Undergraduate Research

The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department offers unique opportunities for undergraduates to conduct research in EEB laboratories, and many undergraduates publish work in top journals. Among the many opportunities to conduct undergraduate research include: conservation issues in tropical rainforests; climate change and its influence on natural communities; evolutionary dynamics of genes and genomes in populations and species; mutualistic and negative plant-animal interactions in both natural and managed ecosystems; exotic plant and animal invasions into Texas ecosystems; and supervised research projects at the Houston Zoo or zoo affiliates (e.g., Steven F. Austin State Park).

Research opportunities for undergraduates are available in most of the department’s labs. Visit the various lab web sites for more information on what type of research is currently being done in each lab to see what interests you.

Research for Course Credit

BIOS 306 - Independent Study for Undergraduates

Variable Credits Fall & Spring
Program of independent study for students with previous training in the biosciences. Includes a research paper. Students are expected to spend at least three hours per week in the laboratory for each semester hour of credit. If taken for two or more hours, counts as one required lab course but not as a Group A or Group B course. If receiving two or more credits, students will be required to participate in the university annual undergraduate symposium in the spring semesters. Biosciences Group B.
Instructor permission required

Prereq - BIOS 211.

You can even have a research project at the Houston Zoo. Look here for information.

BIOS 403/404 - Undergraduate Honors Research in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Credits 5.00 Fall & Spring
Only open to undergraduate majors who meet specific requirements and with permission of the research supervisor and chair. Registration for BIOS 403/404 implies a commitment to participate in research for at least 2 semesters.

Department permission required

Students must obtain the Special Request for Registration Form and the signature of the supervising faculty member in order to register for this course

Publishing Your Research

The EEB Department has a history of publishing articles with undergraduates as co- and first-authors in peer reviewed journals.

Recent publications with ungraduate authors*

Parson, W, Zhong, B, and V.H.W. Rudolf. 2013. Mating status and kin recognition determine cannibalism rates. Animal Behaviour 85: 365-369
Wundrow, EJ, Carrillo, J, Gabler, CA, Horn, KC, and E Siemann 2012. Facilitation and competition among invasive plants: A field experiment with alligatorweed and water hyacinth. PLOS ONE 7(10):e48444 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048444
Delclos, P. and V.H.W. Rudolf. (2011): Effects of size structure and habitat complexity on predator-prey interactions. Ecological Entomology 36: 744-750
Baskett, CA, SM Emery, and JA. Rudgers. (2011) Pollinator visits to threatened species are restored following invasive plant removal. International Journal of Plant Sciences 172:(3) 411-422.
Craig, S, S Kannadan, SL Flory, EK Seifert, KD Whitney, and JA Rudgers. (2011) Potential for endophyte symbiosis to increases resistance of the native grass Poa alsodes to invasion by the non-native grass Microstegium vimineum. Symbiosis 53:17-28.
Savage AM, SD Johnson, KD Whitney,and JA Rudgers. (2011) Do invasive ants respond more strongly to carbohydrate availability than co-occurring non-invasive ants? A test along an active Anoplolepis gracilipes invasion front. Austral Ecology 36 (3): 310-319.
Yule KM, JB Woolley and JA Rudgers. (2011) Water availability alters the tri-trophic consequences of a plant-fungal symbiosis. Arthropod-Plant Interactions 5:(1) 19-27.

In addition here are links to journals dedicated to publishing undergraduate research.

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