The World is Your Laboratory

How do you picture a college science major? Many people think of students wearing long white coats with test tubes or beakers in hand, and a lab in the background. While you will find Taylor science students studying in our state-of-the-art labs, you'll also find them learning in the field.

The World is Your Lab

It's true that students in the sciences have heavy academic schedules, but at Taylor we believe global engagement is worth the time. God is the creator of everything scientists study—from the human body to the laws of physics to the unique creatures of the Galapagos Islands. So, everywhere our students go, we believe there is something valuable to learn.

In the 2018-2019 academic year, students earned credit at Taylor while studying in 35 different countries. Many of these students had a major in the sciences, like Exercise Science or Engineering. 

Computer Science Students in the Mission Field 

Computer Science majors have traveled to serve in the mission field using their technical skills. Last year, students went to Cuenca, Ecuador to help Arco Church build an advanced management and tracking system for attendance. 

While there, they learned to use a variety of technical tools and experienced what it is like to work in an active, connected team. The opportunities for this trip were possible thanks to Dr. Tom Nurkkala, who has developed relationships across the globe to help connect students to those in need. 

Health Science Students Intern Locally and Abroad

One of the international opportunities Health Science students often seize is also in Cuenca, Ecuador. Students can spend a semester interning in a clinic, even getting to learn in the operating room. This fits well into the curriculum of multiple health science-related majors and several students who have participated have gone on to medical school to become doctors or nurses. 

Exercise Science major Phebe Biggar (’19) said, “Being able to do a practicum in a clinic while in Ecuador … helped further solidify that my calling to be in the medical field is where God wants me to be.”

Biology, Chemistry, and other majors usually have opportunities to work in communities with Map International in Ecuador or to serve in Belize over J-term on a Lighthouse Service Trip. 

Environmental Science Students Go Afield

For Environmental Science students, being out in the field is essential. That's why these students spend plenty of time out and around the Randall Environmental Center, exploring Taylor’s 145-acre arboretum or the 600-acre Taylor Woods, and traveling. Recent field studies included trips to the Rocky Mountains, the Black Hills of South Dakota, and Guatemala. 

Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and More

Chemistry majors are probably the science students you'd expect to always find busy working in a lab. But Chemistry major Brielle Tilson ('18), had the opportunity to work at a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at Princeton University one summer. The following summer, Princeton sent her to the Czech Republic to continue her research. 

Another Chemistry major, Erica Mitchell ('20), has also found opportunities to travel and research. She worked in a REU at University of Mississippi one summer and won an award that allowed her to present at the American Chemical Society's annual meeting in Orlando, FL. 

In the past two years, three Mathematics students have interned with NASA in places like Virginia and Florida. Biology majors have traveled to places like Lake Erie for enormous birding events and Costa Rica to learn about turtles and conservation. 

Equipped and Able

No matter the focus, at Taylor we believe that there is much to be learned by going beyond our campus and exploring the world around us. By interacting with God’s creation, we can better understand it and use our gifts to fulfill our mission: to develop servant-leaders marked with a passion to minister Christ’s redemptive love and truth to a world in need.