在大流行期间寻求研究机会

How students in the 文理学院 are excelling in new learning environments

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered many things across Millikin University's campus during the academic year, 从课堂到运动.

然而, these changes have not slowed down the 性能的学习 curriculum that thrives across the campus community. 在 文理学院, students are continuing to excel in new learning environments, especially through independent research opportunities that are being conducted in labs.

Dr. 特拉维斯Wilcoxen, associate professor of physiological ecology and chair of the Biology Department at Millikin, is among the many faculty members ramping up research efforts this academic year. Several of Wilcoxen's students are conducting research studies on birds and tadpoles, 当每个人都保持社交距离的时候, each of his students have their own time in the lab to work on their projects.

学生Kimmy Christnacht, 大四戏剧和生物双学位, 研究鸟类的疟疾吗, while senior Erika Castanon is studying biomarkers of natural stressors in birds. Senior Brianna Niebrugge is studying natural antibody production during a stress response in birds, while senior Aaron Gamsby is researching training of innate immune defenses against disease in tadpoles. 贾思敏·布朗(Jazmin Brown)博士(Dr. Wilcoxen] has been utilizing the one-on-one research opportunities to study toxoplasmosis in birds.

"This year I am beginning to work on my senior research project with Professor Wilcoxen. We are using ELISA [enzyme-linked immunoassay] techniques and antibodies to detect Toxoplasma in the blood of birds,布朗说. "I am a very hands-on learner as a student and most of my classes are in-person because they are lab courses."

Brown says the most enjoyable part about beginning research as an undergraduate is receiving hands-on experience earlier than most students. "It has allowed me to be very confident in choosing my career path because I've already had experience with lab research and found that I love it,她说.

"Some things are very appropriate for what is going on in our world. 我是一名野生动物疾病研究员, and while I don't have anyone specifically working with COVID, some of the diseases that we study do jump from animals into humans, 像COVID-19,威尔克森说.

关于弓形虫病的研究, Wilcoxen说, "We have a relationship with the Illinois Raptor Center where we've conducted many research projects, and one of our students is trying to see how frequently toxoplasmosis gets into the blood of birds of prey who are eating mice that have the parasite."

Wilcoxen说这项研究有多种好处, 比如了解寄生虫的运动. "It also helps the Illinois Raptor Center understand the degree to which their birds might be exposed to that parasite,他说.

These particular research projects in the Biology Department serve as valuable learning experiences for undergraduates as they prepare for the next step–graduate school. This is proven as Millikin has seen great success of alumni completing their research and having their work published in state, 国内外期刊.

“在过去的十年里, there have been 37 publications in peer-reviewed journals from the Biology Department with Millikin student authors. 平均3.对于mg电子摆脱游戏这样规模的学校来说，每年7个孩子是非常高的。. "This is a great example of the emphasis that we place on becoming scientists rather than just science students."

两名应届毕业生, Mackenzie派克, 2017届毕业生, 和艾琳·卢肯斯, 2019届毕业生, both had their research papers from their work at Millikin published in academic journals. 萧贝尔艾丽丝, 2018届毕业生, also had her research published in Fish Physiology and Biochemistry International Journal, 毕业生塞缪尔·比利格, 2020届毕业生, 和瑞秋·韦伯, 2017届毕业生, were lead authors on a paper published in a special issue of Journal of Experimental Zoology.

“科学是一个过程, and when you teach students how to think through a process and when they experience something new they have never seen before, 他们有能力解决这个问题,Wilcoxen说. "They are taught to find evidence, build an argument and to ask questions."

Jazmin Brown says the students and faculty have done a good job of adapting to all the changes in learning. “疫情让每个人都难以适应, and I feel like Millikin as a community of students and faculty members have done a pretty good job of it."

Dr. 兰迪·布鲁克斯，文理学院院长

"The faculty in the 文理学院 have quickly adjusted to online learning opportunities and found ways to maximize time together with students on Zoom or with small numbers of socially distanced students in person. 例如, all chemistry labs are still in person with about seven students in a laboratory at a time."

"The biggest challenge has been to find new ways of engagement, 主动学习, 充满活力的苏格拉底辩论和社区, although students and teachers may be physically distant from each other. The learning goals for courses have not changed—to prepare students for professional success, 有意义和价值的个人生活, 成为全球社会的公民. I applaud the faculty and students for their dedication to learning and growth."