How Does pou4f4 Affect Sensory Neuron Cell Fate Development?
Ben Cluver, Biology, 2024
Thesis advisor: Professor Ezra Lencer
How and when did you select your advisor and the thesis committee members?
I selected my advisor because I was interested in joining his lab and thought his research was interesting. I brought up the idea of a thesis my junior spring when I first started doing research with Dr. Lencer. For biology, your advisor is generally the professor you do research with. And I chose my other committee members because I had a good relationship with them.
When did you start thinking about your thesis? How did you select your topic? How did you develop your research question?
I started thinking about doing a thesis spring of my sophomore year, but I started my actual project spring of my junior year. My topic was largely suggested to me by my advisor since he had a project in mind. I did research on the topic for an independent study my junior spring and then did research over the summer as an EXCEL scholar. This gave me plenty of time to develop my research question before my senior fall.
How did you start tackling your thesis project at the very beginning?
I was lucky to start engaging with my topic as an independent study, so I was already familiar with my topic before my thesis started. Otherwise, I read past literature to see what is already known about the subject to find a place to start.
Did your advisor explain the structure of a thesis project to you?
No, my advisor is relatively new, and I was his first thesis student so we were both learning the structure as we went.
Did you have to do a literature review? Had you ever done one before?
Yes I had to do a literature review. I had done one before, but never to the extent of my thesis.
What did you find most challenging about your thesis project?
Writing the actual report was the most challenging, I found it difficult to concisely explain my research along with giving enough background information so the reader could understand why I was doing the project.
What did you find most rewarding about your thesis project?
Doing my thesis defense was super fun. I loved seeing all my friends and explaining what I’ve been dedicating my life to for the past 1.5 years.
What assistance did your advisor/department offer you throughout the course of the year?
My advisor was super helpful in everything from laboratory procedures to being around for me to talk things through. He also read and edited countless drafts of my report.
What other kind of support did you rely on throughout the year to accomplish your thesis (parents, friends, etc.)?
I had some help from other people in our lab. It was great having other people around to help run experiments if I didn’t have the time.
Were you able to get access to all of the research materials you wanted for your project?
Mostly yes, I rarely had trouble accessing academic journals and databases. However, there is one specific journal that the school does not subscribe to. But the inter loan library was always really fast at getting me the articles I needed.
Would you do anything differently if you went through the process again?
I would start writing much sooner than I thought I’d need. I would have started writing the report even before the research is done. I also would have shared more drafts with my committee even if they aren’t close to being done at all. Getting feedback is valuable at any stage.
What advice would you offer other honors thesis students, especially in your department?
As I said above, start writing so much sooner than you think you need to, and submit as many drafts as possible. I would also recommend picking an out of major committee member from the humanities or social sciences departments. All the professors at Lafayette are really smart so they’ll be able to keep up and provide really good feedback on accessibility. Especially since they come in with no prior knowledge, they can ask really good questions that people with experience may skip over without thinking.