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Carter Lab commitments and goals for undergraduate researchers
As a lab community, we are committed to supporting undergraduate development and having high standards and goals for each individual student. We strive to provide an environment full of opportunity and encouragement for personal growth and scientific excellence. We value diversity as a strength and work together to create an inclusive, supportive community for all members. Through time working in lab, our hopeful intention is that students will:
*increase their knowledge of science by “doing science”, by reading scientific literature and participating in lab-group discussions *gain exposure to and experience with numerous research techniques *learn more about how to best approach science in an interactive, self-initiated manner *become more comfortable with the failure-success nature of scientific research *grow confidence in their ability to adapt to unexpected experimental results and failures at the bench *develop dedicated, personal styles of lab notebook keeping and communication skills *grow in self-directed planning and scheduling of their time in lab *practice and improve their skills of searching and reading scientific literature *have a greater sense of their personal interests and commitment to scientific research as they shape future endeavors and career planning |
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Presenting Research
Each member presents their research at conferences on campus (CERCA) and off campus. Here we've linked a video of one of our alumni, Ashely Lutzke, discussing her research project!
Day in the Life of a Research Student
Student Testimonials
Being a member of the Carter Lab was an excellent opportunity for me to grow both personally and professionally, and I left the lab feeling well-prepared for my next steps after my undergraduate studies. Throughout my experiences in the Carter Lab, I realized my passion for research, and Dr. Carter as well as my fellow lab members created an exceptional environment for me to pursue that passion. Now, I am pursuing my PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience at Binghamton University, and I am positive I would not have gotten here without the support I received during my time in the Carter Lab. Whether you think you are interested in research or not, it is a great environment to be a part of, and you might find a passion you did not know existed! ~ Ashley Lutzke, UWEC '22
I joined the lab of Dr. Brad Carter in Spring 2020 to work on (and eventually lead) a project assessing toxicology of environmental chemicals associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Although I came in with clinical research experience, I quickly realized that research looked incredibly different at various time points throughout a project. Working on the early stages of this project, I have re-immersed myself in the experience of being at a lab bench. I began chiseling away at questions and barriers that were holding back the lab and was soon performing titrations to study how specific volatile compounds affect developing zebrafish embryos. The excitement of my research experiences at UWEC convinced me that I wanted to pursue research long-term, and I wanted to prepare for graduate training by working in a research-intensive environment at an R1 institution. Under the mentorship of Dr. Carter, I was encouraged to apply for and accept a position in the 2021 cohort for the SURF program at Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. During my fellowship, I was astonished by the collaboration, resilience, compassion, and selflessness of individuals in such competitive programs, and my affinity for this environment confirmed my desire to be a part of a research community in the future. I have had the opportunity of participating in multiple national conferences, a fellowship, and a post-bacc program with the guidance of Dr. Carter. His role as a mentor is very personal and has impacted me in ways that I didn't know was possible from a research mentor: mental/physical health, networking in the scientific field, presenting me with programs that fit my future career goals, how to ask for help, and many more skills. I've learned how to both fail and succeed as a scientist with the creative freedom that is highly incorporated into his laboratory community. Dr. Carter has shaped my view of what is means to be a scientist, and what to look for in a terrific research mentor. He is always willing to take time out of his day to ensure his pupils succeed, and this quality communication is what allows the lab to function with the flux of so many simultaneous projects. Mentorship from Dr. Carter has allowed me to not only grow as a scientist but as a person as well. I am eternally grateful I had these experiences in a safe space created by the Carter lab. ~ Carley Owens, UWEC '22
Being a member of the Carter lab was one of the most formative experiences of my undergraduate years. Dr. Carter was an incredible mentor because he knew how to provide guidance while at the same time empowering his students to have autonomy over their research projects. Through participation in the Carter lab, I learned how to design and execute experiments for the first time, attended my first science conference, and learned how to critically assess science papers. Dr. Carter was also a wonderful mentor for all things career related: my work in his lab along with his advice and insight helped me successfully secure full time employment in research post-college. I ultimately decided to combine my research experience with my love of media and communication to pursue my MS in Science Communication from UC Santa Cruz this year. I am so grateful to the Carter Lab and Dr. Carter for helping me get to this place in my career! ~ Kate Hull, Oberlin ’18
Joining the Carter Lab helped me explore my passion for science, learn new techniques and topics, and gain independence as a researcher. Although I started the lab with no prior research experience, I gained an extensive toolkit of skills in the lab, from microscopy, behavioral tracking, and computer programming, to presenting at conferences and working collaboratively with other lab members. These skills strengthened my resume and set me up for success as I pursued a career in science. Moreover, Dr. Carter was an outstanding, intelligent, and compassionate mentor, and was always there to solve a problem or provide advice. Thanks to my mentorship by Dr. Carter and my experience in the lab, I am pursuing a PhD in Neuroscience at Brown University. Joining the Carter Lab was my first experience in research, but it will definitely not be my last! ~ Nell Klimpert, Oberlin '18
As one of Dr. Carter’s founding members of his lab at Oberlin College, I had the unique opportunity to (quite literally) help build much of the lab from the ground up. I developed an appreciation for the myriad of the fine-tuned details that go into performing even the most basic of assays in a lab environment. I developed an intimate knowledge of the fish colony ecosystem, and as a clinical research professional more than 5 years later, I continue to draw upon this systems-based thinking to tackle complex problems in our research setting every day. Lab research was one of the most fulfilling academic of my undergraduate experiences. ~ Eoin Mullaney, Oberlin '17