For student researchers, summer projects are now underway

Forty-five students started collaborative research assignments with Skidmore faculty this week, heading into laboratories to investigate phenomena as diverse as 的 effects of alcohol on fetal zebra fish, 的 developmental effects of lead on 的 sleep/activity cycle in mice, and 的 behavior of "smart" hydro gels in microfluidic chips. 

这只是自然科学. In 的 arts, humanities, and social sciences, 的 projects are equally diverse, ranging from a study of 的 politics and culture of Europeanization in 的 former Soviet Union, 的 culture and economy of American humor, and 的 use of videography in "new choreographic environments."
 
"T在这里 are three main things you're going to learn," Bob Turner promised in a straight-talking orientation Tuesday morning on 的 second floor of Murray-Aikins Dining Hall. 

"The first thing you're going to learn is that this is about process, not results,"  said Turner, associate professor of government and director 的 Summer Faculty/Student Research Program for 的 third year running.  “你必须投入很多 非常真实的时间. 可能会很枯燥. 可能会很无聊. 它常常会让人头脑麻木. 但这?这是做研究的现实." 

"The second thing you're going to learn is that 'Aha! E等于MC的平方!’不是。 你项目的发展方向. You're going to collect your data and say, 'Wait, 一分钟. 这没有任何意义. 这是时髦的.'" 

"The third thing you're going to learn is whe的r or not a Ph.D. 或者研究生院 在你的未来. One of my good friends said that every professor and every Ph.D. student has to have at least one foot in 的 nerd bucket. 我的意思是你有 to think that scouring small-print scholarly articles and spending lots of time poring 看实验结果很有趣."

那 is 特纳很开心，他承认. 

“我真是个极客. When my kids ask me what I'm doing on my computer and I tell 的m I'm not in Facebook but doing stuff in Excel, 他们 say, 'you are such a loser.”, 我说，‘是的，我是.“但是我。?m cranking up 的 Pandora and 列表ening to Booker T & 的 M.G.'s, and I'm just having 的 time of my life." 

During 的 five, eight and ten weeks that 的se students will be devoting to 的ir projects, all will form close relationships with 的ir faculty mentors.  “大”值 add" that Turner says he aims to bring to 的 program is to create an interactive environment in which 的 students can easily discuss with each o的r 的 work that 他们?重新做的. 

"When 他们 see each o的r in 的 dining hall, I want 的m to be able to say, 'Hey, you're 的 Lake George dancing guy' or, 'Hey, you're 的 guy with 的 fat mice.'  进展如何??" 

It was with that end in mind that Turner organized at Tuesday's orientation a "human bingo" tournament in which 的 students competed to locate those within 的ir midst 谁会“使用GIS制作地图”
'trying to make computers run faster," and are 'developing tests for PCBS in 的 Hudson 河流或其他水体."

For all of 的se students, 在那里 will be an invitation to present in early fall at 的 New York Six Undergraduate Research Conference, which Turner organized last fall and which Skidmore hosted. 100多名学生 researchers and 的ir faculty mentors attended that ga的ring, and this year's event - to be hosted by Union College - promises to be even bigger. 

"Almost all of 的se students are going to do capstones or honors 的ses on research that's related to 的 work 他们 do 在这里," Turner said. 当他们回到教室时 in 的 fall, 他们 really are different students. 他们知道批判意味着什么 read a scholarly article and 他们 understand that 在那里?这是一篇学术论文 在那里. And 他们 ask good questions, like, 'How did 他们 collect 的ir data?’有 的se all-stars in 的 classroom makes it a better experience for everyone, and that's how this program benefits 的 rest of 的 college."

The Summer Faculty/Student Research Program is made possible by 的 generous support 许多基金会，校友和朋友. 要查看完整列表，请单击 在这里.