Undergraduate Research in Biology

Pepperdine University, Malibu CA

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT Stephen D. Davis Proposal DBI - 9987543 The aim of this project is to facilitate the maturation of undergraduate students as young scientists in biology by immersing them in an interactive, 12-week summer session of original research activities. The goal is to teach students the essentials of the scientific method, which are common to a spectrum of biological subdisciplines, and to expose students to the benefits of interaction, collaboration and interdependence across subdisciplines. Recruitment of Pepperdine and non-Pepperdine students will target minority, physically challenged and female students. Students will also be recruited from schools with limited research opportunities. Each summer the program will begin with a 14-day research orientation workshop during which students will be introduced to specific research techniques and immersed in the research process (literature review, hypothesis formulation, and hypothesis testing). Students will play a pivotal role in the conception and design of their personal research projects and will participate in a 2-day retreat to formally present, evaluate and refine their summer research proposals. Students will pursue their projects under the supervision of faculty-mentors in either plant physiological ecology, conservation biology of amphibians, physiology of marine intertidal fish, molecular biology, mammalian cell biology or developmental biology. Over the course of the summer visiting scientists will hold special research seminars and spend time critiquing student projects. Each research group will hold weekly literature seminars to discuss journal articles pertaining to their research interests. The program will conclude with a student research symposium bringing cohesion, celebration and closure to the summer experience. Follow-through will include student participation at local and regional research conferences. In cases of special merit, students will be encouraged to present their results at national meetings and to prepare their results for publication in a scientific journal.