BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER
19
NOVEMBER
2014
Dear Molly Cule
Professor Molly Cule is delighted to receive comments on her answers and (anonymized) questions
at
, or visit her on the BPS Blog.
I teach undergraduate students who have
not yet decided on their career track. Is it
worth bringing them to the Biophysical
Society Annual Meeting?
Undergraduate research is often the defining expe-
rience that leads students to consider going on to
obtain graduate degrees. Incorporating undergrad-
uate students in research efforts can be a very ef-
fective means of retaining students in the sciences
and working to increase the number of under-
represented students going on to achieve advanced
degrees. Getting students involved in research as
early as their freshman year can provide continuity
for faculty at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions
(PUIs), as well. These students ultimately provide
the research expertise that increases both the num-
ber and quality of a lab’s publications, allowing
faculty to maintain externally funded research.
Attending meetings and preparing posters and
presentations are important experiences for
undergraduates. Many faculty who incorporate
undergraduates in research send them to regional,
local, or undergraduate conferences as a means of
allowing them to present their work in a friendly
environment, gain confidence, and develop com-
munication skills. Ultimately, the goal of attending
these smaller meetings is to prepare the students so
that they feel confident in presenting at a large na-
tional meeting and are better prepared to interact
with experts in their field.
In previous years, I took students to the Biophysi-
cal Society Annual Meeting in their senior year,
after they had presented at a smaller conference.
In recent years, I have realized that it may be more
beneficial for a student to attend the Biophysical
Society meeting during their junior year before
they submit applications for graduate or medical
school. Last year, I was grateful that my NSF
funding allowed me to take three participants
to the Meeting, a sophomore, a junior, and a
postbaccalaureate researcher, the last of whom
had attended the 2013 Meeting as well. Each of
these participants returned with a renewed vigor
and excitement for research and biophysics. The
exposure to the broad range of topics and personal
interactions really solidified their research interests
and influenced their postgraduate plans. Expos-
ing third-year undergraduate students to a broad
range of biophysics and introducing them to
graduate faculty impacts their career choices. This
experience can be invaluable in their decisions on
whether they should apply to graduate school and
what schools might best suit their interests.
There are several events at the Annual Meeting
that are especially useful for undergraduate stu-
dents, including the Graduate & Postdoc Institu-
tion Fair, the Undergraduate Student Breakfast,
which provides networking opportunities and
career advice, and the Undergraduate Mixer and
Poster Fest, a chance for undergraduates to prac-
tice their poster presentations and receive feedback
before the main poster sessions.
Starting students in research very early in their un-
dergraduate careers has multiple benefits that in-
clude retention in the sciences, advanced research
experience, increased probability of publications,
and preparation to attend the Biophysical Society
Annual Meeting. As a professor, I encourage you
to bring your students to the Annual Meeting,
especially during their junior year. As a Society, we
should work on increasing the number of college
juniors attending our conferences; it may help
increase students’ interest in graduate school in
biophysics and lead to a more diverse population
in the next generation of scientists.
