Summers at Trinity University find science students working in laboratories and conducting fieldwork that not only gives them a heads-up on the next academic year but also can affect future decisions on careers or graduate school. More than “just getting college credit,” summer research programs at Trinity have been structured to give students a chance to delve deeply into subjects they will be interested in for the rest of their lives.
Students often spend seven or eight hours – just like a real-world job – toiling daily behind equipment that costs in the six-figure range or thinking intensely about a complex problem in front of a computer. “Summer gives students a chance to do a sustained project,” says Mark Brodl, Brackenridge Distinguished Professor of Biology. “It’s a chance for them to see that science is collaborative and for them to see a convergence of disciplines.”
A big plus is the fact that a host of foundations and grant agencies offer stipends that average $3,500 per student, and Trinity covers housing costs for students to stay in campus residence halls. Professor Brodl says student paychecks must have more than an academic draw – they must have a financial edge over working outside the University. “We beat the Wal-Mart factor,” he explains.
That’s fine with Joseph Baylan, a senior from San Antonio majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology who plans to go to medical school. He spent the summer working with chemistry Professor Nancy Mills on projects funded by the Welch Foundation. “I like it because I make compounds that have never been made in the world. I like problem solving, and I like learning the laboratory techniques,” Joseph says. “It also benefits the professors because they get good work from the students, and all of us submit papers to scholarly journals on our research. Getting that type of work experience, getting paid, getting free housing and a chance to publish, it’s really good.” His sister, Jessica Baylan, a student at Princeton University, also is among the cohort of chemistry student researchers this summer.
Assistant Professor Bert Chandler, coordinator for the chemistry department’s summer offering, says an average of 40 students toil in chem labs every summer, making Trinity’s program one of the largest undergraduate summer chemistry programs in the nation. Because professors put textbook learning into practice, Professor Chandler also believes it’s one of the best undergraduate programs around. “We believe the quality of research we do here matches with graduate school programs. Our students have their choice of graduate schools. They go to the best in the country, and they do well there.” Saying that chemists have a strong work ethic because of their long days in the lab and showing his sense of humor, Professor Chandler calls chemistry “the blue collar side of science.”
In addition to those teaching chemistry, professors of biology, geosciences, engineering science, and psychology spent what many consider a summer break shepherding at least 75 Trinity students through the research paces. Another 16 students and mentors from such prestigious schools as Carnegie Mellon University, Harvard University, and the University of California at Berkeley participated in the 2005 Trinity University Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) in Mathematics Program. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the program is in its eighth year and has resulted in the publication of nine papers in scholarly mathematics journals with four more papers under review, according to Scott Chapman, mathematics professor and REU program director.
Jeffrey Amos, a junior from Kansas State University and part of the REU program in mathematics at Trinity, is majoring in math and statistics and would like to become an actuary. “I came to this program because I wanted to be in a place that excels in research,” he says.
Chris Pursell, professor of chemistry, believes excellent undergraduate research is one of Trinity’s hallmarks. “In the summer, students get a chance to do hands on science, original science, and do and learn things that nobody has ever done. They are discovering something brand new, something that nobody else knows. They become impressed with that environment of doing science yourself, as opposed to a teaching lab where students are told to ‘do this, do that.’ It’s exciting to do these things for the first time.” Without other classes and off-campus jobs, Professor Pursell adds, students have an opportunity to be in a scholarly community with fellow science students interested in doing serious research. Through all this, many friendships form.
Early in the 2005 summer program, Diane Smith, associate vice president for academic affairs, sponsored a Friday afternoon ice cream social for students, mentors, and professors to mix and mingle. Afterward, several groups took in a San Antonio Missions minor-league baseball game. During the course of the summer, the math students went tubing down the Guadalupe River, attended a Concert Under the Stars event at the Botanical Gardens, and went to parties in homes of professors.
Kelly Hanson, a junior from Monterey, Calif., who is majoring in biology and hopes to become a dentist, says summer research “makes me a more independent thinker. It’s helping me to develop scientifically.”
Two students were not sure whether to pursue a doctorate or a medical degree after Trinity. Alaina Edmunds, a junior from South Lake majoring in biology, enjoyed her 10-week excursion into bacteria and microorganisms to learn more about the rigors of research. Funded by the American Society of Microbiology, she will submit an abstract of her research, and if it is accepted for publication, she will go to Florida to present her findings. “I think it’s a really great program and a great opportunity.” Anil Singh, a senior from Barbados majority in chemistry, still isn’t sure which graduate-school route to pursue, but he says working with Professor Chandler “will definitely help me with chemistry.”
Two students were conducting fieldwork in California under the supervision of Kathleen Surpless, assistant professor of geosciences, while others participated in research programs at other universities.
It was the fieldwork that appealed to Claire Edwards, a sophomore biology major from Austin, who was in charge of growing King Ranch bluestem grass on the roof of Marrs McLean Science Center in cooperation with two biology professors – James Skinkle and Kelly Lyons – who are studying the effects of ultraviolet rays on the plants. A Trinity soccer player, Claire says the summer held a great deal of educational value. “Plus, it’s fun to do stuff that is beyond just sitting at a desk.”
Grants Fund Summer Research at Trinity University
Among the foundations and agencies that provided funding for 2005 summer research at Trinity are:
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