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Conducting Honors research in the Purrington LabFor general information about the Honors program at the College and in the Department of Biology, please refer to the "Honors at Swarthmore College" web site and the Biology Majors Handbook (page 9 of the 2003-2004 PDF version), respectively. The general timeline for Honors research in my lab is presented in the figure at right (other faculty will invariably have different suggested pathways). Bio 002 (Introduction to Organismal and Population Biology), Bio 034 (Evolution), and Bio 134 (Analysis of Adaptation) must be completed before you may begin your research. In addition, you must submit to me a research proposal (approximately 10-15 pages) by the end of Fall semester of your Junior year. This research proposal must contain a section on preliminary data in which you demonstrate the feasibility of your research idea. The figure at right purposefully does not show the option of taking Bio 134 during one's Junior year. Exceptions to this pathway will be granted only to those who successfully complete the research proposal and who convince me they can successfully plan and execute experiments (including greenhouse experiments) related to the project. [If this does not fit your schedule, consider doing research with a faculty member who offers their advanced seminar in the Fall semester, a schedule that is a bit more conducive to the logistical demands of Honors research.] Fall semester of your Senior year is devoted to data analysis, graphing of results, and writing of the first draft of your thesis: no further experiments should be initiated. Spring semester of Senior year is devoted to participation in Senior Honors Study (weekly meetings to revise drafts, graphs, etc.). Although Honors research involves considerable input from students, projects typically relate closely to the research focus of mentor faculty. My interests lie broadly in plant evolution, with special interests in evolution of parasitic plants, pollen competition, and transgenic plants (see some possible topics). Typically, many appropriate thesis topics present themselves during Bio 134 seminar discussions. Students may continue a Bio 134 independent research project as their thesis topic. Faculty leaves (sabbaticals) occur every fourth year, during which Bio 034 and and Bio 134 will not be offered (unless a leave replacement is present). If you will be a Senior during one of my scheduled leaves, you should find another faculty member with whom to conduct Honors research. Please see the Department's "Projected Courses" for information on faculty leave schedules; consult Darlene Bramucci (dbramuc1@swarthmore.edu) for more current version of schedule, if you have questions. Honors students in my lab are expected to attend the Senior Comprehensive Lecture Series each Friday during the Fall semesters of their Junior and Senior years. Attendance is required so that students can become familiar with different strategies of data presentation, observe how to pitch a topic as "interesting," and to broaden one's perspective in biology. Students are encouraged to meet the visiting speakers, and to join host faculty member at lunches when appropriate. Honors-track Juniors in my laboratory must also assist any Seniors in the laboratory with the final versions of their posters (constructed for the Honors Poster Day, which is the Friday after Spring Break). Assistance usually comes in the form of helpful, friendly critiques of the earlier poster (constructed at the end of the summer). All students in my laboratory (Freshmen, Sophomore, etc.) must meet with me weekly to: show me their laboratory notebook (bound notebook, with entries in pen), show me preliminary graphs, ask questions/advice, complain about the unfairness of science, etc.
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Requirements