Tri-Beta General Members Meeting- Nov. 1st, 2004

 

Attendance:

            Cecilia Compton          

            Julia Gaston

            Ellen Quillen

            Dyan Vogel

            Hilary Beck

            Tim Orford

            Chelsea Johnson

            Whitney Girk

            Anna Ho         

            Evan Foster

            Michelle Bratzler

            Lauren Baehner

 

  • Sign-up sheets for speaking or posting fliers in biology classes

 

Speakers- graduate students and Dr. Neufeld

  • What do you want to get out of grad school?
  • Pick area 
  • Masters or PhD?
    • What are the requirements?  Funding?

 

Student

  • Entmologist-graduate from UCLA
  • Field ecology course in Mexico
  • Took a break between undergrad and grad school- worked for a lighting company
  • Research- insect songs- found an advisor (Greenfield)

 

Student

  • Applied to 20 schools- 5 different programs
  • In PhD program
  • First picked three faculty- worked with all three
    • One month rotation in each faculty lab- then picked one
  • Teaching (GTAs)
  • In biochemistry program

 

All Students

  • First year classes- fill in gaps in knowledge
    • Take bear minimum
    • Here for research
  • Lots more reading
  • Responsible for learning on your own
  • Common course for everyone and some classes in your area
  • Be sure to look at prereqs for grad school
  • MB-get stipend (~$20,000-here)
    • Masters you have to teach

 

Dr. Neufeld

  • Slide careers with phD
  • Why would you want to go to grad school?
    • Research in lab for career
    • Medical research (another option other than medical school)
  • KU department separated into five sections
  • KU requirements
    • Background in biology or chemistry
    • GPA- 3.0 or high- this year average (15 students)- 3.5
    • GRE in top 30%  of each category
      • Last year’s average verbal- 565 (72%)
      • Last year’s average quantitative- 713 (75%)
      • Analytical (now writing)- 690 (78%)
  • Good writing and speaking skills
  • Undergraduate research will strengthen your application
  • Year 1- course work and choose advisor and thesis committee
  • Year 2- specialized course work, teaching, lab research, qualify (exams) for PhD
  • Subsequent years- lab research, journal and research clubs, travel to regional, national and international meetings, publications, research award, dissertation and defense
  • Usually takes about five years to get a PhD