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Facilities

Location

One aspect of Luther’s biology department that other colleges find difficult to duplicate is its biologically rich location. Luther is situated in the Oneota Valley, surrounded by high limestone bluffs and wooded hillsides. The Upper Iowa River flows through a portion of the campus. The 800 acres of college land include ponds, woodlots, and prairie areas for field study.

Biology classes also make extensive use of publicly owned nature areas, including Hayden Prairie, Yellow River Forest, Cardinal Marsh, Lake Meyer, Falcon Springs, Chipera Prairie, Malanaphy Springs and the Upper Mississippi River Fish and Wildlife Refuge, all located within an hour of campus.

Laboratory Facilities

The biology department conducts classroom and laboratory sessions in Valders Hall of Science, a facility with 25,000 square feet of laboratory space, an animal facility, a natural history museum, a greenhouse, and an impressive array of instrumentation.

The Salsbury Animal Facility houses rodents, insects, and aquatic organisms for laboratory observation and behavioral experimentation. The greenhouse has four independently controlled climate areas to permit cultivation of diverse plant specimens.

In addition to conventional teaching/research laboratories, the department also has designated spaces for cell culture and radioisotope work, a darkroom and the Overholt Human Anatomy Laboratory.

Luther has begun construction of the Science Laboratories and Research Center, a 58,000 square foot, $20 million building containing teaching and research laboratories and supporting facilities for the biology and chemistry departments. The College is also planning the renovation of existing spaces in Valders Hall of Science once the new facility is completed.