A Feeling for the Organism: Undergraduate Summer Research in Organismal Biology at Baylor University

Baylor University, Waco TX

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT Ann E. Rushing Proposal # DBI - 9987993 The Undergraduate Summer Research Program in Organismal Biology at Baylor University is designed to provide outstanding students the opportunity to conduct research in organismal biology under the guidance of a faculty mentor. It will foster "a feeling for the organism" by introducing participants to the diversity of life and to the works of great naturalists such as E.O. Wilson and Barbara McClintock. It will provide a nurturing research environment through direct faculty mentoring and peer reinforcement. Students will be immersed in a specific research question in the conceptual area of their choice. It will focus recruiting efforts on women, underrepresented minorities, and those whose home institutions do not offer research opportunities. Ultimately, the goal is to give students the opportunity to experience inquiry-based science which may facilitate their entry into the larger research community and influence their professional goals. During the ten-week summer program, six non-Baylor students funded by REU-NSF and four Baylor students funded by the University, will participate in weekly seminars, field trips, and hands-on workshops designed to provide both educational and social experiences. Participants will spend most of their time designing and conducting a research project under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Seminar topics will include topics such as: Science as a Process: Just What is Science Anyway?; Accessing the Biological Literature; Writing an Effective Research Proposal; Peer Feedback on Research Proposals; Responsible Conduct in Research; Creating Effective Scientific Presentations; Great Naturalists and Their "Feeling for the Organism"; and Careers in Biology: What's Hot and What's Not! Workshops will include introductions to various tools of modern organismal biologists such as global positioning systems, the scanning electronmicroscope, or wildlife telemetry equipment. Field trips to museums, zoos, herbaria, and other regional facilities will expose students to the diversity of life. The summer will culminate in a Symposium where participants give formal poster and oral presentations of their research. Faculty mentors will maintain contact with participants to facilitate presentations and publication of research results. Efforts will be made to regularly survey the participants to determine long-term career developments.