early educationI believe teaching young students to “think like a scientist” has the power to affect how they process and understand information outside of data and the scientific fields. Students need to be taught to think critically about evidence and the source of that evidence, and they need to learn that hypotheses cannot be proven, only disproven. I believe this kind of mentality can empower students to believe in themselves despite the social, cultural, and personal data that may be discouraging them. A bully, a skeptical teacher, and societal norms can all be viewed as an outlying point or two in a vast dataset they have not yet collected. Even when all collected data supports a student’s original hypothesis that they are “stupid,” there are myriad alternative hypotheses that must be tested first. |
Undergraduate TrainingI find undergraduate mentoring and training to be one of the most rewarding parts of my job. Whether teaching and guiding undergraduates through the scientific process in the field, in class, on study abroad, or in the lab, it is a joy to watch how they develop and pursue hypotheses from beginning to end. I have mentored a large number of students working in our lab on a variety of projects. Many of these students have gone on to pursue their own research projects on topics ranging from vocal analysis of whoop effort and giggle entropy to how the presence of lions and the sex of the hyena affect mobbing behavior. I encourage students of all genders, sexualities, and backgrounds to apply. The only requirement is an interest in and dedication to learning the scientific method. |
In the Lab
There are a number of projects on-going in the lab that require undergraduate research assistants. We may not need new assistants today, but feel free to contact us to find out. Please include a statement of interest, your CV or resume, and an unofficial transcript.
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Study Abroad
Every year, the Holekamp Lab organizes and leads a three week study abroad course in Kenya. This course, Behavioral Ecology of African Mammals, gives students the opportunity to live and study wild mammals in multiple Kenyan habitats. Students from any major or university are encouraged to apply.
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In the Field
Research Assistants stay in our remote field camps for an entire year. They learn to sex, age, and identify individual hyenas, distinguish behavior, and maintain our remote field camps. If you are interested, please contact our lab manager and include a statement of interest, your CV or resume, and an unofficial transcript.
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