Undergraduate Research - Natural Science Seminars

The undergraduate research project is a major part of a science student's career at Warren Wilson College. All students majoring in Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, and Mathematics undertake a major research project their junior/senior year. Recent and current projects can be seen in the Natural Science Seminar Schedules:
 

Prior Schedules 
and abstracts:
2003-2004
2002-2003
2001-2002
2000-2001
1999-2000
1998-1999
1997-1998
1996-1997
Prior Schedules 
and abstracts (cont'd):

Current Schedule

Spring, 2008
 
 
 

 

 Future Schedule

Fall, 2008, Spr 2009
Click here for Spring 2008 syllabus.  Questions about syllabus.

Research Design
Spring 2008 Research Design Manual.

    

Faculty and student research projects:

Victoria P. Collins - Chemistry
Dean C. Kahl - Chemistry and Environmental Studies
Donald F. Collins - Physics and astronomy

Natural Science and Mathematics Research Communication

A major part of any research is the publication, presentation, and communication of the results to others.  In the senior year, after completing the research project, each student enrolls in the Natural Science and Mathematics Research Communication course (SCI 493).  (This course used to be called Natural Science Seminar).  In the research communication course, the student will make an oral presentation (Seminar) for his/her peers and faculty and submit a formal written paper for archiving in the Martha Ellison Library.  The public seminar presentation is a formal presentation of the research objectives, results, and significance.  Depending on the scheduling, the presentation may represent a "Work in progress".  The archived paper represents the culmination of the research efforts of the student's project.  The students have an opportunity to make an impressive presentation enhanced with multi-media.

Click here for the current Natural Science and Mathematics Research Communication syllabus.
 

Previous year(s)

Fall 2006; Spring 2007
Fall 2005; Spring 2006
Fall 2004; Spring 2005
Fall-Spring, 2003-2004
Fall-Spring, 2002-2003
Fall-Spring, 2001-2002

The research effort begins during the fall of the junior year as each science student enrolls in Research Design , where students are introduced to tools and methodologies for beginning a research project. Each student then begins the research project while registered for NSS Research with a faculty research mentor. Each student enrolls in the Natural Science Seminar (SCI 491 or SCI 492)  for one semester in which he/she listens and partially evaluates all the other research presentations by their peers.  Finally each student enrolls in Natural Science and Mathematics Research Communication (SCI 493) for presentation, publishing, and listening to other presentations.

Research Design

Juniors will begin the process of selecting a research project. Activities will involve attending lectures which describe the research process, searching the literature, statistical design, and presentation of research results. Students will also attend the Natural Science and Mathematics seminar.

NSS Research

This course is for students doing research for their natural science seminar. After completing SCI 390 Research Design, students are ready to begin their independent research project. Working directly with a faculty research advisor, students will finalize their hypothesis, develop detailed experimental design plans, become familiar with the current scientific literature related to their topic, and collect and analyze data.

NSS Seminar (SCI 491, SCI 492)

The students attend the research presentations by seniors and faculty and partially evaluate their peers' presentations.

NSS Research Communication (SCI 493)
(Note: This used to be called NSS Presentation.

One of the most essential skills for natural scientists is the ability to investigate, organize, and  present concepts and data to one's peers - both orally and in a formal paper. This is the purpose of the Natural Science and Mathematics Research Communication.  In addition to serving as a forum for presenting and discussing student research, the seminar brings together the staff and students in the natural sciences and math to exchange ideas and perspectives.