This page is for Union College Biology, Environmental Science or Biology/ID students who are interested in doing senior research with Dr. Kathleen LoGiudice

Conducting undergraduate research is a wonderful opportunity that can lead you into a career in science, help you get into professional school,  or at least make you a more scientifically literate citizen of the world. My work with my senior research students is one of the most rewarding things I do in my job and I welcome the opportunity.  If you are interested, I encourage you to e-mail me to see if I currently have room for new students.  If you are a Biology or interdepartmental program major, you can fulfill your senior writing requirement in two ways, by taking the senior seminar course or by completing senior thesis research. Your career goals will help you to decide which of these paths to take.  If you are considering a career in academia or the scientific research, thesis research is a good choice.

Senior thesis research is a very large commitment and you should think hard about whether you have the time and determination to complete it. It involves a lot of time spent in the field, in the lab and the library, learning and writing about the biological system you are working with.  Your thesis will go through numerous drafts and you will have to take constructive criticism and make changes according to this criticism.  It is not for everyone. It requires a passion for biology and true commitment to getting deeply into a problem or question.

Research students must be willing to spend a lot of time with their projects. It is not a “gut course” or an easy A. Students must be persistent, dedicated, thick skinned (they will see a lot of red ink on their thesis drafts) and excited about the process of research. If you think you may have these characteristics, read on!

I hope I haven’t scared you away because most students consider their thesis research experience one of the highlights of their college careers.  Although you will work hard (spending on average, at least 10-12 hours per week on your research), you will also learn and think and most likely enjoy yourself.  It helps to have some flexibility with your time:

• Some weeks you will spend a lot more than 10-12 hours, some weeks less.
• The beginning of the fall term will be a time of heavy time commitment since the trapping is usually done at that time, although this will vary with the project.
  • If you have a job, research becomes difficult and you should try to keep your job to evening hours in the fall.
  • If you participate in a fall sport, this is also difficult but doable.
  • If you have a job and participate in a fall sport, thesis research will be very difficult and you should carefully consider whether it is right for you. I have had very successful thesis students who were both athletes and worked off campus, but they were unusually disciplined and hard working.
  • Plan to spend some weekend time trapping and/or in the lab since it is sometimes difficult to find a big enough chunk of time during the week.

If this hasn’t scared you away, e-mail me to see if there is room in the lab for next year.  I may also have summer research fellowships available.