by Linley Erin Hall

Most lab work is still done by graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and faculty. They have been working in the field for many years and have a large body of knowledge to draw on when trying to solve research problems. So why bring undergraduates who lack that background into the lab?

One reason is to show students what scientific research is really like and thus get them excited about it. Many science and engineering courses have laboratory sections. But the experiments in these classes have a set procedure to follow, and the expected outcome is often known in advance.

In research laboratories, on the other hand, scientists must develop their own procedures. They don’t always work. And scientists often find that the outcome is not what they expected at all.

Students who experience the thrill of discovery early on are more likely to seek advanced degrees and to pursue careers in research. Students may also discover that they don’t enjoy research and thus decide to explore other careers.

“Especially in anthropology, it’s important for students to get the most exposure they can to what anthropologists and archaeologists actually do,” says David Abbott, associate professor of anthropology. “It’s a real commitment to become a professor. You don’t want to start down that road without giving it your all. So it’s important to provide training and exposure to help students decide on their career path.”

Undergraduate research also introduces students to skills and knowledge that they are unlikely to pick up from their classes. They learn teamwork, patience, and how to handle failure in addition to techniques not covered in lab courses.

Undergraduates may enter the lab with less experience than grad students, but they learn fast and are very dedicated, says Lokesh Joshi, associate professor and director of the Center for Glycosciences and Technology in The Biodesign Institute.

Abbott says that undergrads often bring an enthusiasm to the work that energizes others around them.

“Caitlin Wichlacz had a certain level of excitement that she always brought to meetings and projects,” Abbott adds. “You never know what you’re going to find, and there’s definitely excitement in that.”

To read more about undergraduate research at ASU, see our three-part series, Scientists Next:

Part 1— Caitlin Wichlacz: Jumpstarting a career in anthropology
Part 2—James Cronican: Translating ideas into scientific tools
Part 3—Karen Chow: Sampling the world of bioengineering