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A strength of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Biology program is the significant in-class research (ICR) projects that take place during all four years of study. ICR refers to a project that requires you to contribute heavily to experimental design and to invest time far in excess of what is required for more 'normal' homework assignments and exams. ICR experiences are introduced early in the Biology core courses and provide you with marketable skills, a learning challenge, an enhanced application to graduate and professional schools, and an opportunity for pride in one's accomplishments. Through in class research, you will master advanced methods in cell culture, information literacy, field data collection, statistics and more. 

ICR can help you better understand scientific information and technological innovation you may encounter in your career or the news; such as emerging diseases and treatments, vaccinations, environmental conservation, climate change, and CRISPR-Cas9.

For those students who continue in Biology, the ICR experience provides marketable skills, a learning challenge, an enhanced application to graduate and professional schools, and an opportunity for pride in one's accomplishments. Our students task themselves with mastering advanced methods in cell culture, information literacy, field data collection, statistics and more. 

Summer Research

There are many opportunities on campus for students to engage in research and scholarship in the summer. Student-faculty collaborations involve in-depth, faculty-sponsored inquiry projects in any discipline. Summer projects may be a research assistant-ship working in a faculty member's lab or on a faculty-driven research project, an independently-conceived student project with a faculty member as a mentor, or an equal partnership between a faculty member and a student. The Office of Undergraduate Research has and Fellowships Office have resources and staff to help you find an opportunity.

Innovation Scholars Program

Innovation Scholars Program offers high-impact experiential learning internships at the intersection of science, healthcare, and entrepreneurship for outstanding liberal arts students from Â鶹ÊÓƵ and other Minnesota private colleges. Working at the Mayo Clinic and with Medical Alley affiliated companies doing early-stage project development, students are a part of a cross-disciplinary team tackling real-world challenges in biomedical and health care technology transfer and entrepreneurship. For more information about the program, please visit the Innovation Scholars site or the staff in the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Center for Career Development Center.

A great way to learn about organismal diversity is to work with a collection. The Â鶹ÊÓƵ Biology Department has several opportunities to work with plant and animal collections! In order to share our insect, plant, and vertebrate collections with a larger community we are in the process of organizing and displaying information, including images, about the specimens in our collections on the Biology Department website and other venues to serve as a resource for classes at Â鶹ÊÓƵ, the St. Peter community, and scientists.

Collections are a vital component of scientific study and education with uses including:

• cataloguing diversity within a taxon
• recording species found within a particular geographic range
• understanding evolutionary change with and between populations

The Rubert Anderson Award in Systematics is an annual award that is granted to faculty-student collaborators to conduct work with one of the department collections. Faculty-student collaborators develop and submit a short proposal in which they outline their plans to curate and present a portion of a collection on-line.

This award is an opportunity for you to contribute to the department’s educational objectives and learn about a particular taxon.

To apply:

1. Contact and meet with one of the following faculty members:

• Invertebrates: Reina Nielsen (rnielse [at] gustavus.edu (rnielse[at]gustavs[dot]edu)) or Eric Elias (eelias [at] gustavus.edu (eelias[at]gustavus[dot]edu))
• Plants: Amy Kocksiek (akochsie [at] gustavus.edu (akochsie[at]gustavus[dot]edu)) or Reina Nielsen (rnielse [at] gustavs.edu
• Vertebrates: Jon Grinnell (grinnell [at] gustavus.edu (grinnell[at]gustavus[dot]edu)) or Eric Elias (eelias [at] gustavus.edu (eelias[at]gustavus[dot]edu))

2. With your faculty collaborator, develop a short proposal in which you:

• clearly state what informational content and how much of the collection will be posted online by the end of the award period
• describe what archival work needs to be done to support #1 (above) and what you intend to accomplish in one semester
• Submit an itemized budget for no more than $160 to support your work. Money can be used to: travel to see collections at other institutions, purchase supplies to present or archive specimens, and acquire texts related to the collection subject

3. Three physical copies of the proposal are due to Eric Elias (NH 2141) by 5:00 PM Monday, September 30, 2024. Successful applicants will be notified the following week.

Students will be expected to present their project at an appropriate venue determined by their faculty sponsor and complete an exit interview. Students successfully completing the proposed work will be recognized at Honors Day.
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2024 Award Recipients: 1. Audrey Christiansen & McKenzie Schwarz; Â鶹ÊÓƵ Herbarium: Sandburg Collection to Restore, Digitize, and Organize. 2. Paige Davidson; The Art of Biodiversity: Visualizing Flora and Fauna. 3. Meg Balfanz; Preparation of Raptor Specimens for the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Bird Collection.
2023 Award Recipients: 1. Monarch Fuhrman; The Â鶹ÊÓƵ Herbarium Collection: Expansion, Repair, and Basic Assessment in Order to Inform Future Priorities. 2. Emily Fletcher; Curating the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Wet Amphibian Collection.
2022 Award Recipient: Georgia Zutz; Advancement of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Animal Collections and Museum Window Display.
2021 Award Recipient: No applicants.Ìý
2020 Award Recipient: No applicants.Ìý
2019 Award Recipient: No applicants.Ìý
2018 Award Recipient: Signe Jeremiason; Exploring Insecta Through Illustration.
2017 Award Recipients: No applicants. Funds were used in support of macroinvertebrate sampling equipment.
2016 Award Recipients: James Eckhardt and Hannah Merwin; Â鶹ÊÓƵ Herbarium Sandberg and Swedish Collections.
2015 Award Recipients: Reina Nielsen and Matthew Gullickson; Historic Collections Â鶹ÊÓƵ Herbarium. Andrew Lindmeier; Â鶹ÊÓƵ Bird Collection (unsupported).
2014 Award Recipient: No applicants.Ìý
2013 Award Recipient: Andrea Gruver; Distribution of Hymenoptera Parasitoids over Time.
2012 Award Recipients: No applicants. Bio 376 Entomolgy students worked in the insect collection in lieu of a winning proposal.
2011 Award Recipient: No applicants.
2010 Award Recipients: Ryan Ortlip and Lucas Youngvorst; Hamrum collection of Odonates.
2009 Award Recipients: Josh Hammer and Carl Stenoien; Â鶹ÊÓƵ Freshwater and Marine Fish Collection: Enhancement of the collection by additions and replacements of local species and creation of a web-based digital archive.
2008 Award Recipients: Elias Anoszko, Stephanie Erlandson, Kirsten Ruser & Karen Katz; Archiving herbarium specimens of historical value and developing a web-based botanical collection.

For students interested in pursuing health professions, connecting with the Office of Health Professions early in your college career is highly recommended. Engaging with the Office of Health Professions can help you navigate the often complex path to medical training and increase your chances of success in your chosen healthcare profession.

• The Office of Health Professions can provide specialized support and resources tailored to your interest in the health field.
• They can offer guidance on prerequisite coursework, application processes, standardized exams (such as the MCAT), and other requirements for pursuing careers in healthcare. 

Learn more about the Office of Health Professions.

The Center for Career Development is a valuable resource when you are seeking assistance in finding internships and job opportunities. They offer various resources and tools to support career exploration and preparation.

• Career Exploration Tools - The Center for Career Development offers online resources to explore different career paths related to their interests, skills, and academic backgrounds. They have information on industries, job roles, and potential career opportunities.
• Resume, Cover Letter, Interviewing - The Center for Career Development can assist you by reviewing and improving resumes, cover letters, and help you prepare for interviews.
• Internship Support - The Career Center provides guidance to help you secure an internship.
• Job Search Resources - The Center for Career Development offers job search resources such as job boards, networking events, and career fairs. These resources can help students identify job opportunities, connect with potential employers, and navigate the job application process effectively.