© 2011 Elon University

Made by Serif

Undergraduate research is a valuable experience for our majors.

Many students are involved in field research with me while others focus on learning and using molecular techniques such as DNA sequencing and DNA fingerprinting. These projects tend to have broad applications in evolutionary, ecological or conservation biology. Student projects tend to last at least 2 semesters. Students regularly present their work both on campus at SURF and off campus at region professional meetings such as ASB and NCAS.  The techniques learned in this these projects serve students well as they go on to graduate or professional schools after leaving Elon.

Examples of recent student collaborations include:

*  generating and comparing mtDNA sequences from lizards living in different environments

*  examining morphological and genetic variation in cricket frogs across of region of geographic range overlap to study the evolution of  reproductive isolating mechanisms

* sampling genetic variation in lizards across an environmental gradient in western Arizona

*  comparing DNA sequences among populations that have been isolated by manmade barriers such as an interstate highway

* developing genetic markers by screening DNA libraries