Hometown: Morogoro, Tanzania (e. Africa) and Morgantown, WV
Degrees earned:
B.A. West Virginia University; Ph.D.Purdue University
Arrived at NIU: 1989
Classes taught:
Organismal Diversity; Behavioral Ecology; Entomology;
Graduate seminar;
Human Biology
Who should go see Dr. Bethia King and/or read these FAQs?
Students with a bioGPA of 3.0 or better who are interested in getting research experience in a professor’s laboratory for credit. (Such credit is also a requirement for doing departmental honors, see last FAQs)
What is a “bioGPA”?
Your GPA in BIOS courses plus courses required for the BIOS major (CHEM 210T, 211T, 212, 213, 330 or 336, 331 or 337; MATH 229, 230 or MATH 211, STAT301; PHYS 210, 211 or 253, 273)
Why is there a GPA requirement for doing research credits?
Professors feel that students with lower GPAs should concentrate on raising them.
Why should I consider doing research as an undergraduate?
1) Being involved in actual research is the best way to learn the process of science. 2) It helps you evaluate whether a career involving research is right for you. 3) You may have a chance to interact with graduate students, which can help you decide if graduate school would be right for you. 4) By working more closely with a professor than is usually possible in a classroom setting, you have someone who can write a meaningful letter of recommendation for you for graduate school, professional school, scholarships, jobs ...
How big of a time commitment is it?
Roughly 3 hours per week of work for each hour of credit.
When can I start?
Most students start the 2nd semester of their junior year because by then they have a very solid background in coursework.
Which professors can I work with?
There is no list of professors with openings. Instead you pick someone and ask them if they have a project and space in their lab for you. Professors aren’t required to let undergraduates participate in their research; they do it because they enjoy working with students. A high GPA suggests that you are probably motivated, bright, perseverant and a hard worker. This is important because training a student can be a big commitment of the professor’s time and sometimes research money.
How do I pick a professor to work with?
Professors and their research can be found on the web in a short listing or in more depth. The research does not have to be in the exact field that you plan a career in. The general process of doing science is what matters. For example, the first undergraduate research that I did was on leaf decomposition, but now I work on animal behavior. I chose the professor because he had a good reputation in research and in working with students. I learned general principles of experimental design, analyses, interpretation, literature search and scientific writing.
How do I contact a professor?
Phone and email are okay, but I recommend an in person meeting before you sign on. That way if you haven’t met them before, you get a sense of whether their personality will work well with yours. (You can also get some sense of this if you’ve had them as a professor and from talking to other students.) Knock on a professor's door and say, “I’m looking into doing undergraduate research credits. What sort of research would you have me working on? Will you have room in your lab that semester for me? Will I have set hours? How will I be evaluated?"
What if I want to do more than one semester of research or departmental honors?
What you sign up for in subsequent semesters (BIOS 370 or 499 or 495) depends on your bioGPA.
1. If your bioGPA is 3.5 or better, take BIOS495 (requires Dr. B. King’s signature)
2. If your bioGPA is between 3.2 and 3.5 and you are in university honors, take BIOS499
3. Otherwise, take BIOS370, which requires 3.0 bioGPA.
The maximum credits toward major for BIOS 370, 490, 499, 495 combined is 6 except students admitted to departmental honors may take 6 in 495 and up to 3 in 370, 490, 499 combined.
What are the requirements for graduating with departmental honors in BIOS?
1 to 3 credits of BIOS370, 6 credits (usually 2 semesters) of BIOS 495, a bioGPA of at least 3.5 from your 1st semester of BIOS495 through graduation, and write a senior thesis on your research and give a copy to the honors advisor, Dr. B. King, MO446.
What if I want to do both departmental honors and university honors?
The senior research project that you do for departmental honors may double as a university honors capstone project.
Where do I get the necessary permit? Get a permit slip from the biology main office, MO 349. Everyone starts in BIOS 370, which requires the signature of the professor whose lab you'll be working in. BIOS 495H also requires the signature of Dr. B. King.