Weaseling into a lab in the Biology Department

The members of the Department of Biology strongly encourage undergraduates to pursue collaborative and independent research during their stay at Swarthmore. Although you will have exposure to research in many biology courses (prospectives: all biology courses at Swarthmore College have weekly laboratory components), nothing compares to the experience of engaging in a longer-term experiment. Research experience is also invaluable for getting into top-tier graduate and medical schools, if you need a further reason.

 

If you are unsure of how to secure some research experience while at Swarthmore, I suggest doing the following:

• Take Bio 1 and 2. Even if you got a 5 on your Advanced Placement test, taking Bio 1 and 2 is the only good way to meet the faculty during your freshman year. Students who opt not to take one of the introductory courses are generally at a disadvantage in upper-level courses in the department.

• If you don't take Bio 1 and 2, be very sure to sit in on some Bio 1/ Bio 2 lectures given by faculty that do research in your field of interest.

• Make sure that you show up for as many biology-related talks as possible. Your attendance will demonstrate that you are interested in research. Faculty really do have subconscious memories of who shows up for these talks, so make sure you come if you can. The majority of these events feature cookies and cheese.

• Faculty research talks and Bio 94 talks (given by students at the end of their projects, in early December and May) are the best way to learn about a particular laboratory, so try extra hard to make these events.

• Read about the research interests of Swarthmore Biology faculty on the Department's web site. Absence of information on the web does not mean that a faculty member is inactive or that he/she doesn't want students...some faculty prefer to be "hidden" so that only the truly motivated and experienced students actually bother to stop by the lab and introduce themselves! For those faculty who don't have web pages, refer to the Biology Majors Handbook (hard copy available from Darlene Bramucci, who is directly across from the main Biology Department office).

• For those faculty whose research statements sound interesting, read some of their most recent publications. These publications are usually listed on their web pages, but you can also locate these references via an online search.

• Go talk to the professor and indicate your interest, and be sure to mention that you have already read their web page and several of their articles. Bring them a resume so that they can quickly see whether you have laboratory experience or some other interesting skill or interest. If you don't have an updated resume, get one made! Check out the very well-written Resume Guide at the CP&P Office.

• Ask the faculty member about his or her sabbatical schedule--don't plan on working with faculty while he or she is "on leave" (prospectives: faculty receive a sabbatical every fourth year). If the faculty member does not have a firm grasp of when his or her sabbatical is, consult the Biology Majors Handbook.

• Take his or her sophomore-level course and be sure to schedule their seminar course as well. You need to demonstrate in interest in their field as well obtain the specific set of laboratory skills that are taught in these courses. For this reason, faculty rarely like to mentor projects for students that have somehow skipped taking their courses.
  

Don't put off research until your senior year. Faculty are overjoyed when students spend several years in their laboratories, and you, in turn, will benefit from having a mentor that is especially committed to making your research experience a productive one. (Your mentor will be in a position to write you a great letter of recommendation, by the way, if you are interested in graduate school, medical school, or other profession that values research experience.)

Summer research funding

The Department of Biology, the College administration, and several outside sources provide financial support for a limited number of students wishing to pursue research projects during the summer months. To maximize your chances of receiving a summer fellowship, it is critical that you start the process in the Fall semester or earlier. Instructions for applying can be found in the Biology Majors Handbook (available from Darlene Bramucci if you don't already have a copy).

If you are interested in a project that involves a "field" component (i.e, many of your days are to be spent outside) you will eventually need to submit a short proposal to the department. In past years the form has looked something like this, but it is changed yearly.; the final version of the form is typically available on the Biology Department's web site in mid February.

Faculty ask that students wishing to do summer research spend the Spring semester, at least, getting the project started. Therefore, it is often necessary for you to work out the details of your project during the final weeks of the Fall semester.