The envelope, please...

Our 2008 cohort of students is...

Ammie Ortiz
Stephanie Jimenez
Jessena Valdez
Stephanie Castellanos
Amery Yang
Ashley Longoria

More about these students soon!

Invasive species control internships

The institution: Numerous, working with Student Conservation Association. In 2007, there were 247 SCA Botany and Restoration positions located in 34 states in all regions of the country and working with state, federal, and private agencies, including the National Parks Service, US Forest Service, and The Nature Conservancy.

The program: Varies. Invasive species control internships are great positions for someone interested in spending time outside. Invasive species interns spend a large amount of time off trail getting to know an area intimately.

More information: http://www.thesca.org/conservation_internships/.
Search for internships here .

The pool, 2008 edition

We have about 25 applicants this year. We should be doing personal interviews in about two weeks (due to March break).

Research like a rock star

I've written before about Brian May, so it was inevitable that he would show up on a recruitment poster.

Pull it together!

Time is almost up... the deadline for REU applications is this Friday!

Talk to potential mentors if you haven't done so, and remember to have two letters of recommendation sent to Zen Faulkes in the Department of Biology.

To boldly split infinitives

I cannot win with posters this year. My Pirates poster has been stolen twice now. And when I put this one up, someone wrote on it to point out the split infinitive.

"To boldly go."

Sheesh. Do people not recognize the quote? Perhaps some people need a refresher in classic TV intros.

Also, check out Futurama Math for more geek goodness.

Speaking of which, I'll bet there are projects in the REU program that wouldn't mind having a math major to help with a research project. You don't have to be a biology major to be in this REU program.

Referee choice

Another common question this year has been, "Who should I get to write recommendation letters?"

I can't speak for other programs, but in ours, there really is only one requirement: That your referee know you.

Now, that said, if you think about it, there are some characteristics that are going to be desirable for a recommendation letter.

Since research positions like our REU program are, fundamentally, academic positions, you want to have someone who can address your ability to learn and your learning style. Your referee might want to answer questions like whether you are a quick study or Whether you need a lot of guidance. Whether you learn better in groups or if you prefer to work independently. Your referee might also want to place your academic work in context. In some classes, many students get As, but in others, very few get As. Or perhaps you got a B or a C, but you just missed the dividing line by a point or two, as opposed to scraping by near the bottom range for that letter grade.

Second, since research work is work, you also want someone who can address your ability to work with others. So, generally, you want someone who has supervised you in some way in task-oriented situations. This might be volunteer work, work for pay, or academic classes.

In many cases, professors are good choices for writing recommendation letters.

Sometimes, teaching assistants can write helpful letters of recommendation, as they have more face-to-face interactions with students than in a lecture setting with a professor. Teaching assistants also get to see how you handle equipment and your lab technique.

The one thing you probably don't want, though, is a letter from your mother. We're sure your mom is nice and all, but she's your mom. She has to like you.