School of STEAM

One of the things that makes Saint Francis University different from other colleges is our commitment to research and faculty mentorship. Our students conduct research in small teams that work closely with faculty members in dedicated student/faculty research labs. Many students begin research as freshmen, and students can work with multiple faculty on different projects over their four years. Two first-year SFU Biology students, Taylin Lehman and Morgan Ruis, along with Associate Professor Dr. Lane Loya, recently discovered larvae of the rare Tiger Spiketail dragonfly ( Cordulegaster erronea

Meet Mudkip and Wooper, the two newest members of the The Dr. Wayne and Elizabeth Takacs Biology Department . The axolotls, also known as Mexican salamander, are actually amphibians and not walking fish, although they do spend their entire lives in water. The axolotl’s name is derived from the Latin words “atl” (water) and “xolotl” (monster). They retain their larval features as adults and never go through metamorphosis. The axolotls are currently the eighth most endangered species in the world with less than 100 individuals currently left in the wild. Their natural habitat is in an area of

Athena, Otis and Tobie graduated from Saint Francis University on Friday! The trio of shelter dogs from the Central PA Humane Society received an SFU collar tag, a diploma and an AKC Canine Good Citizen certification. Now they are heading off to new "furever" homes. The dogs were part of a semester-long Psychology course, “Canine Learning and Behavior." The class is a community partnership project taught by SFU Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Shlomit Flaisher-Grinberg and Megan Sanchez, Volunteer Coordinator at the Central PA Humane Society. The idea for the class was initiated by Dr

When the temperatures reached an abnormal high of over 70 degrees Fahrenheit in February, many professors headed outdoors with their classes. Dr. Joseph Goodwill took things a step further. For this Environmental Transport Processes class (ENVE 312), he took the Junior Engineering students and some special equipment outside. Dr. Goodwill collaborated with the Saint Francis Institute for Energy and borrowed a solar kit from Goal Zero . The portable power station generated enough power to run the large monitor that displayed Dr. Goodwill’s PowerPoint slides. That day, the Environmental

Ms. Stephanie Wilson is a senior Biology major with a Marine Biology and Environmental Science concentrations. In addition to her coursework, she has traveled, engaged in a variety of campus activities, and has contributed much time and energy to the Dr. Wayne and Elizabeth Takacs Biology Department and the School of Sciences in general. Last year, she was been actively involved in the maintenance of the 1500-gallon aquarium at SFU and the care of many specimens in the marine lab in addition to being a Work Study Assistant to the Dean of the School of Sciences, a Microbiology Lab Prep

Saint Francis University encourages its students to seek out new opportunities to travel and learn in their discipline. That’s precisely what Alayna Hawkins did with her Fall 2016 semester. Hawkins, a junior Marine Biology student at Saint Francis, spent the semester at Kenai Peninsula College, which is part of the University of Alaska Anchorage. There, she took a slate of hands-on courses, including Ichthyology and Mammal Biology, while exploring the Alaskan wilderness and making valuable networking connections. “I [gained] experiences from this program that most undergraduate students will

What's going on in the SFU Biology Department? The Winter 2017 edition of the Biology Flash was just published! Stories include a feature on new equipment in the department, new relationships with local wildlife rehabilitation centers, and a feature on Marine Biology senior Stephanie Wilson. View the Winter 2017 Biology Flash Newsletter!

The American Society of Mining and Reclamation is a professional Society consisting of representatives from mining companies, corporate offices, consulting services, employees of academic institutions, employees of state and federal regulatory agencies, as well as students. This summer, Saint Francis University formed a ASMR Student Chapter. The objective of the student chapter is to provide undergraduate students in the environmental engineering field with the opportunity to better acquaint themselves with the mining and reclamation field of work including research, occupations, and treatment

Allison Rohrs, director for the Institute for Energy at Saint Francis University, recently received the Women in Energy Leadership Award by the Pittsburgh Business Times . Rohrs was one of 26 women in the region to receive the 2016 award. The honorees were selected by a panel of industry experts and honored at an event and in a special edition of the Pittsburgh Business Times in October. Rohrs has served as the director for the Institute for Energy at Saint Francis for nearly four years. In her role, she works with local small businesses and farmers to help assess their properties for

Recent environmental engineering graduate Amaris Rodriguez (’16) landed a job in the nation's largest network of medical facilities, the VA. Amaris was kind enough to make some time amidst the fast pace of a new job to tell as a little more about her path and what she’s up to now. What attracted you to the Environmental Engineering major? I was always passionate about taking care of the environment and had an interest in environmental issues. I saw myself in a career that would protect the environment, but I was not sure exactly what I wanted to do. I decided that I would combine this passion