Course Description
Introduces new graduate students to research opportunities at the University of Georgia, to research facilities, to the Science Library, and to laboratory safety. Professional ethics and responsibilities.
Athena Title
INTRO RES ILS
Prerequisite
Permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory)
Course Objectives
First-year graduate students in the Life Sciences have traditionally been introduced to the research programs of faculty by having individual faculty present short presentations on their research. In this course, faculty members who are acting as directors of the two ILS portals (Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology [EEO] and Molecular, Cell and Development Biology [MCD]) will act as facilitators to guide first-year ILS students to learn about the research of participating ILS faculty members. Participating ILS faculty members will make available a paper that represents an important or recent publication from his/her research. Students will choose from the list of available papers and will learn more about the faculty member’s research either through an interview of the faculty member, attendance at a presentation by the faculty member, or a visit to the faculty member’s laboratory. The student will report back to the class with a synopsis of the research program of the ILS faculty member they have met. Successful students will engage in an inquiry-based approach and learn about the current research of faculty members in the ILS since the student will read primary scientific literature and discuss it with the author. The successful student will summarize and convey his/her findings to a small group. The successful student will use the information gathered in this course to choose labs in which to conduct rotations.
Topical Outline
Research in the ILS is currently divided into two broad categories: (Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology [EEO] and Molecular, Cell and Development Biology [MCD]). Each week, ILS students will investigate faculty in their respective area.