Undergraduate Research

Students who participate in undergraduate research learn by doing. The are directly involved in a research project in their faculty mentor's laboratory. They become a part of the laboratory research group and discuss their research with faculty and undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduate research students are given the opportunity to attend scientific meetings, to present papers at these meetings and often are able to publish their results in scientific journals.

Why do undergraduate research?

There are several reasons to get involve in undergraduate research:

• reinforce concepts learned in classes
• get to know a professor
• the research lab and department provide a smaller unit within the university
• boost career prospects (graduate school, medical school)
• gain motivation and confidence
• earn money
• have fun (excitement of discovery, interaction with others, exposure to new ideas and methods)

How do you get started in undergraduate research?

• identify your interests: Which biological field or sub-discipline “turns you on”? What sort of question intrigues you? You may be able to find a match between your interests, and those of one or more of our faculty members. See the list at the bottom of this page. Take the next step: look-up the faculty member’s website (links are located elsewhere on this same site) and look into the research being conducted. If you like what you see, contact the faculty member and inquire about the possibility of current or future openings in his or her lab.
• look and listen: ask your friends, ask your teaching assistants, look at available departmental literature, read the bulletin boards
• be inquisitive: ask professors to tell you something about their research
• be open-minded: what matters is to do research of some kind, you are not necessarily committing your entire life to that particular project; your primary goal should be to find a lab that will provide you with a good research experience
• be committed: it takes time to train you; professors will be interested in research students who can devote sufficient time and who are able and willing to make a long term commitment to a project
• be persistent: if your first choice lab is full, don't give up- go visit another lab; make and keep appointments to discuss research with a faculty member

What opportunities are available?

1. Volunteer - One way to gain research experience is simply to volunteer to work in a particular lab.
   
2. Credit - You can register for specific classes if you are interested in receiving course credit for research. You should check with your departmental advisor about the course number for undergraduate research and how it will fit your degree plan. Note that individual professors may have specific section numbers. You may also work in a lab at the Health Sciences Center and receive credit through the Department of Biological Sciences (again, check with your advisor).
   
3. Work-study - You may qualify for the College Work Study Program, which provides jobs for undergraduates. Work-study students are paid on an hourly basis at a rate equivalent to at least the current federal minimum wage. Details are available at the Financial Aid Office.
   
4. Lab Assistant - Laboratories with external funding from a granting agency such as the national Science Foundation or National Institutes of Health may have money available to pay you as a lab assistant. Many granting agencies will provide supplemental grants to their grantees for undergraduate research student stipends.
   
5. TTU-HSC - There are several programs available within the Department of Pharmacology at the Texas Tech Health Science Center. These stipends are funded by the National Institute of Health (Short-term Research Training for Minority Students) and the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships). For more information contact the School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, TTUHSC, Lubbock, TX 79430 (806-743-2425).
   
6. Summer Research Opportunities - Be alert for posters describing summer research programs at other universities, national research centers and biological field stations.
   

7. TTU/HHMI Undergraduate Research Fellows - The Texas Tech University/Howard Hughes Medical Institute undergraduate research program is designated to provide students with a significant, long-term research experience that prepares them for post-graduate studies in science.
   
   

   The program goals are:

   • To inform students of undergraduate research opportunities
   • To involve students in research early in their time at TTU.
   • To provide consistent, long-term support
   • To encourage students to pursue careers in biological and biomedical research

   Competition for TTU/HHMI fellowships is rigorous. Students eligible to apply must be:
   (1) TTU undergraduates enrolled in a minimum of 12 hours (which can include Undergraduate Research hours); (2) in good academic standing; (3) interested in scientific research; (4) either an American citizen or permanent resident or, in the case of foreign nationals, hold a visa allowing her/him to work in this country; and (5) able and willing to limit their employment to this position.
   
   Applications for the TTU/HHMI program are available only in the spring semester. Specific information regarding the application procedure may be obtained at the beginning of the spring semester from the TTU/HHMI Undergraduate Research Center (Room 25 in the Biological Sciences building) or the Department of Biological Sciences office (Room 108in the Biological Sciences building).  For more information, visit the TTU/HHMI web site at www.hhmi.ttu.edu .

Faculty Member	Research Interests	E-mail
Randy Allen	Plant molecular biology, Functional characterization of genes that regulate plant responses to environmental and developmental signals	randy.allen@ttu.edu
Robert Baker	Mammalian evolution and systematics. Aspects of the program focus on disease surveillance, and animal-reservoir species, as well as ecotoxicology	rjbaker@ttu.edu
Shan Bilimoria	Molecular virology, Apoptosis, and Replication	shan.bilimoria@ttu.edu
Robert Bradley	Mammalian systematics, Molecular systematics, Natural history	Robert.bradley@ttu.edu
Charles Cannon	Evolution, ecology, and conservation of Southeast Asian rainforest trees; Comparative genomics of plants	chuck.cannon@ttu.edu
James Carr	Endocrinology, Neuroendocrinology, Behavior, Endocrine disruption, Endocrinology of stress	james.carr@ttu.edu
Ron Chesser	Risk assessment and reconstruction of toxic releases into urban and rural environments; Mathematical and computer-assisted modeling of behavioral ecology and gene dynamics	ron.chesser@ttu.edu
Nathan Collie	Cell Biology and Endocrinology, Caner, Molecular bioengineering	Nathan.collie@ttu.edu
Lou Densmore	Molecular systematics and Evolution, Population genetics, and Herpetology	lou.densmore@ttu.edu
Richard Deslippe	Behavior and Ecology of Arthropods	Richard.deslippe@ttu.edu
Sandra Diamond	Marine Biology, Fish population dynamics	Sandra.diamond@ttu.edu
Lauren Gollahon	Breast and ervical cancer, Development of detection systems, Bioengineering	Lauren.gollahon@ttu.edu
Lewis Held	Developmental genetics of fruit flies
Scott Holaday	Photosynthesis, Environmental Stress	scott.holaday@ttu.edu
Randy Jeter	Microbiology, Microbial genetics	randall.jeter@ttu.edu
Bill Lemon	Neurobiology, Insect sensory physiology	bill.lemon@ttu.edu
Mark McGinley	Ecology, Science education	mark.mcginley@ttu.edu
Nancy McIntyre	Landscape ecology, Community ecology of birds and arthropods	nancy.mcintyre@ttu.edu
Robert Owen	Small mammals, Neotropical ecology, Biogeography, Phylogenetics	Robert.owen@ttu.edu
Reynaldo Patino	Ecophysiology, Ecotoxicology, Fisheries, Aquaculture	Reynaldo.patino@ttu.edu
Carl Phillips	Evolutionary biology of mammals; International programs in nonproliferation of bio-weapons and related national security policy; and WMD-personnel redirection and reconstruction of science infrastructure in Iraq.	carl.phillips@ttu.edu
Brian Reilly	Immunology, Auto-immunity, Host Defense	brian.reilly@ttu.edu
Sean Rice	Evolution, Mathematical biology	Sean.h.rice@ttu.edu
Chris Rock	Plant functional genomics, Hormonal control of development and stress responses, Computational bioinformatics	chris.rock@ttu.edu
Jorge Salazar-Bravo	Evolutionary biology of mammals	j.salazar-bravo@ttu.edu
Michael San Francisco	Molecular microbiology, Microbial virulence in plants and animals, Bacterial antibiotic resistance, Regulation of gene expression	Michael.sanfrancisco@ttu.edu
Kenneth Schmidt	Avian ecology, Behavioral ecology	Kenneth.schmidt@ttu.edu
Richard Strauss	Fish morphology and Development, Biometrics	rich.strauss@ttu.edu
David Tissue	Physiological plant ecology; Climate change impacts on native ecosystems	david.tissue@ttu.edu
John Zak		john.zak@ttu.edu
Hong Zhang	Plant molecular biology and Plant biotechnology	hong.zhang@ttu.edu
Zhixin Xie	Plant biology, small RNAs, Gene regulation	zhixin.xie@ttu.edu