The Fish Fellowship

A two-year research apprenticeship and mentorship,

funded by the National Science Foundation,

for rising sophomores and juniors at Vassar and Lafayette Colleges.

 

 

Research Supervisors & Faculty Advisors:

 

Dr. Thomas H. Koob,

Section Chief, Skeletal Biology, Shriners Hospital for Children, Tampa, FL.

 

Dr. Chun-Wai Liew,

Associate Professor of Computer Science, Lafayette College (LC), Easton, PA.

 

Dr. John Long,

Professor of Biology, Cognitive Science, and Neuroscience & Behavior, Vassar College (VC), Poughkeepsie, NY.

 

Dr. Robert G. Root,

Associate Professor of Mathematics, Lafayette College, Easton, PA.

 

Research project home page.

 

 

 

 

Research Project: 

 

Biomimetic Evolutionary Analysis ‹

The Origin of Vertebrae via Computational and Robotic Simulations of Fish.

 

We build robotic and digital fish (³animats²) and use them to test the biological hypothesis that the vertebral column has convergently evolved in response to selection for enhanced swimming performance.

 

We combine techniques and approaches in biochemistry, biomaterials, biomechanics, elasticity, evolutionary computing, evolutionary robotics, hydrodynamics, genetic algorithms, and mechanical modeling.

 

Abstract (scientific) or Summary (general).

 

 

Criteria for selection of Fish Fellows:

 

(1) interest in research and a career in research science,

(2) demonstrated ability in courses in mathematics, computer science, physics, and/or biology,

(3) membership, when possible, in an underrepresented group within the natural sciences, and

(4) willingness to participate in the FF program for two academic years, including spending time during school holidays conducting research and attending scientific meetings (see details below).

 

 

Educational objectives for Fish Fellows:

 

(1) to contribute intellectually in group and individual situations in the on-going research

      program,

(2) to read and critique primary literature in the fields of biomechanics, applied mathematics,

      evolutionary computation, biomaterials, and biorobotics.

(3) to design, conduct, analyze, present, and write up a complete research project, and

(4) to participate in a national scientific meeting and develop cross-disciplinary research skills.

 

 

The Fish Fellowship ‹ A Research Apprenceship and Mentorship

 

Fish Fellows (FF) begin with a year-long collaborative apprenticeship, followed by a second year in which they (1) serve as mentors to incoming FF and (2) work as independent researchers on projects of their own design. Starting the summer after their sophomore year, they earn a summer stipend working full-time on robotic animat evolution experiments (VC) and digital animat refinement and evolutionary computing optimization (LC). Working in teams of three (VC) or two (two teams of two at LC), each with an upperclassperson peer mentor (a FF selected from the previous year), FF undergo four weeks of intensive training. During the fifth week, the LC teams travel to VC for a two-day design conference; they will be joined by Koob.  The Faculty Advisors hold workshops in experimental design, scientific ethics & etiquette, and troubleshooting.  At the end of the second day, each team holds a critique session in which they propose their research plan. Following experiments conducted over the next four weeks, the VC team, joined by Koob, travels to LC for research presentations, debriefing, and coordination and preparation of abstracts for submission to the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB).

 

During the first semester of their junior year, the teams of FF continue their collaborative work, at a reduced pace (10 hours/week), under the auspices of independent study (for credit but ungraded) at VC and as paid scholars at LC.  We have two goals for this session: (1) further refine the experiments for presentation at the SICB meeting and (2) maintain the cohesion and support of the research teams.  Exposure to a high-caliber meeting has given previous students the chance to experience the excitement of a broad range of scientific inquiry, to meet potential graduate school advisors, and to understand how presentation and critique of their work is part of the social process of research.  During this fall semester, three of the seven (based on interest and availability) FF travel with Long during October break to Mount Desert Island Laboratory, Salsbury Cove, ME, to work with Koob on hagfish axial skeletons.

 

During winter break, all three teams and faculty convene at the Annual Meeting of SICB, held in early January.  Koob, Long, and Root have long-standing participation at this meeting, including serving as symposium participants and organizers.  SICB encourages undergraduate participation, and FF will give either individual oral presentations or group poster presentations.  With feedback from professional audiences, we organize publication priorities for the spring semester.

 

During the second semester of their junior year, FF (1) help the faculty advisors draft publications for submission to peer-reviewed journals, (2) meet weekly in a journal club to read and critique primary literature, and (3) write and workshop, as individuals, a mock grant proposal for their senior thesis to commence in the fall.  This work is credited but ungraded at VC, and uncredited but paid at LC. By writing their own research proposals individuals begin to differentiate from their team.  Near the end of the semester, LC participants and Koob travel to VC (reverse direction alternate years) for a two-day design and presentation conference to (1) critique senior thesis research proposals and (2) develop coordinated research plans for the summer.  The meetings give FF exposure to all aspects of the work.

 

Early in spring semester, faculty advisors help FF identify and apply to other summer research internships.  While we have no formal mechanism for placing students, VC and LC have capable Career Development Offices, and we have assisted students in obtaining research internships at places such as Duke, Cornell, Harvard, Albert Einstein, Mayo Clinic, and Woods Hole. At VC and LC, one FF will be selected, based on interest and abilities, to serve as Peer Mentor for incoming FF at the other college.  In this way we assure that all FF experience sustained mentoring from at least two faculty in different settings, with opportunities for those mentors to be in different disciplines.

 

When the FF return for their senior year, they are the senior undergraduate scientists, role models and mentors for junior FF, responsible for implementing, analyzing, and presenting the senior research project designed in the spring.  They undertake research formally as senior independent research or honors thesis, working for two semesters, presenting their work to the home department, and writing a scientific manuscript as their final project.  Senior FF attend and participate in weekly lab meetings and peer-mentor a junior FF in weekly one-on-one meetings.  Depending on the quality and success of their summer research and preliminary work, senior FF may also submit abstracts for the annual SICB meeting. Early in the fall, we advise and encourage senior FF to begin planning for graduate/professional school.  Faculty advisors help FF contact potential advisors, understand the funding system, and navigate the application process.  FF are encouraged, but not pressured or coerced, to apply for professional or graduate school.

 

 

 

Two-Year Schedule for 2005 Cohort of Fish Fellows

 

 

Year 1 (2005-2006)

Research Apprentice

 

23 May to 29 July:  Summer Internship (paid). Vassar College, member of three-person team.  Lafayette College, member of two-person team.

 

Fall Semester:  Ungraded research (academic credit) at Vassar; EXCEL scholars at Lafayette.  Continuation of teams¹ research.

 

15 Oct to 23 Oct (fall break; optional):  Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Salsbury Cove, Maine.  Research with Koob & Long on hagfish.  Expenses paid by Fellowship.

 

4 to 8 Jan 06:  Annual Meeting of the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology, Orlando, Florida.  Present research.  Travel, room & board paid by Fellowship.

 

Spring Semester:  Ungraded research (academic credit) at Vassar; EXCEL scholars at Lafayette.  Write and submit team¹s research to peer-reviewed scientific journal.  Plan senior thesis for fall (grant proposal).

 

 

 

Year 2 (2006-2007)

Researcher & Mentor

 

Summer: Research Internship either at partner college, Lafayette or Vassar, or elsewhere.

 

 

Fall Semester:  Senior thesis.  Conduct experiments independently.  Mentor incoming team members.

 

 

October (fall break; optional): Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Salsbury Cove, Maine.  Research with Koob & Long on hagfish.  Expenses paid by Fellowship.

 

 

January 07:  Annual Meeting of the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology, Tucson, Arizona.  Present research.  Travel, room & board paid by Fellowship.

 

 

Spring Semester:  Senior thesis.  Finish project.  Write for publication.  Present to department.  Mentor Year 1 team members.