Interested in participating in undergraduate research at Creighton? Great! The fact you found the webpage for our lab is a big deal. This page is here to promote the lab, its discoveries, and its people but it is also purposeful for future team members. We are hoping you found it because you dug in a little bit seeking not just an activity for your CV but because the work sounded interesting.
Our lab is staffed by current Creighton undergraduate students. Students can participate as research volunteers, enroll in research course credit, and as work-study student employees.
Whether your place to discover is with us or another lab, do the work of finding your place! Working to discover is amazing in a way you cannot comprehend until your hands uncover a new fact, something brand new. Discovery is the only way we push back the boundaries of knowledge. This is accomplished fact by fact, discovery by discovery. You can be part of boundary pushing and personally, move beyond only knowing what we know, to discovering what we don’t, yet.
We don’t expect you to read all of our papers before reaching out about space. But knowing what we do and why is important and interesting to us, allows you to understand if it is important and interesting you. A good fit in a lab involves a complex mix of physical and intellectual characteristics. You should investigate what the lab does, not just the subject but how they go about discovery. What kinds of technical education would you like, what techniques would you like to learn? Does the subject sound interesting to you… and not in the “I think everything is interesting”, sort of bland, I haven’t found anything that truly taps my inner nerd way… but really could you see yourself reading on this topic (no test pressure involved) just to learn more? You will be part of a team. What are you hoping for in mentorship and lab environment?
And also, think: 1) If you were told you “had” to engage in research, do you? Very few people do well when being forced into something that is not a fit. If this is a “have to” it is critical you find a place where there will be an intellectual and physical fit. Without a good fit, you risk the entire point. 2) Do you have real time to engage? Discovery research cannot be done with what ever is left over in time, energy, intellect, or interest. Discovery research requires you to develop skills by engaging repeatedly with the skill and then using it. Discovery research requires you to do things you have not done before. Discovery research requires you to engage and develop the project, work, even with strong support from the team. 3) To what end? It is important to be able to explain why you want to be involved in a research lab. And to be specific, once you choose several labs to personally investigate. This is not, no really, its not, about your future aspirations. The best reasons center around today, the present, and your stage as a developing young professional.
If review of our site and what you know, suggests King lab could be a fit: email Dr. King to determine if we are open to new members and if so, request a meeting to discuss. Note: We are small because we want every student to be developed. We love it when students can engage some time in the summer, full or part-time, because focused time leads to faster mastery (not required; better vs, best). You do not need to be Ph.D. focused after college to contribute in our lab, research involvement is not about future aspiration alone. You do have to be curious, willing to engage and observe, be willing to work, be willing to do things you have never done before, and be willing to contribute to our team.
King Lab at Creighton University 