Prospective Undergraduate Students
I recruit several undergraduate students to the laboratory each year and I am particularly interested in accepting enthusiastic students who desire to immerse themselves in the process of scientific inquiry. I also prefer to accept students willing to work with us for more than one year - this is because it takes about a semester to become intimately familiar with the "goings-on" of the lab, and at least a couple of semesters to finalize most experiments. Freshman and sophomores are welcome...and there is absolutely no pre-requisite to work in the lab. The earlier you begin engaging in scientific discovery in a research laboratory, the more likely you are to gain the knowledge necessary to translate what you hear in the classroom to "real world" applications! We are a highly interactive group, and there are many, many opportunities to obtain a diverse skill set - from molecular techniques to animal behavior and ecology. Undergraduate students interested in SCUBA and fieldwork have also accompanied us on trips to the mangrove ecosystems of Florida, local rivers and streams, and volcanic lakes of Nicaragua. And, many of the undergraduates in the laboratory are collaborating on independent projects that will result in publication in peer-reviewed journals (a significant 'feather in the cap' when it comes to applying for graduate or professional schools!). You can find a list of undergraduate research projects here. Please also scan the graduate student projects by clicking on the grad student photos here. If you plan to enroll for BSC 398 credit for your research experience, please read this document for expectations. Lastly, be sure to watch the lab video here. If you are interested in joining my laboratory, please contact me at rlearley@bama.ua.edu with a brief description of your research interests.