Cassidy Johnson

We will explore socially relevant topics from the past and the present to provide a context for learning essential concepts in biology and differentiating between real science and science fiction.

Undergraduate teaching in a biosciences laboratory course: provide group and individual guidance and instruction to students during scheduled laboratory sessions and outside of laboratory classes; participate in meetings with instructor and other TAs; assist instructor with lab prep; evaluate student learning and give feedback to instructor. Repeatable for Credit.

In this course, undergraduates who have previously excelled in a BIOS course will develop teaching skills by leading discussion sections or serving as writing mentors under the guidance of the course instructor. Repeatable for Credit.

Independent research in Rice BioSciences faculty laboratories (sections 2 and above) or other Texas Medical Center laboratories (section 1). Students must have secured a research position prior to applying for BIOS 310. Students spend at least 42 hours in the laboratory for each semester hour of credit (>9h/week for 3 credits). A minimum of 3 credit hours is needed to count toward the BS in Biosciences or to replace one required 300+ level elective lab course for the BA in Biosciences (cannot replace major concentration core labs). Requires a proposal abstract, weekly reports, and a research paper (fall/spring/summer) or a poster presentation (spring/summer for advanced students). Students wishing to perform their research in an off-campus lab must apply online (biosugresearch.rice.edu) at least 3 weeks prior to the start of classes and may not register for fewer than 3 credit hours. Students taking BIOS 310 in the full summer semester must be available to do full-time research for a minimum of 6 weeks or part-time equivalent which should equal to a total of 126 hours working in the lab. It is recommended that summer students spread their hours over 8-10 weeks. Recommended Prerequisite(s): Students are strongly advised to secure research advisors and register for the class well in advance of the start of classes. Recommended Prerequisite(s): Students are strongly advised to secure research advisors and register for the class well in advance of the start of classes. Repeatable for Credit.

This laboratory course will provide hands-on experience in the science of botany focusing on the native plants of the Houston area. Students will become familiar with the evolution, anatomy, physiology, and biodiversity of plants through lab dissections, microscopy, plant presses, and field observations.