Seeking 1 (perhaps 2) serious, committed, and detail-oriented undergraduate researchers for a 2 semester minimum research track. The first semester you would work as a volunteer (6 hours per week, perhaps increasing to 10). The second semester you would have the option of taking honors research credit under course 199 or as an honors activity.
Duties and tasks:
First semester: Learning to identify soil mites and Collembola.
This is not an easy task. As a matter of fact, it is very frustrating. However, a studious and detail-oriented individual can do within a semester coming in twice a week for 3 hours. This will start with personal instruction in the lab from me, but also require some study outside on your own time. Experience in using a compound microscope is helpful, but not required.
As the semester moves on, a field work component will be available but not required. If the student cannot or does not wish to do the field component, I will ask that the student participate in one or more of the following
- mite extraction in the lab
- mite sorting and curating
- mite identification
- soil texture, moisture, or organic content analyses
Second semester: Mite sorting and identification.
Using the experience and knowledge from the first semester, your primary task will be to assist me in the identification and sorting of mite specimens. This will require:
- Knowledge of and use of MS Excel
- The ability to spend a large-ish chunk of time (3-4 hours) looking at and counting mites.
- Excellent communication skills. At this stage, you will often be working on your own. I will require you to tell me what you got to each day you are working, so I can keep track of how the project is progressing. I also need to know when you are in need of something to keep your work.
Please contact me with a resumé and a short paragraph on why you are interested in working with soil organisms in urban areas. Also, please see my website (https://sites.google.com/site/monicaafarfan/home) for more information on the research I do.
Contact Information:
Monica A. Farfan
Ecology and Evolution Group
Department of Biological Sciences (MC 066)
University of Illinois at Chicago
845 W. Taylor St.
Chicago, IL 60607
t: 312.355.3231
e: mfarfa2@uic.edu
