Pick a course
Ecology
Smith Elements of Ecology · 8 units from organism→biome · open-note exams · drops lowest.
Cellular Biology
Alberts MBoC · mammalian cell function · cell junctions · tissue culture & fluorescent microscopy.
Molecular Microbiology
Moat Microbial Physiology · Bacteria + Archaea · genomes & metabolism · pathogenesis emphasis.
Intro Neuroscience I
Bear Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain · neurons → sensory systems · neuroinflammation slant.
What's in every course
Study Guide
Semester-spanning chapter notes with key terms bolded.
Flashcards
Interactive flip deck. Filter by unit, mark mastered, keyboard shortcuts.
Mastery
Spaced-repetition drill that resurfaces what you keep missing.
Practice Exams
Multiple-choice + short-answer simulators with auto-grade.
Cheat Sheet
Printable 1-page reference, formatted for 8.5×11 portrait.
Concept Maps
Visual summaries of high-level pathways and relationships.
Semester pace
| Date | Milestone | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 24 | Classes begin | Confirm syllabi, get textbooks via MavLINK. |
| Sep 8 (Mon) | Labor Day | No classes. |
| Mid-Sept | Exam 1 window | Most courses run 3 mid-term + 1 final. |
| Mid-Oct | Fall break + Exam 2 | Use the long weekend to drill cross-course. |
| Mid-Nov | Exam 3 window | Cellular bio lab final practical possible. |
| Nov 26–28 | Thanksgiving | No classes. |
| Dec 8–13 | Final exams | 4-course finals week — cheat sheets help most here. |
| Dec 18 | Semester ends |
Your professors
Tom Bragg
Plant + fire ecology · Tallgrass Prairie · Henry Wright Lifetime Achievement Award. Quiet speaker — sit up front. Open-note exams, drops lowest exam grade.
Kristen Johnson
Cell-cell junctions, adherens, gap junction assembly/disassembly · cancer-related changes in cell adhesion. Expect heavy emphasis on cell communication and microscopy methods.
Donald Rowen
Microbial pathogenesis · Pseudomonas aeruginosa mucoid conversion · Type III secretion. Reviews note ~40-50 slides per 50-min lecture — pre-read!
Ernest Chivero
Substance-use neuroinflammation, microglia, NLRP3, HIV-Tat. 4.7/5 RMP, 95% would retake. Online async; expect immune-brain bias on standard intro topics.
Source materials & references
- UNomaha Biology faculty directory
- UNomaha BIOL course catalog
- UNomaha NEUR course catalog
- UNomaha Criss Library — Biology Research Guide
- NCBI Bookshelf — Alberts Molecular Biology of the Cell 4e (free)
- OpenStax Microbiology (free)
- MIT OCW 9.01 Intro Neuroscience — Mark Bear (textbook author)
- NCBI Bookshelf — Purves Neuroscience 2e (free)
- Internet Archive — Smith Elements of Ecology
- Internet Archive — Madigan Brock Biology of Microorganisms
- Wikipedia — Molecular Biology of the Cell (book)
- Wikipedia — Brock Biology of Microorganisms