The Next Generation: Support for Undergraduate Research

(clock-wise from left to right) Kelly Lipp, Stephanie Dennison, Caitlyn Conn, and Alyssa Ligouri. Credit: London Wolfe Photography.

Peering into a glass jar containing a perfectly preserved lizard, Caitlin Conn contemplates the animal's physical characteristics. An undergraduate student majoring in biology, Conn is studying the morphological differences among a group of related skinks from the Caribbean region. With the help of Blair Hedges, a Penn State professor of biology, she has identified 32 new species of skink. "About half of the species I have identified already are extinct because of an introduced predator, the mongoose," she said.

Conn is able to do research in Hedges's laboratory because she is the recipient of a grant, funded by the office of Norman Freed, professor of physics and associate dean of the Eberly College of Science, that promotes undergraduate participation in faculty members' research projects. "The ability to do research at the undergraduate level is a wonderful experience for students," said Freed. "It gives them a taste of what it's really like to be a scientist, and it can open doors for them." Freed noted that one of the goals of the grant program is to encourage undergraduate students to attend graduate school in the sciences.

According to Conn, who plans to pursue a Ph.D. degree and to become a professor, participating in a research project has helped her to refine her critical-thinking skills. "I often have to 'think outside the box' when I'm in the lab," she said. "It's been hard at times not to run to the professor with every little problem that arises. I've learned to think through the difficulties that I face and to choose the best solutions without asking for help."

Another undergraduate student in Hedges's lab, Stephanie Dennison, also is studying Caribbean lizards. She is attempting to unravel the evolutionary histories of the species within a particular family of lizard. "I am conducting an extensive molecular investigation using mitochondrial and nuclear genes to resolve the origin and historical biogeography of these lizards," she said.

According to Dennison, "Not only have I learned how to conduct many molecular techniques, but I also have learned how to manage my time, organize a major project, troubleshoot, think critically, persevere, and communicate with others. Undoubtedly, all of these skills will play a role in my future."

According to Freed, not only does his grant program give undergraduates the opportunity to conduct research, but it also gives them the opportunity to write a research proposal."Writing proposals is something that professors must do throughout their entire careers," he said. "It is a tremendous opportunity for undergraduate students to try their hand at this activity."

Other undergraduate members of Hedges's lab group who have received a grant from Dean Freed's office include: Rituparna Basu, Alyssa Liguori, and Kelly Lipp. Basu's research focuses on using molecular methods to determine the time of origin of nematodes, Liguori is studying variations among populations of a species of high-altitude arboreal frog in Haiti, and Lipp is investigating a widely distributed species of burrowing snake in Cuba with a goal of shedding light on how populations are related to one another.