Overview

Undergraduate research within the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) department provides students with hands-on experience in addressing complex biological questions related to the interactions of organisms with their environment and the processes driving evolutionary change. Students develop critical skills vital for scientific inquiry and future careers.

Hands-on experience: Students gain practical skills in both field and laboratory settings, including observation, experimental design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation.

Mentorship and Collaboration: Undergraduates often work closely with faculty mentors on ongoing research projects or even design and execute their own independent research with supervision. This fosters teamwork and problem-solving abilities.

Diverse Research Opportunities: EEB research can span a wide array of topics, from molecular evolution and population genetics to conservation biology, restoration ecology, and marine sciences, often accessing unique regional ecosystems for field studies.

Skills Developed:

• Developing and testing hypotheses
• Utilizing quantitative skills and statistical analysis
• Interpreting scientific literature
• Communicating research findings through written reports, presentations, and posters