MEET THE LABORATORY
Lab Group Photos - January 17, 2011
Lab Group Photos - July 23, 2010
ADVICE TO PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS
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2008-Present: Jennifer Cole is a PhD student
with a Bachelor’s degree in biology from Texas Tech University (2000) and a
Master’s of Business Administration degree from the Rawls College of Business
at TTU (2004). Her research focuses on identifying biomarkers of exposure
and/or effect using organotypic slice cultures obtained from freshly stranded
bottlenose dolphin tissue. Her hobbies include intramural basketball,
photography and film – especially filming her two beagles howling at everything
that makes a noise in her neighborhood. Her neighbors love her.
Jennifer.Cole
[at] tiehh.ttu.edu
2011: Aaron Conti is a PhD student currently doing his first semester internship in the laboratory.
2011: Lauren McGeorge is a Master's student interning in the laboratory as part of her graduate work at Northeastern University. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Animal and Veterinary Science from Clemson University. Her research at TIEHH focuses on quantifying cytochrome P450 gene expression in dolphins and sea turtles. Lauren’s interests include SCUBA diving, nature documentaries, spontaneous travel, dogs that look like Irish Wolfhounds, photography, and any movie starring Vin Diesel.
Lauren.McGeorge
[at] tiehh.ttu.edu
2011: Rebecca Pezdek is a Master’s student in the laboratory. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Sciences from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on the effects of pollutants on the endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle. She enjoys theater, reading, sports, and counting how many cowboy hats she sees each day.
Becca.pezdec [at] tiehh.ttu.edu
2011: Jan Yagabucci is a Research Associate in the laboratory.
2010-Present: Sarah Webb is a second year Doctoral student in the laboratory. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology (2008) and a Master’s of Science degree in Biology (2010) from Arkansas State University. Her dissertation research focuses on the molecular and cellular effects of organic contaminants on sea turtle primary cell cultures. Her hobbies include chasing her daughter around the house, skiing, painting, and hiking.
POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCHER
2009-2010: Dr. Estelle
Rousselet
was a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory with a PhD in Toxicology and
Cellular Biology from the Faculty of Sciences, University of Grenoble (FRANCE).
Her research interests were focused on investigating the effects of PBDE mainly
in turtle lymphocytes but also in other endangered species. Her hobbies were
scuba diving, (really hard to do in Lubbock where there are only a few ponds!),
going to yoga classes and fitness centers, and discovering the Cowgirl way of
life.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
2008-2011: Sandy Bauman (formerly Sandy Wiggins) graduated with a Master’s in Environmental Toxicology in May 2011 and a Master's in Public Administration in August 2011. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Texas A&M University. Her research focused on the metabolism of xenobiotics in the Loggerhead sea turtle. Her hobbies included road biking, water activities and beating up on the boys in basketball. Sandy is now employed at the University of Northe Texas Health Science Center as Sustainability Coordinator.
2008-2011: Gregory V. Zychowski graduated with a Master’s in Environmental Toxicology in May 2011. He received his Bachelor’s in Environmental Science from Baylor University, where he also completed a minor in Music. Greg’s graduate research at TIEHH focused on characterizing a loggerhead sea turtle cell line and on using such cells in toxicity testing. Greg was also a member of the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra for the 2010-2011 concert season.
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
2010: Javy Arzate was an undergraduate student from South Plains College who graduated from Denver City High School in 2009. He was a member of the NIH Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program during his tenure in the Dr. Godard-Codding laboratory. His major was Mechanical Engineering but that seemed to change every semester. His hobbies were reading vampire books (TrueBlood), watching TV(TrueBlood) and eating; even though everyone called him a skinny minny. Also, Javy played the trombone and wanted to form a band with Gregory V. Zychowski.
If you are interested in my lab, read on and then feel free to contact me. I really look forward to hearing from you.
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Know yourself: what do you like? what are you good at? If you love field work then a modeling lab is not for you. If you need to see what you are working on then a project on RNA expression may not be ideal. If you don't know yet, that's OK. See if you may be able to participate in research projects during a holiday or the summer to help you narrow things down a bit.
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Unless you are independently wealthy, you will need a form of support ($$) during your graduate career. Think of getting a paid graduate position in a lab as getting a professional job: i.e. be professional and prepared. I regularly get contacted by students that ask me if I have money available for a stipend before they even introduce themselves properly and before they indicate why they think joining my lab would be a good fit for them and me. Why would anyone decide to use their precious research funds to sponsor a student who obviously doesn't care enough to give a good first impression?
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Research the University, Department and Lab you are interested in before contacting the PI. I have received some emails from prospective students starting with "Dear Sir", that's not the best way to impress me. It indicates the email was sent without the student having checked my profile or webpage. I invite you to check out carefully as much as you can about a potential lab of interest. This will allow you to ask one or more focused questions to the PI, which will illustrate your interest and enthusiasm.
Research projects in my lab are primarily lab-based, i.e. there is usually little field work. I usually adapt research projects to the particular interests of my students once they have spent a couple of months in my lab shadowing senior students in order to get a better feel for what we do. What I am looking for in a new student is intelligence, a can-do and no-drama attitude and a strong work ethic. If students have research experience then all the better (especially in molecular biology, gene cloning, enzymology or cell culture) but it’s not required as I provide research training within the lab. In general, I would suggest that a summer experience in a lab would add greatly to your resume no matter what though. I also suggest applying early on in the year as the department and the university provide stipends that are competitive and have early deadlines.
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