Christine Pribbenow will evaluate a series of Metagenomics Workshops for Undergraduate Cohorts as developed by Jo Handelsman at Yale University, and funded by the National Institutes of Health. Handelsman is a pioneer of functional metagenomics, an approach to accessing the genetic potential of unculturable bacteria in environmental samples.

Pribbenow will attend summer workshops where she will observe and collect data from student participants and workshop leaders; analyze data to determine participant outcomes; and maintain a database for tracking and research about long-term impact of immersion experience on participants. Participant outcomes of interest include skill and knowledge gains; levels of confidence and self-efficacy in science; continuing interest in pursuing science; comparison of the “cohort” model with individual undergraduate research experiences; application and attendance in graduate school; and continued participation in undergraduate research.

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