Internships
& Research Opportunities
What
type of equipment do students use
in their laboratory courses?
What student
research opportunities are available?
Do
students and faculty work together
on research projects?
Do
students present research findings
at national conferences?
Have
your students had work published recently?
What
type of internship opportunities do
you have available?
Why
are internship programs important to
the program?
Does
your department offer any study abroad
opportunities?
What
type of equipment do students use
in their laboratory courses?
The department laboratories
are state-of-the-art. Along with the
basic equipment, the department labs
have the capabilities to perform molecular
cloning, DNA amplification, DNA sequencing
and microarray analysis experiments.
Every classroom room is a “smart
room,” fully equipped with up-to-date
technology for presentations and lecture.
Western has a Global
Positioning Systems base station located
at Agenstein Hall with telemetry equipment
and Global Positioning Systems/Global
Information Systems equipment and software
that is used in field biology research.
What
student research opportunities are
available?
A variety of faculty-sponsored
student research opportunities exist
within the department due to the wide
range of faculty expertise and willingness
of faculty to explore new areas. The
general research areas span molecular,
cellular, organismal and ecological as
well as science education. The mission
of the department is to provide a collaborative
learning environment in which students
and faculty can apply their biological
exploration and discovery experiences
as professionals and as informed citizens.
Recent research projects
among Biochemistry & Molecular
Biology majors include Anti-Tumor Drugs
that Bind DNA, Effects of Heavy Metal
Poison on Brain Development, Molecular
Genetic Analysis of Natural Populations,
and Using Zebrafish Gene Expression
to Assess Water Quality.
Do
students and faculty work together
on research projects?
All of our graduates complete
multiple class-related research projects.
Students either work individually or
in small groups on faculty-sponsored
student research projects.
Within the department
there is a great deal of positive interaction
among students and faculty that relates
directly to professional development
in the life sciences. Oftentimes research
projects required for a particular
class are turned into independent student
and faculty investigations due to this
positive interaction.
Do
students present research findings
at national conferences?Sixteen
students from throughout the Biology
Department presented 19 different
research paper or posters at state,
regional and national professional
meetings last year. Some examples
include:
- Regional and national meetings
of the Beta Beta Beta National Biological
Honor Society in Missouri and Colorado
- Regional meeting of the Wildlife
Society in Indianapolis
- Missouri Natural Resource Conference
- Annual meeting of the Missouri
Academy of Science
- Federation of Associations for
Experimental Biology in San Diego
Last year, three of our
students won awards at the regional
meeting of Beta Beta Beta and two were
awarded stipend grants to present their
work at the national meeting.
Have
your students had work published
recently?Two students published
a paper in Cell Biology Education
during the past year. Four students
and a biology professor were co-authors
on a paper in the Transactions of
the Missouri Academy of Science.
What
type of internship opportunities
do you have available?Nearly
half of students in the Biology program
are involved in practical learning
experiences on- and off-campus through
internships, research projects, and
other hands-on activities. On-campus
teaching internships are available
every semester to upper-level biology
majors for credit.
Off-campus internships
are available to upper division biology
majors. Biochemistry & Molecular
Biology students often complete internships
at several of the local life science
industries in the St. Joseph area,
including Boehringer-Ingelheim Vetmedica,
Inc. and Phoenix Scientific.
Why
are internship programs important
to the program?Experience
in the field is beneficial to each
student’s education. Internships
provide students with a valuable
hands-on experience that is difficult
to duplicate in the classroom.
Does
your department offer any study abroad
opportunities?
Bio 220 Field Natural History is a
course specifically designed for students
to experience biological habitats outside
of the St. Joseph area. Marine biology
trips are scheduled almost every spring.
Recently marine biology students have
studied in Belize, San Salvador, the
Bahamas and Jamaica. Special field
natural history classes to the Rocky
Mountains and other destinations are
also offered from time to time.
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