Undergraduates are involved in all aspects of our work, ranging from animal husbandry, data collection in the field and the laboratory, data analysis, and publication of results. As a lab, our key goal is for undergraduates to obtain hands-on experiences in conducting research and provide them with professional development opportunities in science. The level of involvement of undergraduate researchers can vary from case to case based on the primary interest of the student and can include assistance with the daily operation of the lab and fish facilities, participation in research projects of graduate student mentors, or even independent projects. The most successful undergraduate researcher stay with us for multiple semesters or even years, where they initially participate and assist in existing projects and eventually transition into pursuing their own research interests. All undergraduate researchers are encouraged to attend our weekly lab meetings to discuss projects in the lab and pertinent papers from the primary literature.
If you are interested, you can get involved in undergraduate research by enrolling in BIOL 698 (Problems in Biology). Up to 6 credit hours count towards the electives requirement for undergrad degrees at K-State. Enrollment requires at least 3 hours of work per credit hour per week. We also encourage undergraduates in our lab to compete for departmental awards and research scholarships through K-State and other institutions.