NSU Horizons Winter 2008 - 2009

5 horizons He may have been extreme, but Professor Kingsfield—the intimidating law professor from the film The Paper Chase —was right about one thing. The learning process is sometimes about changing the way you think. In terms of research, that means learning rel- evant methods and investigation systems that will allow you to argue your case in the “courts” of research, such as peer-reviewed journals and academic conferences. For undergraduate students in NSU’s Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, learning to “think like a researcher” includes classroom and laboratory activities, research-driven internship components, and options like the Clinic Exploration Program, which allows students to shadow health science professionals. But perhaps noth- ing instills research skills and a love of investigation as much as independent research under the supervision of a faculty mentor. “Independent research is intensive and demanding and gives students a much greater appreciation for what is required in future careers,” said Don Rosenblum, Ph.D., dean of the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences. “Undergraduate mentored research is a critical component for student academic and professional development.” Research fosters critical thinking skills, a message emphasized by groups such as the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) and the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), which co-published a 2005 report, Joint Statement of Principles of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities . “Undergraduate research is a comprehensive curricular innovation and major reform in contemporary American education and schol- arship,” the groups stated. Many NSU students engage in research with or without receiv- ing academic credit, often through independent studies and intern- ships. All research projects require substantial time, commitment, and resources from both students and faculty members. Terry-Ann Dawes graduated from NSU in spring 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in biology. Two and a half years ago, at the end of her sophomore year, she embarked on a research project as part of the college’s undergraduate Honors Program, which requires completing an honors thesis in the junior and senior years. Dawes had a general idea of what she wanted to do based on an inorganic chemistry class with Dimitri Giarikos, Ph.D., an associate professor in the college’s Division of Math, Science, and Technology. It took three months of literature review to find a suitable research topic, but Giarikos helped narrow possibilities to studying the effectiveness of using ruthenium-based compounds in DNA biosensors. “He was very, very helpful,” Dawes said. “I had never done research, and he helped me organize my time.” Giarikos also introduced Dawes to the “real-life” process of science. “In course labs, things work out fine. In research, it’s dif- ferent,” admitted Giarikos. Adapting when faced with problems, he said, helps strengthen critical thinking skills. After two years of research, Dawes presented her work at the Undergraduate Student Symposium, an annual interdisciplinary showcase of NSU research held each April and sponsored by the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences. As part of the Honors Program, she completed and defended a thesis. Dawes also pre- sented her research at the April 2008 American Chemical Society conference in New Orleans. Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences students can also submit papers to the Farquhar Student Journal to undergo a review process guiding them through editing and rewriting stages. “Students take ideas from start to finish,” said Michael D. Reiter, Ph.D., the jour- nal’s editor in chief and assistant director of the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences. “The work they do is important.” The college continues to build new partnerships within NSU and with universities and research centers across the country. The venture with the NSU Rumbaugh-Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research in Plantation, Florida, allows broader research collabora- tion. The college also works with the Indiana University School of Medicine—Northwest and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the joint Intercampus Undergraduate Student Externship Program gives undergraduates academic credit for a summer spent alongside top researchers in laboratories. “In the long term, it is my hope that students in all under- graduate disciplines experience direct involvement in research relevant to their field,” said Rosenblum, who noted that faculty members also benefit. “Professors improve their teaching by seeing students practice and apply the lessons from classrooms. Most important, however, is the intrinsic return to see students connect to the discipline in a new way.” ■ Learning to Think Like a Researcher: Mentored Research in the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences “You come in here with a skull full of mush, and you leave thinking like a lawyer.” —Professor Kingsfield, The Paper Chase , 1973 Terry-Ann DawES