Forms
Intern
Exit Information Form
The
information you provide as part of this form
will be used for reporting purposes to funding
sources and responces to other requests for
information about research topics conducted
and the activities of RTP student participants.
The information you provide will also enable
us to accurately remember all the details about
your summer. This information is critical to
your file so please take your time and be thorough
when completing this form. To ensure that this
information remains up-to-date, we encourage
you to photocopy your completed form and keep
us informed of any changes to the information
provided here. A paper copy of this exact form
is needed for easy file reference. However,
to avoid transcription error, e-mail transmission
of information is required. Send this information
as an e-mail attachment AND include your answers
in the text of an e-mail titled: "INFORMATION
FORM"
Name:
Program
Year:
Project
Title:
Dates
of participation:
Project
Advisor(s):
Permanent
contact information
Address:
Phone number:
E-mail
address:
DETAILED
SUMMARY
1.
Different from your project report and abstract
that describes the research project overall, describe
here what YOU contributed to the research and,
if applicable, how the project fits into a larger,
on-going research topic. Be complete, LIST the
names of ALL the people you worked with and the
products you produced for them.
SAMPLE:
Matthew
Kweskin
My passion is for entomology, especially
bees. My goals for the RTP included learning
the curatorial requirements and methods
for conducting museum based research on
dry preserved specimens of bees. Although
not part of his on-going research interests,
I proposed the topic of our RTP project,
Ommatidia size and behavior of male bees,
to my project advisor (Dr. RON MCGINLEY)
because I have a particular interest in
ommatidia and because the project would
allow me to gain experience in several
techniques including SEM and morphometrics.
In our project we were looking for possible
relationships between the mating behavior
of male bees and the regions of the eye
which have enlarged ommatidia. The size
of the ommatidia has been examined in
the honey bee and found to be much larger
in the upper region of the male. My project
advisor recommended the different species
to use in our research and I investigated
published accounts of bee ethology, looking
for sections of male behavior. With the
assistance of post doctoral fellow DAWN
SOUTHARD, we developed a method to measure
the ommatidia using the light microscope
by making casts of the eyes using shellac.
We observed the casts using phase contrast
microscope. The ommatidia were also observed
and recorded using SEM. The SEM work was
assisted by WALTER BROWN of the NMNH SEM
laboratory. Measurement of the ommatidia
was done at the NMNH Morphometrics Lab
with the help of RALPH CHAPMAN. I digitized
the coordinates and Ralph wrote a computer
program to compute the area of the ommatidia
and classify their shape. Together with
my project advisor we analyzed the data
and I presented our preliminary conclusions
to the staff of the Department of Entomology
during a lunch discussion. JON CODDINGTON
and KARL KROMBEIN offered many helpful
suggestions which I investigated and incorporated
into my final presentation and research
report. Although this topic falls into
the general research interests of my advisor
(as it relates to the biology of bees),
he has no plans to directly continue this
research topic but we plan to publish
our results and I hope to use the topic
as my senior thesis with Ron serving as
adjunct advisor.
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OTHER
THINGS YOU DID THIS SUMMER
2.
Graduate school recommendations, job references,
etc. require a listing of the other things you
participated in during your time at the NMNH including
non-RTP scheduled lectures; visits and volunteer
time spend looking at other collections; participation
in non-RTP scheduled meetings, workshops, etc.
The information provided here serves as a critical
reference for NMNH staff to demonstrate your interest
and enthusiasm in natural history. LIST all events
you participated in and describe in detail the
extra projects that you were involved in (outside
of your assigned project) that supplemented your
experience at the Smithsonian such as personal
research, etc..
This
will also be listed on our web entry and program
booklet under the question: "Other
things I did during the summer:"
SAMPLE:
Jason
Kaufman
1.
North American Paleontological Conference
(9 June 1996 - 12 June 1996). Volunteered
5 hours helping to operate the slide projector
and attend to conference speakers. Attended
several of the lectures and social events.
2.
Behind-the-scenes tour of the NMNH for
SERC and ZOO interns. Hosted the mammals
section of the tour and presented 15 minute
demonstration of "how to measure
the volume of muscle."
3.
Senate of Scientists Dinner Forum (17
June 1996). Attended the meeting of the
Senate of Scientists which featured a
keynote address titled "Sustainable
Development: An economist's perspective"
by NMNH Director Mr. Robert Fri.
4.
Poster stuffing pizza party. Served as
organizer for the RTP poster stuffing
pizza party. Recruited the 30 student
participants and ordered the refreshments.
The event prepared for mailing 7,000 1997
RTP advertisement posters.
5.
Eyes on Science (25 June 1996). Attended
the opening of the new NMNH exhibit "Eyes
on Science."
6.
Capitol Hill Open House (17 July 1996).
Attended the Smithsonian Office of Government
Relation Capitol Hill Open House for Smithsonian
interns. Met several US congressional
representatives.
7.
Independent Anthropology Research. Conducted
independent library and collection research
in the Anthropology Department investigating
early fossil hominids. Volunteered 3 hours
curating the fossil hominid collections
under the direction of Dave Hunt. Met
with research staff Rick Potts and Don
Ortner to discuss graduate schools and
research topics related to early fossil
hominids.
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GENERAL
SUMMARY
3.
As part of the grant process, the RTP must file
multiple reports following the completion of the
program. These reports include information (following
specific formats) about student participants.
Although redundant, provide a statement following
the below sample and include all the key parts
( students name, university status, academic major,
project / report title, supervising scientist,
and career goals, proposed publication of your
research). Please follow the sample provided (exactly),
your information will often be copied verbatim.
SAMPLE:
Susan
Elizabeth Alter. This student's
participation in the 1996 summer session
of the Research Training Program was supported
by a grant from the National Science Foundation,
award DBI-9530331. Institution:
Yale University. Status: Junior.
Major: Physical Anthropology and
Organismal Biology. Project Title:
A reexamination of flexure in the mandibular
ramus as an indicator of sexual dimorphism.
Research Advisor: Dr. David Hunt
and Dr. Douglas Owsley, Department of
Anthropology. Career Goals: after
graduate school, attain a research position
at a university teaching physical anthropology
and conducting field research in paleoanthropology
or paleocology with applications to conservation
issues. Publication: Alter, S.E.
and D. Hunt. In prep. A reexamination
of flexure in the mandibular ramus as
an indicator of sexual dimorphism. Proposed
for publication in the American Journal
of Anthropology, Fall 1996. Research
Abstract:
Elizabeth
comments: "I want to continue
my education and obtain my Ph. D. in plant
systematics and evolution. Through the
RTP I learned a lot about working with
museum collections, gathering data, analyzing
data, writing scientific papers, and presenting
scientific results. I also made many valuable
scientific contacts (and very good friends)."
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WEB
ENTRY
4.
For our permanent directory of RTP participants
and web posting, please provide the following
for pasting directly into our listing and the
web. A sample is provided. You may review the
complete listing for other examples at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/rtp/alumni/directory.htm
SAMPLE
Yolanda
Jesusita Chacon. 2001. New Mexico State
University (Biology). Analysis of feather
characters of cranes, rails, and allies
(order Gruiformes). Dr. Carla Dove, Vertebrate
Zoology - Birds. NSF REU Intern (Award:
DBI-9820303). - - RTP Project Summary.
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5.
We also ask that you provide information to the
following two questions. Your answers will be
posted on the web and included in the program
booklet.
"My
Favorite RTP moment:"
"My plans for the upcoming year and beyond?"
SURVEY
QUESTIONS
