Why do research? (cont.)
You’ll learn more by doing a hands-on project.
You’ll develop a closer relationship with a faculty member. (This is always a good thing, particularly when you need a reference.)
You’ll develop an understanding of research methodology. This is good for graduate school, professional school, or life in general.
You’ll be better prepared for your job after college. Any job. We’re talking problem-solving skills here.
It will look great on your resume! Lots of employers look for real-world experience when they’re hiring. Having your own research will make you stand out in the crowd.
You can get up to 4 hours of course credit.
Last but not least, if you are a science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) student, you can get a stipend up to $1000. (Note: The stipend is currently only available to STEM students because we have a federal STEM grant that provides these funds. We are working hard to expand the stipend option to the rest of campus.)
What is student research? Is it the same thing as undergraduate research?
Yes. If you haven’t graduated with a bachelor’s degree yet, you are – wait for it – an undergraduate. And, at Dalton State, you get a rare opportunity to do ACTUAL research, exploring a large or small question that will add to general knowledge of a subject.
Can I really get course credit for this?
Yes! You’ll make a contract with your faculty mentor to determine this, but you could get up to 4 hours of course credit for undergraduate research. The course number is usually 4960, so, for example, it will show up in DegreeWorks as “Biol 4960 – Research in Biology” or 4960 in whatever subject you are studying. It may also appear as 4900, Special Topics. (You can still do a research project, though, if you don’t need or want to do it for credit.)
How much time is required?
You need to put in about 60 hours. That’s only 4 hours per week if you do your project in a 15-week semester. But you can do projects over the summer or even stretch it out over the entire year if you need to. We did some calculations and the average time students spend on projects is about 75 hours, in total. This is skewed, however, by a few students who do a lot more hours because they are so INTO IT that we can’t get them to go home at night.
Is there an actual class time for research? Will it interfere with my schedule?
Not at all. You’ll work out meeting times with your faculty mentor.
I hear there’s a stipend. What is that and how do I get it
Students majoring in STEM areas (science, technology, engineering or math) can earn up to a $1,000 stipend for doing about 60 hours of work on an approved research project. A stipend is a flat amount that helps a student pay the bills while learning. This is not an hourly rate – you’ll receive $500 halfway through your project and the other $500 at the end of the project. (Note this is funded by a federal grant and there is some paperwork involved, but we’ll walk you through that.) This option is currently only available to STEM majors, but we are working hard to expand it to all students.
What is the Undergraduate Research Symposium?
A cool opportunity to present your research to other students and faculty. We hold one every fall and spring on campus. You can prepare a poster and talk to people about it, or you can make an oral presentation in front of an audience. It’s okay – even encouraged – to seed the audience with your friends.
What about conferences?
Yes! You might also have an opportunity to travel to a professional conference with your professor to present your work to a larger audience. This is an awesome professional experience. And did we mention it looks great on a resume?
What if I don’t want to present my work at a research symposium or conference?
It’s not required. You can also submit a short paper to summarize your work.
I’m a bit shy about approaching professors. Are you SURE they want to do this?
Most of our faculty members really LIKE students and very much want to work with them on these projects. They also get rewarded for it – both through extra pay and through high marks on their annual performance reviews. (Yes, faculty get graded, too!) So, they have incentives to work with you.
That said, there are a small number of faculty who, for one reason or another, are not open for student research projects right now. Our Student Research Ambassador has a list of those, so check with the Ambassador if you’re uneasy about approaching a professor. The Ambassador can give you tips on how to talk to a faculty member and is even willing to go with you to the professor and introduce you to them.
Do I need to be an ‘A’ student to do research?
No way! Sometimes those who aren’t great in class are AWESOME at research. Remember, Einstein made lots of B’s and C’s in class.
That said, you DO need to show up and put in the work. No-shows are not okay. Unless you’re sick or had a car wreck or a family emergency. In which case, you need to COMMUNICATE with your faculty mentor.
What if I can’t think of a topic?
The easiest way to start might be to get involved with a project that is already in progress. Our Student Research Ambassador has a list of those. You can also talk with the Ambassador or look elsewhere on this web page for resources on how to get started with research, how to find a faculty mentor, and how to come up with a topic. Finally, you can talk with a faculty member with whom you’d like to work and brainstorm about ideas.
What if I’m not a STEM major?
In many cases, you can still do research and get course credit for it. We just can’t pay you the stipend, since the stipend is paid by the U.S. Department of Education HSI STEM grant, which is just focused on STEM students. (That’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, in case you weren’t sure.) You can find faculty mentors here (link to faculty page) or check with a professor in your major and see if he or she is willing to do research with you. You can also ask your department chair for faculty who like to do student research.
How do I sign up?
You can start by talking with our Student Research Ambassador. Email the Ambassador at [email protected] to set up a time when you can talk.
You can also check out the research interests of our faculty at https://www.daltonstate.edu/academics/schools-and-departments/school-of-arts-and-sciences/undergraduate-research/ (or search for “undergraduate research” on the DSC website). If you find something of interest, contact that faculty member and let them know you’d like to join their research project. They are cool with this – we promise! That’s why they listed their interests on this page.
Or, if you have research interests of your own, approach a faculty member in your field of interest and ask them to work with you on your project. They might say yes
Cool Recent Projects
Biology
An Assessment of Treefrog and Snake Diversity in an Urban Wetland – Jacob Thompson, Courtney Hampton, Jacob Smith, Prof. Chris Manis
Assessing the Turtle Community Diversity in Cat Tien National Park – Gage Loy, Prof. Daniel Gaillard
Bird Window Strike Study – Marlys Vincente, Prof. David DesRochers
Ecology and Nesting Behavior of the Cryptic Brownback Salamandar in an Urban and Rural Stream – Gage Loy, Celena Sachez-Soto, Manuela Toxtle Cuautle, Prof. Daniel Gaillard
Evaluation of a Size-Dependent Bycatch Exclusion Device for Insect UV Light Pan Trapping – Hunter Smith & Dallas York, Prof. Alex Orfinger
Kleptoparasitism by Native Robber Spiders in the Webs of the Exotic Golden Orb-Weaver Trichonephila Clavata and its native congener T Clavipes – Daniel Barajas, Prof. Alex Orfinger
Larval Taxonomy of the Net-Spinning Caddisfly Cernotina Truncona – Truc Bui, Prof. Alex Orfinger
Macroinvertebrate Survey of the Conasauga River – Tyler McNeese & Zoe Clark, Prof. John Lugthart
Migrant Songbird Study – Darren Otts, Prof. David DesRochers
Selection of Salt and Drought Tolerant Cell Lines of Tobacco – Michael Tedder, Prof. Hussein Mohamed
Biology/Chemistry
Detection of Heavy Metals in Freshwater Turtle Species in Urban and Rural Settings – Logan Pavlik, Emilie Leyssens, Courtney Hampton & Delma Miguel, Profs. Rebecca Brosky & Chris Manis
Folic Acid Coated Solid Lipid Nanoparticle Encapsulated Paclitaxel: In Vitro Study of Hela Cell Death – Laura Richmond, Prof. Chuck Fink
Chemistry
Extraction and Analysis of Epazote Essential Oils – Ziad Arafat, Sarah Sosebee, Jacob Smith, Profs. Rebecca Brosky & Tricia Scott
Structural and Functional Effects of ZCZ011 Binding to the Brain Cannabinoid (CB1) Receptor – Allie Young & Bryan Perez (fall), Bailey Mann & Andrea Paez (spring), Prof. John Shim
The Spectrophotometric Determination of Equilibrium Constants – Allison Wolfe-Driver, Prof. Chris Wozny
Information Technology
Local Data vs Remote Data: An Evaluation of Trust in Methods of Data Storage – Emmanuel Orji, Prof. Todd Phelps
Mathematics/Biology
Cat Living the College Life – Faith Rollins, Prof. Lirong Yu
Microbiology
Antimicrobial Properties of Local Honey – Bryce Odom, Prof. Susan Burran
Exposing Acne Causing Bacteria to Various Antimicrobials – Yuliana Morales, Jordan Moore, Prof. Leah Howell
Microbial Xylitol Synthesis – Rachel Aldrich, Prof. April Kay
Testing Various Plumbing Fixtures for Legionella species and other bacteria – Fatima Assad & Savannah Jones, Prof. Leah Howell
Physiology
Neutrophil Elastase Regulates CFTR Function in Chronic Neutrophilic Lung Disease – Isaac Elrod, Prof. Courtney Fernandez