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Drew offers an ideal environment for undergraduate students interested in research. Students are able to work closely with faculty mentors in research as Drew’s Biology faculty members are active scientific researchers who work with Drew undergraduates as research assistants. In addition, Drew undergraduates may work with RISE fellows who are part of our innovative RISE Institute (see below), which allows Drew students to have more research experiences than may be available at other schools our size and research opportunities are available for all interested biology students. Research opportunities are available during the academic year and during the summer in DSSI.

Areas of faculty research cover a wide range, including viral pathogenesis, evolution in polluted lakes, the molecular biology of cancer, international health care, forest integrity, small mammal population dynamics, physiology, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Students often accompany professors to scientific conferences in order to present their work and to connect with the larger scientific community. Conferences recently attended by students include those of the American Association for Microbiology, the Beta Beta Beta Biology Honor Society, and the Ecological Society of America.

RISE Institute: Research Institute for Scientists Emeriti

Students may also work with the scientists of the RISE Institute. These renowned scientists have retired from industry and research universities and have come to Drew University to mentor undergraduates on a wide variety of research projects.

Drew Summer Science Institute – DSSI

Many students work with Drew faculty through the Drew Summer Science Institute (DSSI) where students can conduct research with a Drew faculty advisor for 8 – 10 weeks during the summer. This full-time immersion program allows participants to attend weekly meetings with other DSSI scholars where they can present brief reports on their own progress. During the subsequent fall semester, DSSI scholars will present their work in a poster session. Participation in the program includes free on-campus housing and potential stipend.

Summer Research Experiences Elsewhere

Biology students are strongly urged to participate in summer internships and REU experiences off campus, many of which involve research. Information about these programs can be provided by faculty members in the Biology department, as well as through the internship office.

Field Station Scholarships

The Drew Biology Department offers two $700 scholarships each year for students taking ecological field courses or doing environmental or ecological studies off campus, normally during the summer. If you are interested, please complete a Field Station application form and submit it to Dr. Webb or Dr. Windfelder by mid-February. In some years these scholarships are not awarded during the summer and become available for use during the academic year.

Biology Laboratory Assistant Opportunities

A lab or teaching assistant’s duties include helping the professor in charge of the lab with various procedures and pre-lab preparations, and assisting the students with dissections, experiments, computer assignments, and other in-class assignments. In addition to the three hours of lab per week, all teaching assistants attend a one hour meeting at a predetermined time each week. There is a stipend that accompanies this position. If you are interested, please speak to a biology professor for guidance.