Facilities
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Greenhouse
The greenhouse at Wright State University is located near the Biological Sciences Building, attached to Fawcett Hall. The greenhouse is used for instruction, research and the maintenance of a permanent teaching collection. It has 1000 square feet of growing space with a 400 square foot potting room/work area. Temperatures are regulated mechanically using ridge vents, evaporative coolers and natural gas heaters that are controlled by computer. The greenhouse is also equipped with shade curtains and supplemental lighting.
Bio Preserves
The Wright State University Biology Preserve consists of approximately 220 acres of woods extending northeast of campus. The woods have several uses. It is an important nature reserve (one of the 3rd or 4th largest wooded areas in Greene Co.). It has been and continues to be the site for many research projects by both undergraduate and graduate students as well as faculty members. The preserve is also utilized by several classes for course-related field work. There are about 6 miles of hiking trails providing an important source of recreation for Wright State students, staff and faculty. The bio preserve is an asset that is possessed by few other universities. In addition to the campus woods, the biology department has established two acres of restored prairie that is also being used for ecological research projects.
Beavercreek Wetlands
The Biology Department currently has access to nearly 700 acres of high quality wetlands in the ecosystem known as the Beavercreek Wetlands. This resource is only 15 minutes from campus and many classes can take advantage of its accessibility. This wetland complex contains fens, marshes and forested wetlands (swamps) containing well over 470 species of plants. Many of the plant species are quite rare and are listed by the state as endangered or threatened. The rarest environments are the fens. These wetlands are defined by their groundwater dominated hydrology, high conductivity water, richly diverse sedge dominated communities and the absence of standing water. Many research areas are available, as well, and can be visited by arrangement with Dr. Jim Amon. A few areas in the corridor have been subject to restoration projects directed by Dr. Amon and those research projects are currently continuing.
Additional Resources
On Campus
Major on-campus resources accessible by our students include an animal care facilities, equipment for exercise physiology and body composition testing, a departmental genomics center with equipment for DNA sequencing, real time PCR, and microarrays, electron and epifluorescence microscopes capable of high resolution live cell imaging, FPLC, HPLC, Mass Spec, NMR and GIS capabilities. In addition, the department has a wide variety of field equipment and instrumentation for field sampling, such as boats, mobile laboratories, automatic stormwater samplers, multiprobe data sondes, telecommunication-linked dataloggers, flow meters, physicochemical meters, and biotic sampling gear. A university genomics center with flow cytometry, Affimetrix gene chip array, and proteomics capabilities is also accessible to our students.
Off Campus
Off-campus resources located within an easy commute include the Beavercreek Wetlands, Five Rivers Metroparks, the Great and Little Miami Rivers (state and national scenic river), and the Mad and Stillwater Rivers. Wright State has a productive working relationship with the Air Force Institute of Technology, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and the Ohio Plant Biotechnology Consortium. In 2010, there was a major renovation of science facilities at Wright State, including the completion of a new building, The Diggs Life Sciences building.
