbach (‘12) researches hawksbill sea turtles at California State University-San Bernardino. He has helped develop a mobile app for tourists, scuba divers, and other researchers to quickly and easily report hawksbill sightings, which contributes to turtle research.
The biology program is extremely engaging. From the Bioneers mentorship program to Albion trips and other excursions. These moments provide us with the opportunity to bond with our peers and faculty members. The professors truly care about our well-being and they enjoy getting to know us on a personal level. I chose PUC to pursue my passion in biology because of the size of the department. I knew there would be plenty of opportunities to participate while still maintaining a significant presence on campus.
- Drielly Martins
July 28, 2026
Led by Pacific Union College Scientist in Residence, Dr. Scott Butterfield, a new grebe monitoring project has literally taken "flight" over Clear Lake. Funded by a multi-year grant from the California Natural Resources Agency, and in collaboration with the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake, Redbud Audubon Society, Robinson Rancheria, Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians, Lake County Land Trust, Anderson March Interpretive Association, California State Parks, and Upper Lake, Lower Lake, and Clear Lake High Schools, the project is focused on developing new drone-based methods that will allow Dr. Butterfield and high school students from across Lake County conduct annual monitoring of grebes, their nests, eggs, and hatchlings at Clear Lake and to help tell the story about how restoration efforts currently happening at Clear Lake are impacting these iconic bird species.
Pacific Union College has launched a groundbreaking collaboration with St. Helena High School, giving students the opportunity to learn how technology is applied to the environmental challenges they face in their own local communities and beyond – including severe drought and wildfires.
Gardening alongside students from a nearby school is how a professor and her students are helping in the broader community and fulfilling Pacific Union College’s mission to serve with love. A biology class and an organic gardening class helped Calistoga Junior/Senior High School with their campus gardening projects.
As travel restrictions began to lift, a group of medical professionals from the United States, Australia, Malaysia, and South Korea along with 21 students and volunteers began planning a mission trip to Indonesia. Many were Pacific Union College students, staff and alumni.
If you ask Pacific Union College about their spring break, 22 of them will have an outstanding answer for you! The students dedicated their break to serving with love by joining professor Floyd Hayes, Ph.D. on a service mission trip to the country of Kenya.
Elmshaven, the historical home of Ellen G. White, is located near the Napa Valley city of St. Helena and hosts many tours and visitors annually. White named the property for the number of Elm trees that once graced its landscape. Currently, an estimated 200 trees of around 50 varieties reside in Elmshaven.
Thursday, March 5, PUC’s dining commons side room filled with representatives from a variety of local and statewide businesses. The annual career day fair draws a number of interested companies and post-graduate institutions interested in our graduates. Individuals from a wide array of backgrounds offered networking tips and career-oriented conversation, including the Adventist Health network, Discoveryland Preschool, St. Josephs, and the United States Army, Navy, and Marshall offices.
