Plant Science Research Honors Program
Follow the guidelines for Plant Science Research Honors Program as published in the current Cornell University Courses of Study and posted on line at: http://www.css.cornell.edu/Programs/PlantSciHon/ .
Write a thesis proposal. The thesis proposal must include "a title; a brief background to the problem (justification and literature review), a clear statement of objective(s) and hypotheses to be tested; methodology and experimental plan, necessary space, equipment and supplies, and a project budget." Proposals may be submitted at any time, but are due September 18, 2009 for Spring 2010 graduates; February 19, 2010 for Fall 2010 graduates; September 10, 2010 for Spring 2011 graduates; February 11, 2011 for Fall 2011 graduates.
Obtain a letter of support
from your thesis advisor. The letter from your thesis advisor should accompany
the proposal and state that he/she approves the project plan and that its
completion is feasible within the remainder of your term as an undergraduate.
The thesis advisor should also state that he/she has the time available
to guide and direct the student's work on the project.
Complete the application form, including obtaining necessary signatures.
Deliver thesis proposal,
application form, and advisor's letter to the Chair of the Plant Science
Research Honors Program. The current chair is Prof. Ralph L. Obendorf, 617
Bradfield Hall, phone: 607-227-9313. e-mail: rlo1@cornell.edu.
Meet with thesis advisor
frequently (i.e. at least weekly) to obtain guidance and training as required
to conduct the proposed research including experimental design, data collection,
analysis of data, interpretation and reporting format, and the necessary
writing skills of a caliber that they could meet the standards of a professional
journal.
Attend mandatory Plant Science Research Honors meeting in 3rd week of spring semester (time and location to be announced). For this meeting, the student should prepare a 1-page written progress report of his/her project. This report should include the student's progress to date on the project and how closely activities are following the original research proposal. Any modifications to the original plan should be explained in detail. The student will give a brief, oral summary of the report at the meeting. PowerPoint presentations recommended, but not required.
Write a draft of the thesis
and submit it to your thesis advisor for evaluation. Revise the thesis as
necessary based on your advisor's comments. The Courses of Study guide states
this requirement as follows: "The thesis should be written in the format
of a research publication in the appropriate scientific field. The acceptable
report must have been reviewed and corrected according to recommendations
of the research supervisor before the report is submitted to the honors
committee."
Obtain letter of evaluation
and recommendation from your thesis advisor. This letter should state that
he/she has read the thesis, that the experiments were properly conducted,
analyzed, and interpreted, that he/she approves the thesis, and recommends
the student for graduation with Distinction in Research.
Deliver final version
of thesis (two copies) and the letter of recommendation from the advisor
to the Chair of the Plant Science Research Honors Program (Prof. Ralph L.
Obendorf) no later than two weeks before the last day of classes (April
23, 2010 - Spring 2010 graduates; November 19, 2010 - Fall 2010 graduates;
April 22, 2011 - Spring 2011 graduates; November 18, 2011 - Fall 2011 graduates).
After the Plant Science
Research Honors Committee reviews the thesis, revisions may be necessary.
The student should meet with the advisor to discuss revisions. The revised
version is due by the second day of the examination period (May 13, 2010
- Spring 2010 graduates; December 9, 2010 - Fall 2010 graduates; May 12,
2011 - Spring 2011 graduates; December 8, 2011 - Fall 2011 graduates).
A minimum GPA of 3.0 is
required for entry into the Plant Science Research Honors Program and this
GPA must be maintained for graduation with Distinction in Research.
It is highly recommended that the student participate in the Cornell Undergraduate Research Symposium (CURB) (usually held in April) or other such presentation forums, such as a student paper presented at the American Society of Horticulture Science, American Society of Agronomy, American Society of Plant Biologists, or other professional society.
| Ralph L.
Obendorf, Chair Crop and Soil Sciences 617 Bradfield Hall Phone: 607-255-1709 Fax: 607-255-2644 E-mail: rlo1@cornell.edu |
Ian Merwin Horticulture 134-A Plant Science Building Phone: 607-255-1777 Fax: 607-255-0599 E-mail: im13@cornell.edu |
| Frank S.
Rossi Horticulture 134-A Plant Science Building Phone: 607-255-1629 Fax: 607-255-9998 E-mail: fsr3@cornell.edu |
Eric B. Nelson Plant Pathology 323 Plant Science Building Phone: 607-255-7841 Fax: 607-255-4471 E-mail: ebn1@cornell.edu |
| Antonio DiTommaso Crop and Soil Sciences 903 Bradfield Hall Phone: 607-254-4702 Fax: 607-255-3207 E-mail: ad97@cornell.edu |
Margaret
E. Smith Einarson Plant Breeding and Genetics G46 Emerson Hall Phone: 607-255-1654 Fax: 607-255-6683 E-mail: mes25@cornell.edu |