Biology

Opportunities

J-Term

J-Term is a month-long period of study in January in which all academic departments at Carthage offer innovative courses on campus, as well as study tours in other countries. The Biology Department offers many of the College's most popular J-Term trips, including trips to China, Arizona, Belize, Hawaii, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. J-Term lets science majors have the experience of studying abroad without disrupting their rigorous academic schedules.

Working in the Medical Clinics of Nicaragua

One of the most popular J-Term trips at Carthage is a study tour in Nicaragua. Students volunteer in rural medical clinics on the island of Ometepe. They shadow physicians, work with patients, and observe and participate in patient care. In the months leading up to the trip, students collect donations of medical supplies to bring to the island. For pre-health students, it's a rare opportunity to learn what it's like to work in a medical setting before going to medical school. For more information about the Nicaragua trip, watch this video.

SURE: Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

In SURE, students work one-on-one with a faculty mentor on a significant summer research project.  The program provides a stipend, room and board, and a research budget to participants. All students and faculty participating in the program meet weekly for lunch and presentations of research progress. A poster session is held during the final week of the program wherein the entire Carthage community is invited to view and discuss the results of the research.

In past year, SURE participants have:

• Designed and built biofilm detectors
• Developed adaptive optics demonstrations for museum installations
• Studied the long-term effects of fluoxetine exposure on the third-trimester rats
• Developed low-cost seismic monitoring stations
• Studied molecular micelles
• Designed and built fiber-optic neural probes

Undergraduate Research

Giving science students opportunities to do real research, guided by faculty, is a priority at Carthage. In the Biology Department, faculty emphasize research methods and involve students in their research projects. Most biology majors will participate in collecting and analyzing data during their time at Carthage.

Student Spotlight

Bri Birsa

Carthage biology major Bri Birsa, '11, has been awarded a grant from the Racine Zoological Society for her research on bats, bat activity and their habitats. Read more.

J-Term in Nicaragua

This annual trip allows Carthage students to explore the geography of Ometepe, and treat patients in the island's medical clinics. Watch the video.

Student Research Projects

Download the following .pdfs to learn more about Carthage student research projects.

Biology

Neuroscience