Joan P. Brock School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences

Inquiry, discovery, and the pursuit of scientific understanding.

The Joan P. Brock School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences prepares students to tackle complex problems through rigorous scientific inquiry and quantitative reasoning. From marine biology to data science, our programs combine strong foundational training with opportunities for hands-on undergraduate research—preparing graduates for careers in science, technology, healthcare, and beyond.

At Batten University, science students benefit from close faculty mentorship, modern laboratory facilities, and access to coastal Virginia’s rich natural environments as a living classroom.

Undergraduate Majors

Biochemistry Biology Chemistry Computer Information Systems Computer Science Cybersecurity Data Science Earth and Environmental Science Environmental Studies Mathematics

Minors

Biology Chemistry Computer Science Cybersecurity Data Science Earth and Environmental Sciences Environmental Studies Marine Science Mathematics

Meet the Dean

Dr. Soraya Moein Bartol

Kenneth R. Perry Dean, Joan P. Brock School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences · Professor of Marine Biology

Dr. Bartol holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Marine Science from the Virginia Institute of Marine Biology, College of William & Mary, and a B.A. in Biology from the University of Virginia. She has been at Batten University since 2005, serving as Professor of Marine Biology, Chair of the Biology Department, and Director of the Undergraduate Research Program.

For over 30 years, Dr. Bartol has researched the physiological ecology of sea turtles. During her tenure at Batten University, she developed research techniques—both behavioral and electrophysiological—that allowed her to collect the first comprehensive assessment of sea turtle hearing throughout ontogeny. Her current research uses kinematic approaches to understand sea turtle swimming and possible gait mechanisms.

Dr. Bartol has received several university, national, and international research grants and awards while at Batten University, including the Batten Distinguished Scholar Award.

The Perry & Brock Legacy

The Perry and Brock families have been instrumental at Batten University dating back to the opening of the current campus on the Virginia Beach/Norfolk city line in 1966. Kenneth R. Perry served on the Board of Trustees of the young college and later recruited his daughter, Joan Perry Brock, to join the board during a critical period in the University’s history.

Kenneth R. Perry and Macon Brock

The philanthropic support of the family can be traced to the creativity of entrepreneurs Kenneth R. Perry and Macon Brock, along with Doug Perry and Ray Compton. In 1953, K.R. Perry opened a Ben Franklin variety store in Norfolk, Virginia, which later became known as K&K 5&10. In 1970, K.R. Perry, Doug Perry, and Macon Brock started K&K Toys, a mall concept that grew to over 130 stores on the East Coast. Their entrepreneurial vision ultimately led to the founding of Dollar Tree, with the first branded store opening in 1989.

Macon Brock died after a lengthy illness on December 9, 2017.

Joan P. Brock

A native of Norfolk, Joan Perry Brock is a community leader and philanthropist. She graduated from Longwood University with a Bachelor of Arts in secondary education and later earned a Master of Arts in humanities. Brock served on Batten University’s President’s Advisory Council from 1996–1999, served as Chair of the Board of Trustees from 2001–2004, and was named Trustee Emeritus in 2015. The University awarded her the Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, in 2010.

The Perry and Brock families endowed the Kenneth R. Perry Deanship, which now oversees the Joan P. Brock School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, chartered in 2016. The Brocks co-founded the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom—endowing the Joan and Macon Brock Directorship—and finished endowing the Center in 2018, when it was renamed the Robert Nusbaum Center.

Over the years, the Brocks have endowed student scholarships, funded residence hall improvements, renovated Kenneth R. Perry Field in 2015, supported the construction of the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center (which includes the Joan and Macon Brock Theatre) in 2017, funded Brock Commons and Boyd Dining Hall in 2019, and in 2023 joined Jane Batten and David and Susan Goode in funding the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art at Batten University.

Joan Brock is actively involved in her Hampton Roads community, having chaired the Board of the ACCESS College Foundation, served as the first woman to preside over the Chrysler Museum Board, and served on the Sentara Board of Directors since 2006. She and Macon were married for over 50 years and have three children and six grandchildren.