As I have grown throughout my college career, I have seen how important it is to apply skills outside of the classroom, especially when studying the natural sciences. Acid-base chemical properties are just concepts until you can perform a titration yourself, and learning about parasites is not the same as physically identifying them under a microscope. For these reasons, I am especially grateful for my Scripps education and the ways that professors apply concepts in the lab setting. To take this one step further, it is easy to get involved with science research through our Department of Natural Sciences.
Students are able to get involved in science research as early as their first year. I began doing research as a junior, where I joined a microbiology lab that looks at bacteria and how metals can work as antimicrobials. My lab work is very much “wet-lab” such that I am pipetting solutions, streaking bacteria on petri dishes, and more. But another great thing about science research at Scripps is that there is such a wide variety of projects and labs to join. Whether you are interested in ecology, cellular biology, microbiology, neuroscience, biophysics, or something else, there are many options within the science department. I have peers who do purely computational work for their research, and others who dissect the brains of fish. Every semester, the science department’s DEI committee hosts a research open house, where professors will talk about their labs and ongoing projects for interested students. Some professors will hold applications for labs, while others will just meet with interested students who reach out. Professors are always willing to talk about their work and help students think about their own interests and career paths.
In my own experience, research has been a very supportive venture in my college career. I know I have learned essential skills such as experimental design, attention to detail, and just more about microbiology as a whole. Part of the reason I chose Scripps for my college was to be able to build relationships with my peers and professors, and this has been true in my research experience, where my professor is always willing to meet, and my student mentor has always supported me.