Graduate and upper division courses are taught by the full-time faculty. As a result of the Yankee Ingenuity project, a Cell and Tissue Culture Laboratory has been established within the department, with other initiatives and updates also scheduled for implementation. Faculty participate in major regional and national organizations related to their research interests. One faculty member holds a leadership position in the New England Botanical Club and chairs the economic botany section of the Botanical Society of America. Secondary school pupils help to monitor the water quality of Connecticut's rivers and report their findings to the agency as a supplement to the DEP's own activities.
Faculty members serve as program advisors.
Faculty also collaborate on research initiatives and professional projects with colleagues from the Department of Chemistry, from other academic areas within the University, and from departments of biological sciences and related fields at other institutions. Long Island Sound initiatives are coordinated with faculty from the University of Connecticut and other issues related to marine pollution are examined with biologists in programs at Cornell University. Each summer, educators from Connecticut and surrounding areas are invited to attend The Institute for Science Education. The program is provided for elementary and secondary school educators and focuses on specific science themes such as motion, evolution, and others. The National Science Foundation Young Scholars Program grant supports a summer Science Transition program for middle school students to encourage early interest in science.