Undergraduate Research in Biology

Stephen D. Davis提案DBI - 9987543本项目旨在通过为期12周的暑期互动原创研究活动，促进本科学生成为生物学领域的年轻科学家。其目标是向学生传授科学方法的基本要素，这些基本要素在生物学分支学科中是常见的，并使学生了解跨分支学科的互动、合作和相互依存的好处。招募佩珀代因大学和非佩珀代因大学的学生将以少数民族、残疾学生和女学生为目标。研究机会有限的学校也将招收学生。每年夏天，该项目将以为期14天的研究方向研讨会开始，在此期间，学生将被介绍具体的研究技术，并沉浸在研究过程中（文献综述，假设制定和假设检验）。学生将在个人研究项目的构思和设计中发挥关键作用，并将参加为期两天的休整活动，正式展示、评估和完善他们的暑期研究计划。学生将在植物生理生态学、两栖动物保护生物学、海洋潮间带鱼类生理学、分子生物学、哺乳动物细胞生物学或发育生物学的指导下完成他们的项目。在整个夏季期间，来访的科学家将举行专门的研究研讨会，并花时间评论学生的项目。每个研究小组每周举行文献研讨会，讨论与他们的研究兴趣有关的期刊文章。该项目将以学生研究研讨会结束，为暑期体验带来凝聚力、庆祝和结束。后续行动将包括学生参加地方和区域研究会议。在有特殊优点的情况下，将鼓励学生在国家会议上展示他们的研究成果，并准备在科学杂志上发表他们的研究成果。

ABSTRACT Stephen D. Davis Proposal DBI - 9987543The 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.