The Department of Natural Sciences

Life and Physical Science meet in the Department

The Department of Natural Sciences is home to faculty from the areas of life science (biology and environmental science), chemistry, and physics. With research topics including oyster restoration, biofluorescence, cancer treatment, drug synthesis, and high energy physics, our faculty members often conduct interdisciplinary research that crosses the boundary between these areas and other departments on campus. For example, members from multiple areas in the department contribute to Baruch's Environmental Biology and Sustainablity Research Group.

Students in Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development work with NYC Parks and a local environmental group on a restoration project. Photo by Mitch Waxman.

Majors, Minors, and Course Information

The Department houses the Biological Sciences major and minors in Chemistry, Physics, and Environmental Sustainability (in collaboration with other departments in the Weissman School for Arts and Science and the Zicklin School of business), as well as an ad hoc major in the Natural Sciences and a Natural Sciences minor that can be designed to address specific intellectual interests or career objectives.  Through experiences that occur in and out of the classroom, the Department strives to provide educational and research experiences that are rich with opportunities and challenges and that foster an understanding of the scientific method of learning.  Students benefit from small class sizes and courses that take advantage of natural and historical sites throughout the city. Check out the Student Research Opportunities Page for chances to get engaged outside of the classroom.

Our programs and courses prepare students for entry into professional schools of medicine, dentistry, and other health care fields.  The Department has an active Biomed Society that focuses on helping students learn more about medical professions, network with local groups, and navigate the professional school application process.  Check here for more information on department recommendation for students interested in professional school. 

We also prepare students for graduate study in the natural sciences or their teaching and provide a space for non-major students to grow in scientific literacy and understanding of the natural world as part of their Baruch education.  Our faculty also accept graduate students through the CUNY Graduate School programs in Physics, Biology, and Chemistry.

Students interested in puruing majors, minors, or classes within the department should contact Sonia Donaldson in the Department offices, located in room 506 of the 17 Lexington Avenue Building. Students interesting in graduate studies should contact potenial mentors directly.

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Updates and Recent Accolades

Check here for past events and updates

• Biological Sciences major Ma Su Su Ang, part of Dr. Pablo’s research group, has won a 2017 Salk Scholarship for medical school. This is the second consecutive year a Natural Sciences student recevied  one of these CUNY-wide awards.

• Assistant Professor of Chemistry Jean Gaffney won prestigious 2017 NSF CAREER award
• Professors David Gruber, Keith Ramig, and Camila Granados-Cifuentes are featured in new Weissman Video Blogs.
• Students and mentors from the Department won major awards at Baruch's Creative Inquire Day
  • Diana Arias, mentored by Environmental Science professor Chester Zarnoch, tied for 2nd place in the School of Public Affairs competition with her project "Light Pollution in NYC"
  •  Kitae Kwon's, Elena Votto's, and Anastasiya Badziai's project “Theoretical Investigation of Metalla-Diels-Alder: Introducing Transition Metal Fragments to 1,3-Butadiene to Trigger Chemoselectivity” tied for first place Natural Sciences (Faculty mentor: Chemistry Professor  Edyta Greer) with Marium Sarder's work on "Juvenile Hormone Sensitivity of an Enhancer Region on the Foraging Gene " (mentored by biology professor Rebecca Spokony).
  • Alanna McAuliffe's work on "Disability v Diversity: Emerging Perspectives on Neurodiversity" tied for first place in the social sciences (faculty mentor Environmental Science professor David Gruber)
• Baruch students Kevin Damri, Ruth Hartke, and Oygul Mirzalieva won favorite poster presentation at the National Institute of Health's Mitochondrial Biology Symposium

• Associate Professor of Environmental Science David Gruber serves as keynote speaker at 112th Explorer's Club Annual Dinner
• Associate Professor of Environmental Science David Gruber wins 2016 Baruch College Presidential Excellence Award for Distinguished Scholarship
• Chemical Biology major Kitae (Mike) Kwon won third place in CUNY's 2015 Nobel Science Challenge
• Assistant Professor of Biology Rebecca Spokony won 2016 Weissman Teaching Award
• Biological Sciences major Allen Ko receives CUNY Salk Scholarship for medical school

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