February 2009 / vol. 5 issue 5
| Sarah Palin may not think fluit flies are important, but that's probably cause they're hard to shoot Photo courtesy of Meagan Olson |
Green With Envy?
You will be once you read about the Green Fellowship
Sometimes I hate going to class. There have been days when I would rather eat used cat litter than go. As a biochemistry major, I sit through two basic class types: those that cover cells and those that cover molecules. That’s it. I hear about cells and molecules all day long, day in and day out. I’m sure all of you pursuing science majors can relate.
I get a break in the monotony this semester. In October, a few other students and I applied for the Green Fellowship, and, because the applicant pool was sufficiently small, my under qualified resume made the cut. I am a Green Fellow.
If you are wondering what this “Green Fellowship” business is all about, you are not alone. Green Fellows are UT Dallas students who are interested in a career in research, and through a nifty partnership with UT Southwestern, are given the opportunity to research in a world-class lab for a whole semester. So you can better focus on your research project, the program insists that you take no classes for the semester, though you do receive credit for the research you conduct.
Did you read that? No classes. The Green Fellowship experience culminates in a poster presentation at UT Southwestern at the end of the semester. To sweeten the deal, UTD has added a $3,500 stipend to help cover living expenses while you work.
I’ve been working in the lab of Dr. John Abrams, a geneticist who researches cell death and cancer in fruit flies. His research has helped to illuminate why some organisms get cancer and why others do not. After my first day of work, I could already point out the virgin female fruit flies and set them aside for later genetic studies. What a skill!
Fly research isn’t the only gig available though. Other Green Fellows work with rats in order to learn about the brain. And while most of the research is biological in nature, not all Green Fellows have bioscience majors. There are opportunities for computer science and electrical engineering majors to learn how to work with the technology that is involved in research. All of the students get the chance to experience cutting edge research and practice their skills of scientific inquiry before they move on to graduate school, and that’s exactly the point of the fellowship.
In a typical day, I will be at Southwestern for over eight hours. I spend most of that time in the lab, but I pack a mean sack lunch and take a nice, leisurely lunch break each day. Other Fellows buy their lunch in the cafeteria, Taco Bell, or another fast food restaurant on campus, and we periodically have lunch together.
At the end of the day, it takes about an hour to get back to UTD during rush hour, but the students who use their free DART passes get home almost as quickly without having to fight traffic. Once I get home its relaxation time. With no exams or homework due, my evenings are always free. I haven’t had free evenings since the second grade, and they are great! I go to bed when I’m tired, not exhausted, and wake up the next day refreshed and excited about a new day of research. That’s quite a contrast to the typical semester of classes.
For me, this research semester is both a break from classes and a test drive of my chosen career. Do I really want to spend all my time pondering the purpose of a protein? Can I learn to ask the right questions to conduct effective research? Will I be able to tolerate commuting as a working adult? Can I work an eight-hour day and still have a life? The Green Fellowship is giving me and other students the opportunity to answer those questions while preparing great resumes for when we know we’re ready to enter the field of research.
I know that there are probably hundreds of undergraduates with research experience at UTD, but there are very few who have been able to do so full time, without those pesky classes getting in the way. Though few have done this, many have had the opportunity. Every chemistry, biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, computer science, and electrical engineering major is eligible to apply, and should do so next fall. (And you might even try applying if you’re in an unlisted but related major.) The Green Fellowship could be a life changing experience. I applied on a whim, and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Don’t miss this opportunity. 
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