Preparing Your Students for the Future – Undergraduate Research Experiences

 

Dan Lauffer, Paul Williams, Hedi Baxter Lauffer, & Jackson Hetue

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2018, Volume 39

Abstract

Undergraduate research experiences are valuable for all students, both science majors and nonmajors. Engaging in undergraduate research experiences provides unique problem-solving and innovation opportunities that can help build proficiency for professional excellence in any career. Wisconsin Fast Plants and other Rapid-Cycling Brassicas—with their short life cycles, genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity—are ideal organisms for both short- and long-term undergraduate research projects and independent studies. The Wisconsin Fast Plants Program staff and its research seed stock collection, the Rapid-Cycling Brassica Collection, are dedicated to supporting undergraduate research and education initiatives by supplying seed varieties of Rapid-Cycling Brassicas, background information, protocols, relevant existing data sets and on-line mentoring and support.

Keywords:  Fast Plants, undergraduate research, artificial selection, Brassica, plant breeding, plant growth and development

University of Wisconsin, Madison (2017)