 Research
Opportunities in the Department
| The UST Biology
Department strongly encourages its students to engage in research. Research experience is
the best way for students to understand the process and practice of science. It also
provides them with personal self-confidence and demonstrates applications of biology to
their lives -- possibly as a career. As a Biology major at St. Thomas there are many ways to get
involved in research. We invite you to consider the many possibilities for research
experience and to contact any member of our department about getting involved.
Ways to get involved..... |
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- Volunteer Research Positions:
Many students begin their research experience by volunteering in a research lab.
Volunteering is a great way to get acquainted with a project. It is also a good way to
confirm your interest in research. Volunteer positions often lead to more formal
collaborations.
- Faculty-Student Partnerships: Money is
available through on-campus centers to provide financial stipends while students
contribute to a student-faculty research collaboration; e.g., the Faculty Development
Office provides salary for students to work with faculty.
- Independent Study/Research for Academic Credit:
Many students engage in research as part of their Biology major. These independent
projects are completed for academic credit as: BIOL 390/391 (1/2 course Research credit
for majors who have completed BIOL 210/211 but have taken less than two 300-level
courses); BIOL 491-494 (1/2 or full course Research); or BIOL 495-498 (1/2 or full course
Individual Study).
- Summer Research Assistant Positions:
Each summer many students are appointed to paid positions to work on research projects.
The summer provides a three month block of time to make major progress on a research
project. Students generally work from 10 to 35 hours per week. Housing may also be
available as part of the position.
- Work-Study Laboratory Technician and Research
Assistant Positions: During the academic year there are many student positions
available in research labs. These paid positions are part-time averaging several hours per
week.
- Outside Funding for Research Experience:
Several students each year apply for external funding to finance their research. For
example, Young Scholars is a UST sponsored competitive program for summer fellowship
support for research. The Council for Undergraduate Research has sponsored summer
research fellowships for qualified undergraduates.
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Off Campus Research and Internships
- Internships in Research Institutes and
Hospitals: Local, off-campus research collaborations are available through
several research institutes and hospitals. Recent students have performed research on
Alzheimer's disease and brain-imaging studies.
- Internships in Local Industry:
Off-campus internships (both paid and unpaid) are increasingly popular. Students have
recently worked with companies such as INCstar, Medtronic and 3M. These positions provide
opportunities to work on applied research projects.
- Research at Other Institutions (and Exotic
Locations): Courses taken through UMAIE, School for Field Studies, or DIS
(Denmark International Studies) may be approved for research or independent study
credit . Several students each year travel abroad to sites such as New
Zealand, Australia, Africa, Denmark, and the Caribbean to participate in research and
off-campus course work.
- Introduction to Research (BIOL 210): Off-Campus
Location: The Biology Department supports at least two students each
January who elect to participate in Research in Molecular Biology at the University of
Alabama-Birmingham.
- Introduction to Field Research (BIOL 211):
The Biology Department regularly offers an "Introduction to Field Research"
course during January. The site varies from year to year but always includes about
two weeks spent in the field collecting data for independent research projects.
Previous field locations have included Baja California, Mexico and Belize, Central
America.
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