MST RESEARCH INTERNSHIP PROGRAM AT THE JACKSON LABORATORY

Transcription

1 THE MAINE CENTER FOR RESEARCH IN STEM EDUCATION AND THE JACKSON LABORATORY MST RESEARCH INTERNSHIP PROGRAM AT THE JACKSON LABORATORY APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday October 21, 2011 Stipends for 2012: 30 hrs/week - $8,500/semester 40 hrs/week - $10,000/semester In addition, students working 30 hrs/week receive a one-time $750 housing and commuting allowance, and students working 40 hrs/week receive a one-time $1,000 housing and commuting allowance. The Jackson Laboratory and the University of Maine, with financial support from The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, offer a spring semester research internship for MST students. The program consists of research at The Jackson Laboratory and a UMaine course that helps MST interns integrate their research experience into their teaching. Under the guidance of a scientist-mentor, participants work on a research project at Jackson Lab, earning 3 graduate credits from the University of Maine. They also attend a 3-credit course (SMT 507 Research-related Curriculum Development in Science & Mathematics) taught by UMaine faculty at Jackson Lab. The course explores pedagogical strategies that help students learn to think independently and will provide opportunities to develop guided inquiry-based curricula. Note: It is not necessary to have a strong background in biology or genetics to undertake this research internship. Interns will work with one of the research groups at The Jackson Lab for the entire semester on a single research project that they and their scientist-mentor identify together. Interns will read background literature, write a research proposal, conduct the research, and summarize and present findings orally and in a written research paper. A complete application consists of: (1) Application form; (2) Essay (In the essay, please indicate how many hours per week you would like to work for your internship: 30 or 40 hours.); (3) Transcripts of undergraduate & graduate courses (Leisa Preble, Center secretary in 120 Bennett Hall, will attach these to your application); (4) Three Letters of Recommendation (You may use the letters which were written for your MST application if you would like); (5) A recent resume (optional). If at all possible, please give your application materials to Leisa as one package, along with a list of the items from your MST application folder that you would like for her to include.

2 APPLICATION Name: Savannah Lodge-Scharff UMaine Address: 199 Veazie St. Apt 2 Old Town, Me UMaine Telephone Number: Home Address (if different): 65 Woodside Meadow Rd Eliot, ME Home Telephone Number (if different): Address: _s.lodgescharff@gmail.com If you have teaching experience: years of teaching and subjects taught and currently teaching including major subject of teaching: I haven t had long term teaching experience, but I was in an eighth grade science classroom twice a week as an extra hand. This was during the spring semester of my senior year at Colby College. I was working at Waterville Junior High School. If you do not have teaching experience: what subjects do you expect to teach and what was your undergraduate major: I plan to teach physics and/or math. My undergraduate major was physics with a minor in math and administrative science. Research Interests: A description of The Jackson Laboratory is at and research is at Please review descriptions of research labs the Jackson Lab website and list four research areas of interest in the order of your preference. 1 st Bioinformatics/Computational Biology 2 nd Genomics 3 rd Neurobiology 4 th ANYTHING!

3 Use of Animals in Research: Please note: Employees and research interns working anywhere at The Jackson Laboratory may not have pet rodents at home, even if the rodent is cared for by someone other than yourself. If there is a pet rodent where you live, and you wish to participate in the research internship program, it will be necessary for you to remove the rodent from your home for the duration of the program. Most, but not all, research projects at The Jackson Laboratory involve the use of laboratory mice. Please indicate your preference for working with laboratory mice by checking one of the four below. No preference Prefer project involving lab mice Prefer project not involving lab mice Will not work on project involving lab mice Note: The Jackson Laboratory complies with government regulations and guidelines for the care and use of vertebrate animals in research and training. The Laboratory's Animal Care and Use Committee approves all student projects involving animals, and research interns who work with animals attend training sessions before handling animals. Many, but not all, such projects involve invasive techniques and euthanasia. Essay: Please provide concise answers to the following (double-spaced, 3-page maximum): Describe your qualifications for participation in the program. Include examples of any specific teaching experiences and teaching areas you particularly want to enhance. If any, describe previous programs and courses that included hands-on laboratory experience. (Lab experience is not a requirement for admission). Why do you want to attend this program? Explain why you chose the Research Interests, including any strong preferences you have for or against working in any specific area. Explain why you prefer (or do not prefer) to work with laboratory animals. This information will be used as a guide for assigning students to projects. We will make every effort, but cannot guarantee, to assign participants to projects that meet their stated preferences. Describe your teaching and career goals and your reasons for pursuing them. What do you do in your spare time? Signature of MST student: Savannah Lodge-Scharff Date: 10/21/11 Submit to: Leisa Preble

4 Teaching wasn t always something I was extremely interested in. Early on in my undergraduate career, I thought that research was going to by my path. As a physics major, I participated in many laboratory experiments involving LASERS, projectiles, and even some astrophysics with the high powered telescope on campus. I knew that I would need some field experience, and ended up getting the opportunity to intern for NASA at the Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. There I worked under Dr. Robert Rubin assisting with astrophysics research. We looked at Spitzer telescope data, specifically spectroscopic results from the Orion Nebula. I had the opportunity to participate in presentations, colloquium research talks, and various tours of the incredible facility. The experience opened my eyes to the wonderful world of research, and all the possibilities it presents. My senior year I was struggling with the decision of what to do for my career. I did love research, but it seemed something was missing. I had no outlet for my love of working with children. My family is rather large and I grew up with seven siblings. I learned early on I had a passion for teaching through my interactions with them. In an effort to alleviate this missing link, I conducted my senior physics research project on science education in grades K-8. I had found my calling. I was completely struck by how interested I was in science education research. The following semester, my final semester of undergrad, I took an education course that required sixty hours of in-service classroom work. Twice a week I helped out in an eighth grade science classroom. It was the single most rewarding experience of my four years in college. I didn t really participate in much teaching, but more just helped out when students were behind. I knew then that science education and later science teaching would be my path. When I was accepted into the Masters in Science Teaching program at the University of Maine, it seemed simply too good to be true. This program is everything I could have ever wanted at the graduate level. I am conducting research in science education, and have the opportunity to work with some of the most influential people in the field today. In addition, as part of my Graduate Assistantship, I am a teaching partner for two eighth grade science teachers.

5 This relates to the Maine Physical Sciences Partnership (PSP), which is a grant received by the Center for Research in STEM Education here at the University. There are twelve eighth grade teachers piloting a new curriculum with the help of the PSP. I am well versed in the curriculum and once a week I help out in two different science classrooms. I m mostly there as a helping hand, but I ve also had the opportunity to teach, lead discussion, and even share my previous research with the students. It s been a fabulous experience thus far. When I entered the Masters in Science Teaching Program, Jackson Lab was mentioned right away. It immediately intrigued me from the intense research standpoint. Lab research was my original interest, and the opportunity to work in a world-renowned research facility in Bar Harbor sounded like something I could really sink my teeth into. The point that really captured my interest however, was that I could do research outside my immediate field. There is no telling what I will be doing five or ten years from now, and having lab experience in an extremely fascinating area outside of my immediate interest will absolutely help me in all of my future endeavors. In addition, I would like to have the ability to continue some of my research for the University if I were to receive this opportunity. For this reason I would be interested in the 30- hour per week option. This would allow me to continue to participate in PSP related endeavors, as well as not take a complete break from my thesis work. It was difficult narrowing down my research interests simply because everything looked so intriguing. When it came down to deciding what my preferences for research included, I simply looked for what excited me the most from the short, introductory description. Bioinformatics interests me based on its importance to every field. Organizational methods as well as computer tools are important to any research area, and looking into these ideas would be of extreme interest to me. I also have some scarce computer science skills that would help me in this subject. Genomics and Neurobiology are of interest to me simply based on Jackson Lab s advances in the two areas. When I asked about the lab, the first things many of my peers mentioned were these two subject areas. I would love to be a part of these for that reason. With

6 that said, the opportunity in general excites me regardless of the specific area. If the above research opportunities were filled, I would still love to have the experience in any and all areas of research at Jackson Lab. I also have no preference in the area of laboratory animals. I am not uncomfortable with the idea, nor would I be disappointed if I were not to work with them. In regards to my future teaching and career goals, the possibilities are endless. I am generally sure I want to teach eighth grade science at some point in my career, followed by high school math and physics when my energy starts to fade later in life. However, I am also interested in education policy and process. There are so many areas of this field right now that are constantly changing. There are opportunities for textbook construction, standardized test reworking, government educational work, and so much more. I would also really like to further my education after this Masters is completed. Outside of my educational pursuits I am a rather active person. I enjoy running, hiking, and skiing, as well as just being outdoors. Music is a huge passion of mine as well. I love to sing, play the guitar, and act. I m currently in an a-capella group at the University and I m very much enjoying it. I greatly enjoy meeting new people in any way possible. Jackson Lab would be a fabulous place to make new connections as well as new friends. My family however is my biggest passion. With seven siblings between the ages of 5 and 14, there is never a dull moment. I am from Maine originally, and they are my main reason for staying in state. There are a lot of soccer games, dance recitals, and Boy Scout meetings to go to as a big sister, and that s the most important job I have right now. In conclusion, I feel this as the opportunity of a lifetime. I feel so privileged to be in my current program and to have the ability to do lab research as part of this experience would truly be a dream come true. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to apply. I know that I would be a positive addition to your lab environment. I am an extremely hard worker, as well as a generally cheerful person. If given the chance to participate in this experience I would be sure to make the most of every moment.

7 SOME NOTES ABOUT THE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP: MST Research Interns follow the same pathway during their internship as all research interns at The Jackson Laboratory: The first task is a research proposal; interns are required to produce a research proposal within two weeks of arriving at the Laboratory. This is a demanding task; the Interns projects are complex. With much support from their mentor, each has to learn sufficient background information to allow them to understand specialized knowledge about their research area. This requirement assures that interns plan a research project that is both reasonable in the time available and also likely to lead to important new information in their field. This is clearly not an easy chore. Interns are challenged to learn more in two weeks than they probably would learn in a semester course. Then they must demonstrate this knowledge by writing a coherent proposal. Using a wide variety of sources from basic textbooks to scientific journals, they find themselves in two weeks transformed into scholars and doers, participants not spectators. The next step is to step into the laboratory, or onto the computer, and do the research. In most cases, the techniques are new to the interns. Slowly, they become competent laboratory workers and learn how to do laboratory or software work that will provide reliable answers to important scientific questions. Throughout the semester, interns keep a weekly journal, documenting their experiences and their learning. As the semester draws to a close, we ask interns to report the results of their efforts both in a written and an oral report. We expect the report to be at the level of submission to a scientific journal, and the talk at the level of an oral presentation at a scientific meeting. Our expectations are high. None of this is easy, particularly when their scientist-mentors who accept research interns into their laboratories (both wet and computer-based) set high standards for the interns and fix high standards for themselves as mentors. These mentors find projects that both stretch the interns minds & their abilities but also projects that are doable in a semester. The Jackson Laboratory mentors are both demanding and considerate. The program is rigorous, challenging, and absolutely feasible for any MST student, regardless of previous experience or subject background.