1) Start by finding an area of study that interests you! It may be helpful to think broadly at first, and then narrow down to any specialties within that topic.

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2) Meet with your academic advisor and an advisor at the Internship & Career Center. They can provide you with helpful recommendations to assist you as you narrow down your interests, any opportunities, and to point you in the right direction as you begin your search.

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3) Search for opportunities! Here are a few resources provided by the university.

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- Undergraduate Research Center

- Internship & Career Center

- College of Biological Sciences

- Microbiology Graduate Group

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When looking, often the name of the professor will be listed, in which you are able to click on some information through a link, or it may require some additional internet research on their name and lab. 

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4) Contact the professors! Send an email to the professor indicating why you are interested in the lab, relevant experience and coursework, and the quarter you are interested in beginning. You will likely have to send multiple emails to various professors, as perhaps a vacant space may not be available for certain labs. Patiently wait for a response. In some cases, you may need to send a follow-up email.

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5) Some professors may ask to meet with you. In general, it is good to ask about their expectations (i.e. time commitment, independent project potential, etc.) if you were to become an undergraduate researcher for their lab. Additionally, look at their papers and publications. Not only will this provide you with more insights on some fascinating science facts, but will help you prepare for the meeting and the lab if granted a position.

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6) Consider some of the pros of getting involved in research on campus! There are some incredible opportunities by completing a research experience: transcript notation, special course CRN offerings for academic credit, internship opportunities, some paid experiences, and more. It is valuable to ask questions related to this in order to get a scope of the opportunities available to you.

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We wish you luck in your search! Feel free to reach out to the officer team and/or Dr. Martin with any questions!