Melissa Aikens

Research in the Biology Education Research Group focuses on understanding the learning and teaching of biology at the undergraduate level.

There are opportunities in my lab for undergraduates interested in biology education to conduct research.

 I am currently recruiting a graduate student (either MS or PhD) for Fall 2022! I am looking for a motivated student to work on an exciting NSF-funded project studying the experience of STEM students that are transitioning from a community college to a four-year institution. Students can pursue a range of research directions within this project. Importantly, the results of the project have direct benefits for community college transfer students – they will be used to create programming that better supports these students. Graduate students also have an option to be co-advised by another faculty member in the department and conduct bench/field/computational biology research along with biology education research. Tuition will be covered, and the graduate student will be funded through a teaching assistantship during the academic year as well as summer financial support. Information about the MS and PhD programs in the Department of Biological Sciences can be found here: https://colsa.unh.edu/biological-sciences/academics

Interested applicants should contact me (melissa.aikens@unh.edu) before applying to discuss how their research interests align with those of the research project and lab. Please include an updated resume or CV with your email. Applicants for a PhD should have completed a Master’s degree in biology or a related field before matriculating to UNH. Applications are due to the UNH Graduate School by January 15, 2022.