Benefits of chironomid research: Perspectives from undergraduate researchers

Shifting from the research-intensive environment of graduate school to a tenure-track gig at a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI) required a bit of a change in mindset. No longer could I (Anderson) spend day after day at in the microscope or hour after hour thinking about how to analyze, interpret or present a certain data set. Instead, my time began to fill with lecture and syllabi prep and brainstorming sessions on how to best relay difficult scientific concepts to groups of naïve undergraduate students. My personal research time was suddenly shoved into tight 1-2 hour pockets of time, often at the end of the week, or restricted to summer months, when teaching obligations are limited.