Involving Undergraduate Students in Biological
Research: Practices from the Biology Division of
the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR)
Michael A. Palladino, Ph.D., Dean, School of Science, Associate Professor of Biology, Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ
Sibdas Ghosh, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, Dominican University of California, San Rafael, CA
Timothy Lyden, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, River Falls, WI
Rachelle M. Spell, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer, Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Louise Temple, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Integrated Science and Technology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
The Monmouth University School
of Science Summer Research
Program (SRP)
(www.monmouth.edu/srp)
The SRP is a 12-week research experience for students (high school,
undergraduate, and graduate students) to work on collaborative research
projects under the supervision of science faculty and staff.
Program Highlights for Students
•Employment as a student researcher; on-campus housing is
available at reduced rates; potential to earn college-credits for
research experience.
•Outstanding opportunity to be a researcher in a student-faculty
collaborative research team.
•Gain research experience that is invaluable for future employment in
industry and for entry into graduate and professional schools.
•Present research at an informal symposium.
•Seminars (research ethics, attending graduate school).
•Weekly lunches to interact with SRP students and faculty.
Research Projects: SRP participants have the opportunity to carry out exciting original
research in the following areas:
•Biology (cell biology, cancer biology, entomology, molecular biology, neuroscience, marine
and environmental biology, reproductive biology)
•Chemistry (bioorganic chemistry, green synthetic chemistry, environmental analytical
chemistry, computational chemistry)
•Computer Science (computer networks, databases, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence)
•Mathematics (statistical applications of mathematics)
•Software Engineering, Rapid Response Institute (homeland defense and emergency
preparedness for natural and manmade disasters)
•Urban Coast Institute (watershed management, coastal ecosystems)
Contact: Michael A. Palladino, mpalladi@monmouth.edu
Dominican University of California
(DUC): Undergraduate ResearchBased Curriculum
(http://www.dominican.edu/)
At Dominican University of California (DUC), the undergraduate research
program in biological sciences provides a solid foundation of scientific
methodology, enabling a smooth transition from faculty-directed activity
into student-driven investigations.
The goal of the program is to give students the:
i.
ownership of their research problems
ii. opportunity to develop an intensive and long-term project
iii. environment to interact with peers, building a sense of community, and where
faculty investigators engage students in research to develop a learning community.
Undergraduate Research as a Means of
International Collaboration and Study
Abroad: The IRES Program at Emory
University
(http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/research/sire/su
mmer/ires.html)
Undergraduates seeking summer internships and international experiences can combine
both in international undergraduate research experiences. Emory has successfully
fostered these opportunities for many students in various locations through IRES program
administered by Dr. Leah Roesch.
Funding: Emory, HHMI grant, DAAD-RISE program, American Chemical Society IREU,
and Pasteur Foundation
 Implementation
-Select students with previous research experience
-Required directed study with syllabus containing information about research abroad
-Required communication through blog while abroad and presentation and written
reflection upon return
Strengths
-Fosters collaborations between Emory and international scholars
-Works to create new opportunities for study abroad for science students
-Strengthens student confidence, skills, and preparation for future opportunities
-Significant cultural immersion
-Students LOVE it and report a life-changing experience
Challenges
-Complicated visas
-Unclear international mentor expectations- due to unclear or negative impressions of
undergraduates or undergraduate research
-Difficulty creating community with one person exchange
-Success is very dependent on outgoing student personality
Contact: Leah Anderson Roesch, leah.roesch@emory.edu
James Madison University:
Reaching More Students in Original
Research in Classroom Settings
(http://phage.cisat.jmu.edu/hhmi/)
*Essential requirements
1. Eager and energetic faculty and appropriate workload credit.
2. A research question that requires production of many items or data points, all
of which can be unique and useful for further study.
3. A venue for sharing findings/materials with the larger scientific community
*One example is discovery of bacterial viruses from soil, a large project sponsored by
Howard Hughes Medical Institute and carried out by ~40 universities and colleges
across the US.
Toward this goal, DUC has developed and implemented a strong undergraduate research
program of 6 laboratory credits over 3 academic years. This program separates the
developmental stages of the student-as-scholar into a series of four courses (1C + 2C + 2C
+1C). All biology majors start the series by enrolling in a 1C class during second semester of
their first year. These beginning learners have an introduction to research methodology with a
focus on the scientific method and communication skills. The following year (sophomore), the
intermediate learners have two semesters (4 credits total) of experimentation, data collection,
and data analysis. The advanced learners have a culminating research experience through a
final 1C class during first semester of their junior year. This class typically includes a written
thesis and oral presentation as well as an oral/poster presentation at the National Conferences
on Undergraduate Research or other professional conferences.
1. Faculty are biologists and chemists from a variety of sub-disciplines. (Some had
no prior experience with this particular kind of work). Nearly all teach in teams of two,
having from 12-24 students in a lab section.
2. The research question is discovery of environmental viruses that might have
medical implications for the future. Students isolate and purify the viruses in semester
one and do genomics and bioinformatics in semester two. No previous college
experience is required, so everything is taught on a “need-to-know” basis.
3. The different participating institutions are connected electronically and by
occasional national or regional meetings. Faculty and students have presented both
educational and scientific information at professional meetings.
Contact: Sibdas Ghosh, sibdas.ghosh@dominican.edu
Contact: Louise Temple, templelm@jmu.edu
University of Wisconsin-River Falls: The Society for Undergraduate Research, Scholarly
and Creative Activities, a grass-roots solution to developing the research culture at a
Mid-Western American University (http://sursca-uwrf.blogspot.com/)
At the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, we have approached the development of an undergraduate (UG) research culture in a somewhat unique manner. At our campus, the
formal organization which fosters and now supports UG research, scholarly and creative activities or RSCA is actually a student generated and administered group called the Society
for Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities. This organization functions to promote the development of a scholarly community which embraces independent
faculty-mentored RSCA through an annual “Gala Evening of RSCA”, participation in NCUR for the past 9 nine years as well as various other state and local RSCA presentation
events and a peer-reviewed/administered RSCA grants program which distributes more than $75,000 a year across the campus.
This past year, SURSCA spearheaded and helped organize a regional effort to transport students from throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota to
Missoula, Montana for NCUR 2010. In the end, this effort resulted in SURSCA chartering two jets and the transport of some 360 scholars and
faculty/administration supporters to the conference. Of these, 75 were from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. To date, since it’s inception
in 2002, SURSCA has assisted more than 300 students from across our campus to attend NCUR meetings and encouraged many more to
engage in this significant ‘high impact” educational activity. In addition, SURSCA provides the participating officers with leadership skills as well
as critical insights into grantsmanship and research funding activities.
Contact: Timothy Lyden, timothy.lyden@uwrf.edu