Research opportunities allow students to work on specific projects associated with faculty members’ expertise. Students typically begin by working in an apprenticeship model with faculty and gradually take on more independent projects within the context of the specific research program as they gain experience. Students can develop vital skills in research design, data acquisition and interpretation, modeling and theoretical analysis, written and oral communication, collaboration and critical thinking. These are valuable skills for students pursuing a graduate degree or entering the job market.

Bret Weinstein (evolutionary biology) works on a wide range of topics, from evolutionary ecology, to adaptive dynamics. Students have the opportunity to focus on the interaction between selection on genes and culture, especially in humans. This type of inquiry often involves questions of consciousness, and the interface between creatures and novel environments.