The University of Arizona is one of the nation's top research institutions with a three-fold mission of teaching, research, and public service. Microbiology undergraduates are encouraged to actively participate in this mission by working with Microbiology Faculty on original research and scholarly projects. Participation in UA faculty research gives undergraduates a chance to meet and work with people that are experts in their field, while earning credits, money, or accolades volunteering their time. Students can see how scientists pursue their profession, what they are like as people, and what it feels like to conduct scholarly work on a daily basis. Research directors and laboratory personnel can also offer information on job opportunities, different graduate programs, and various professional schools, while exposure to research may help students make important educational and career decisions.
The Microbiology Honors Program contains a number of faculty members from several departments that represent a wide range of research endeavors. If you are interested in doing undergraduate research, contact Dr. Gayatri Vedantam who oversees the undergraduate research honors program. It is recommended that interested students contact three to five faculty members whose research areas are of interest and make an appointment to discuss the research projects that they may have available. The level of previous laboratory experience required varies depending on the needs of the faculty member.
The following are a list of some of Undergraduate Research Programs offered through the University of Arizona (these facilitate undergraduate research but are not required to engage in it):
- MARC (Minorities Access to Research Careers): //www.cbc.arizona.edu/marc/
- UBRP (Undergraduate Biology Research Program): //ubrp.arizona.edu/