The Discovery Scholars Program affords first year students the opportunity to begin researching their academic area of choice by selecting from a list of faculty designed programs tailored to help first year students thrive in an engaged hands-on environment:. The Discovery Scholars program brings its students out of the classroom and immerses them into their field of expertise.
Students have an opportunity to develop close relationships with faculty members that will be part of their entire academic career. At most institutions, students have to wait years to gain practical experience in their major program. The Discovery Scholars program brings its students out of the classroom and immerses them into their field of expertise in their first semester. Discovery Scholars is a mentor program that connects first year students interested in applied and basic research and scholarly activity to faculty mentors that could assist in scaffolding research opportunities.
Faculty Mentor : Dr. Fran Sandmeier , Associate Professor Biology. Find Out More about Dr. Sandmeier's Discovery Scholar's Experience. Project Details: Our lab studies reptile immune responses in a captive colony of Mojave desert tortoises on campus. Work includes assessing functions of white blood cells and growth rates of natural bacteria in their nasal cavities.
We also work on projects to assess the health of wild reptile species, including ornate box turtles and the all-female species of the Colorado checkered whiptail. Student Outcomes: Students will be trained to carefully handle and examine the animals and to take and analyze small blood samples. All students will work together to learn to collect, manage, and analyze data. Additionally, students will increase their scientific literacy by reading and interpreting similar studies at other locations.
Project Details: As a Discovery Scholar, you'll be introduced to essential techniques, including cell culture with SF9 insect cells, quantitative analysis of gene expression, and advanced microscopy. You'll design and conduct dose-dependent insecticide exposure experiments, perform viability assays, and develop qPCR assays to measure biomarkers related to exposure. This hands-on experience will equip you with skills in quantitative data analysis and experimental design, while also providing a solid foundation in cellular physiology and molecular biology.
