Undergrad Biologists Showcase Research

Utah State University student researchers stepped into the spotlight Nov. 30 as participants in the Biology Department’s third semi-annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. Created in 2005, the purpose of the symposium is to give undergraduates the opportunity to share their research and hone their presentation skills before peers and faculty.

 

“The idea for the event came from an informal faculty meeting where we were kicking around ideas about how to enhance our undergraduates’ learning experiences,” says Jon Takemoto, professor and former department head.

 

Invited talks were given by students Ian Whipple, Amanda Mortensen and Ashley Wilkinson. Whipple, whose faculty mentor is Adjunct Assistant Professor Shaun Bushman, presented “Genomic Resources in Perennial Grasses.” Mortensen presented “Aggressive Behavior in Neonate Garter Snakes, Part 1” and Wilkinson presented “Aggressive Behavior in Neonate Garter Snakes, Part 2.” Mortensen and Wilkinson are mentored by Professor Edmund D. “Butch” Brodie, Jr.

 

The event also featured a research poster competition with 26 undergraduate project poster entries. The first place award for poster presentation went to AmberLeigh Muller, Kelly Patterson and Kim Warburton (faculty mentor Frank Messina) for “Remarkably Rapid Adaptation to an Unsuitable Host by the Seed Beetle Callosobruchus maculates (f.).”

 

The second place award was a four-way tie. Honors went to Melody Anderson (faculty mentor Ted Evans) for “Enhanced Biological Control of the Cereal Leaf Beetle;” Amrita Dubey and Reed Gann (faculty mentors Giovanni Rompato and Bart Weimer) for “Microbial Diversity in Great Salt Lake;” Daniel Odell and Cody Mickelsen (faculty mentor Anthony R. Torres) for “Immunogenetics of Autism: Detecting Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Tumor Necrosis Factor Gene via Restriction Digest;” and Joshua Pope (faculty mentor Kent Evans) for “Digital Image and Microscopic Analyses of Primary Leaf Lesions on Wheat Seedlings of Frontana and Alsen Inoculated with Fusarium graminearum.”

 

Judges for the poster competition were Biology Department faculty members Diane Alston, Anne Anderson and Alice Lindahl.

 

Takemoto says that students engaged in original research, particularly in the earliest phases of their education, perform better in college and in their eventual careers. In addition, he says, it is imperative for undergraduates seeking admission to competitive graduate and professional schools – including medical schools – to have research experience.

 

Utah State’s mentorship of pre-professional students ranks among the best in the nation. As in previous years, professional school acceptance rates for 2006 USU pre-medical and pre-dental graduates exceeded national averages. Alumni also excel in graduate and doctoral study in a variety of fields, as well as in careers in private industry.

 

“Undergraduate research offers students insights into how science is really done and the effort that is required to produce meaningful results,” says Dennis Welker, associate professor and director of undergraduate studies for the Biology Department. “It gives students who are thinking about a career as a scientist a way to explore whether it is a reasonable choice for them.”

 

He adds that students involved in research projects often form close relationships with their faculty mentors, who provide guidance in choosing professional schools.

 

Research isn’t complete until the results have been shared with others, says Mary Barkworth, associate professor who co-chaired the symposium with Welker. “One often finds new questions and goes back and does things differently. It’s all part of the research experience,” she says.

 

She adds that research results are not always as exciting as one would hope, but time spent in the lab or the field engages the student in a way that leads to a greater depth of learning than the classroom. “Fifty years from now our students may not be able to remember what they learned in a textbook. But they’ll probably be able to tell you the results of their undergraduate research studies.”