By Joseph Neumann '12
This past summer I had the privilege of being one of the first students to participate in one of Lawrence’s exciting new opportunities — the LU-R1 program. When I was first selected for the position, I was overwhelmed by all that the program had to offer. It was one of those rare occasions in life where something seemed too good to be true, but actually wasn’t. A program that is only open to Lawrence students, links students with an alumni mentor and provides funding for the participant, is unheard of for undergraduate students. It was everything that I was looking for in a research position, and Lawrence was the institution that provided it. As is often the case, my expectations were far exceeded by what Lawrence had to offer.
My LU-R1 experience brought me to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, to work in the laboratory of Lawrence alumnus, Andrew Binns. Binns, a graduate of the Class of 1971, is a well-known and widely published scientist who has been actively involved in biological research for more than 30 years. In his time at PENN, he has served as the chair of the biology department and is currently the associate provost for education at the university. Needless to say, his work keeps him pretty busy, but that didn’t stop him from being intensely involved with me.
As soon as I arrived in Philadelphia, I began meeting with Binns on a daily basis. In his laboratory I was working with a species of bacteria, called Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which revolutionized the field of plant genetics when it was first manipulated to genetically modify plants. The work that I became involved with this summer involved the application of molecular genetic techniques to investigate the signaling and response mechanisms of the bacteria. The nature of the work was complex and multifaceted; so I truly had my work cut out for me. From the very beginning, I was bombarded with a constant stream of research papers and review articles to read. For the first couple of weeks, each day was filled with protocols for one technique after another. The pace was quick and the expectations high, but this was exactly what my Lawrence education had prepared me for. Lawrence’s hands-on approach to natural science education had given me the experience that I needed to quickly adjust to research work in a professional atmosphere.
After the first few weeks, I had been trained in nearly every laboratory technique relevant to the research. I was given my own laboratory bench with my own equipment to use, just like any graduate student would receive. Once I had established myself in the laboratory, I was even given my own project to work on.
Binns approached me with an idea that he had come up with in his last grant proposal, one that he had yet to follow up on. The two of us worked together, to design a suitable experiment to match the research interest. This project became the focus of my energy for my remaining time in Philadelphia. After all of that hard work, we realized better results than we could have ever imagined. The experiment was wildly successful and opened the door to a wide range of new courses of study.
All of the laboratory experience aside, some of my most valuable experiences didn’t take place in the laboratory at all. Binns invited me to attend to every meeting he held or attended that was related to the research I was doing. For example, when colleagues would come from other universities to present their new findings and discuss how those findings fit with the accepted model, I was able to participate in the brainstorming sessions. At the end of my 10-week stay, Binns asked me to present my research and findings at a lab meeting. My LU-R1 experience didn’t leave me on the sidelines of the action, it put me right in the middle of it, by allowing me to participate and contribute in aspects of research that are normally reserved for graduate level students.
One of the best things about the program is that the LU-R1 experience doesn’t stop when the student leaves his or her summer location — in fact, that is only the beginning. This is certainly true of my experience. When I returned from Philadelphia, I was asked to present my research at a poster symposium. This gave me an excellent opportunity to improve my communication and public speaking skills, which are extremely important for any career in science. Also, as a part of the new biology curriculum at Lawrence, I am required to develop and execute a Senior Experience project of my own. The experience and knowledge I gained with the LU-R1 program is a solid stepping-stone toward this culminating experience of my undergraduate career. In fact, Binns has invited me to return next summer to continue with my research. With this invitation in hand, my goal is to complete a similar project on my own and to develop this into my Senior Experience project.
I cannot express how much I have gained from the LU-R1 program. Through LU-R1 I have been able to gain experiences, learn skills and make connections that would have otherwise been impossible to attain. LU-R1 is an investment for Lawrence that represents our institution’s confidence in producing students who are able to contribute to the scientific community. Most of all, LU-R1 is a reflection of Lawrence University’s ability to meet the needs of undergraduate students better than any other institution in the country.
