Facilities

The UW-Stevens Point Department of Biology maintains a wide variety of specialized teaching and research laboratories. Teaching labs are well equipped with high quality microscopes audio/visual teaching tools and other specialized equipment. Many courses have their own dedicated labs, while other labs are shared by two or three courses with similar equipment requirements. Most faculty members also maintain labs where they work with students on original research.
 
Some of our more specialized facilities include:

 Electron Microscope Facility

The UW-Stevens Point Department of Biology has state-of-the-art scanning and transmission electron microscopes used by faculty and students for teaching and research.

 Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility​

Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility​

NADF's mission is to provide demonstration, education, outreach, extension, and applied research. This is aimed at fostering the development and growth of a sustainable aquaculture industry in Wisconsin and other northern US climates. Wisconsin's highly diversified aquaculture industry has over 2,300 registered commercial fish farms, 14 state hatcheries, 2 federal hatcheries and all the resources needed to accommodate significant expansion.

 Genetic Analysis Service

Genetic Analysis Service

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point has established a new Genetic Analysis Service (GAS) available for faculty and students. The Department of Biology has a new Applied Biosystems 310 Capillary Genetic Analyzer that is housed in the newly renovated Genetics Lab in room B212 of the Science Building, to be used for both teaching and research purposes. The system can determine the DNA sequence of any part of any genome, from viruses to humans. In addition, it can generate DNA fingerprints from any organism and without any prior knowledge of its DNA. These services can be used in a wide variety of disciplines, such as gene identification, mutation detection, genetic relatedness, genetic disorders, disease detection, species identification, and evolution.
 

 Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium

Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium

Dr. Robert W. Freckmann arrived at UW-Stevens Point in 1968 and by the time of his retirement in 2001 (when the herbarium was named in his honor), he and bryologist Dr. Frank Bowers had built it from about 1,000 specimens into the 3rd largest plant collection in the state with 200,000 specimens. The specimens document the flora of Wisconsin and are used as a source of data for books and scientific papers on plant phylogeny, distribution and identification, and for teaching. The main geographic areas of emphasis are central Wisconsin, then the whole state, but we have specimens from all over the world. Grasses (especially the genera Panicum and Dichanthelium) are well-represented, as are Wisconsin mosses. The Wisconsin Plants website features photos, maps, and descriptions of Wisconsin vascular plants, bryophytes, and plant communities.
 

 Greenhouses

Greenhouses

Two greenhouse facilities provide our students and faculty with access to an extensive variety of living plants from around the world. The greenhouses are also used for many different class and research projects.

 Museum Collections

Museum Collections

The Museum of Natural History is an integral educational entity within the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point concerned with diversity and relationships in nature and among cultures. This professionally maintained academic resource provides an opportunity for greater public understanding and appreciation for the world in which we live through exhibitions, education, research and public service.

 
The Museum of Natural History is also home to outstanding research and teaching collections of preserved fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals, insects, plants, and fossils.

 Vertebrate Collection

 Field Resources

Field Resources

Our students and faculty have acc​ess to extensive tracts of private, county and state land near campus, which provide a great diversity of habitats for scientific investigation.

 Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology (WIST)

Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology (WIST)

The Wisconsin Institute For Sustainable Technology aims to explore the vast potential of bioenergy and other sustainable technologies and ideas, provide state-of-the-art education, and stimulate the state and regional economies.​

 Schmeeckle Reserve

Schmeeckle Reserve

Schmeeckle Reserve is a natural area on the campus of UW-Stevens Point. Explore this 280-acre conservancy area with 5 miles of trails and boardwalks, a 24-acre lake, and a large diversity of habitats that support numerous wildlife species. The Reserve is managed to protect and restore natural communities of central Wisconsin, serve as an outdoor classroom for learning, and provide outdoor recreation opportunities. It is open to the public and serves as a unique gathering place for the community and university.

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