Beckman Research Experience Benefits Undergraduates and Labs

William Greenough is a Beckman Institute founding father and research theme co-chair, as well as one of the most prominent neuroscience researchers in the country. But he started out his academic career as a journalism student.

During an interview with a psychology professor at the University of Oregon for a story, Greenough was introduced to the world of research. The professor was prominent neuroscience researcher Jim McGaugh, whose work Greenough had studied in preparation for the interview.

“When I went to see him I just wanted to see if there was a story there,” Greenough said. “He really took the time to describe the experiment he was working on in great detail. He said ‘now, what would you do for the next experiment?’ I basically bluffed my way through it and he was impressed that somebody who just walked in could come up with these kinds of ideas. But I had read about every paper he had published.”

Greenough ended up taking a class from McGaugh and getting into the fields of psychology and neuroscience research. Like Greenough, many undergraduate students working at Beckman have seen their academic and life plans change once they began doing research.

There are more than 300 undergraduate students who work on research projects or in labs at Beckman and many more who are involved in research projects with Institute researchers. For many Beckman faculty members like Greenough, undergraduates are an important part of their research and laboratory work.

Student Sheila Schneider (at left) meets with Beckman faculty member Deana McDonagh in the Beckman Café while Schneider’s guide dog, Heather, looks on.

For some undergraduates, the experience of working in a lab or on a project has broadened the desire they already had to do research, while for others it has caused them to rethink where they were headed in life. In the case of University of Illinois undergraduate student Shelia Schneider, it was the latter.

Schneider agreed to take part as a subject in Beckman faculty member Deana McDonagh’s Relevant Design and Disabilities class. Schneider, who is visually impaired, worked with a design student in the class, which includes students with disabilities as an integral part of the product design process. The class eventually led Schneider to working with McDonagh on more projects involving research and product development, as well as a new career path.

“It changed my whole direction,” Schneider said. “My original direction once I got done with my sculpture degree was to create a space for people with disabilities to explore their creative sides. That was my original intent. When I got started with Deana, it just kind of rolled into something completely different, which I am really excited about.”

For some students, doing research hasn’t changed their goals, just added another dimension to academic and personal plans. Such was the case for Kim Lavin of Greenough’s lab and Stuart Schelkopf of Beckman faculty member Jeff Moore’s research group. Lavin chose biochemistry as a major specifically so she could do research, and joined Greenough’s lab in order to work on projects that involve people.

“I wanted to do something I could relate to and he studies Alzheimer’s and Fragile X,” Lavin said. “I liked the idea of doing research that would keep motivating me.”

Schelkopf said he was interested in organic chemistry and, while looking for a research group to do research, investigated the work that Moore’s lab does.

“I didn’t have a certain focus that I wanted to pursue so I went to him to see where he needed help and he placed me,” Schelkopf said. “Doing research really helps to get into grad school and it looks great on your resume, but I also really wanted to do research just because I love doing that.”