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With more than 30 faculty members, the Department of Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences (PSIS) is one of the largest science departments on campus, specializing in areas ranging from molecular genetics to management of whole plants and insects. Through its size and diverity, PSIS meets the needs of a variety of students, particularly those seeking applied training in biology, including but not limited to fields of agroecology, biotechnology, entomology, horticultural sciences, molecular genetics, physiology, plant biology, sustainable agriculture, soil science, turf science, and virology. Graduates pay rigorous attention to scientific discipline and share a desire to take this knowledge into the real world. Students completing a degree in Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences will understand the workings of the biological world and its interface with the environment. Moreover, they are prepared to apply the skill sets they acquire in the program to tackle real contemporary problems.

Much of the students’ learning comes through work with actual problems in the classroom, laboratory, greenhouse, and field settings. The department has a number of greenhouses on campus, and off-campus facilities include a 200-acre experimental orchard, and research and teaching farm for weed science and vegetable and field crops, as well as an experimental turf farm. Faculty members in the department are actively engaged in research that facilitates instruction on the most up-to-date information and technologies.