Tuesday, July 21, 2009

boiling it all down


The end of the season is approaching, fast. For grad students like mean it's time to wrap things up, make sure every i is dotted and t is crossed. You start thinking of the upcoming fall and the tests, assays and such that awaits you before you can really get down to the nitty-gritty and figure out what you learned over the season. However, many grad students spend the season not only doing their own research but also mentoring an undergraduate that has hopes of grad school. Think of it as practice for being a full fledged professor running your own lab. You help them come up with project ideas, design the research, execute it, and finally analyze and present it. I'm currently acting in such a role as part of the National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Undergraduates Program (REU). This is a 10 week program designed to give interested undergrads a taste of what research is really like, the trials, tribulations, exaltations and humiliations. This summer I have been mentoring 2 such students but the program is coming to an end. Consequently, I am helping them compile and analyze their data. So rather than spending all day everyday outside chasing birds, as I usually do, I am locked in the office playing with spreadsheets and statistic programs. Yeah for me. But, fortunately, it looks like we're getting some very cool results. So all the work will pay with interest.