The success of Reed Biology graduates in various professional and graduate schools and in the professions and academia has been cited frequently, beginning in about 1950. There is little question that the exposure to significant research participation, a rigorous curriculum not only in the sciences, but in thought-provoking non-science subjects, has been instrumental in this post-graduate success.

One distinguished Zoologist writes as follows: "I would be glad to give you my impression of Reed undergraduates and their preparaton for movement into graduate school. I have been at the University of Washington for 26 years and have been actively involved in admitting and training graduate students in the Department of Zoology during that time. I can immediately think of six Reed undergraduates that came to Zoology to do graduate work in Neuroscience. I am pleased to say that three of them ended up in my lab. The others were trained by my colleagues. All of these students have done exceptionally well both in graduate school and (for the five who have already graduated) in their post-graduate academic careers.

Needless to say, Reed graduates have an excellent reputation in this department. They are given special consideration when they appear in our pool of applicants and we typically do all that we can to recruit them. Stereotypes are always dangerous, but our impression of Reed students is that they have a well developed ability to think critically and to work independently. By being involved in first-rate research projects at Reed, the students come to UW with a good idea of what research and the experimental method is all about. I think that this preparation is important because our incoming students typically rotate through different labs during their first year. By coming with some research savvy in hand, Reed students seem to make the most out of each of their rotations. These first year decisions are critical and Reed students seem to be well prepared to make them.

I hope that Reed continues to provide a rich research experience for its students and that the "pipe-line" to Zoology continues to flow". (From Professor James W. Truman, Department of Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle.)

An indication that student involvement in research has been part of the department for many years is attested to by the following:

"The tight linkage between research, faculty mentoring, and quality education that I experienced at Reed (1959-63) made an enormous difference in my career, so much so that it set a standard that I have tried to emulate throughout my own career. This has not always been easy in the large universities where I have held positions, but I still think the combination is incredibly powerful and effective. I attended Reed before Advanced Placement became a national option. Luckily, the Reed faculty had just begun advancing selected freshmen to upper division classes. It was my good fortune to be one of those selected and to take an advanced course the second semester of my freshman year. The following year I was taken on as as a research assistant both during the academic year at Reed and during the following three summers at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts. This three-year direct immersion in research on arthropod sensory physiology had a dramatic effect on my perception of science. The chance to be part of the exciting programs at Woods Hole each summer stretched my horizons by orders of magnitude. The patient and wise nurturing over this three years brought a focus to my thinking and research style that I have never lost. On top of this personal mentoring, the Reed Biology faculty as a group managed to create an intellectual environmnent that was cutting-edge and challenging, but at the same time welcomed active participation by all of us. I cannot think of a better environment to have become a scientist and a scholar. This no question that, 30 years later, I would do it all again if given the chance." (Dr. Jack W. Bradbury, Robert G. Engel Professor of Ornithology, and Director, Cornell Library of Natural Sounds, Cornell University).

Introduction
The Faculty
The Curriculum
The Research Paradigm
Research Time—The Principles and Expectations (1997)
Student Research: The Senior Thesis
Outcomes
Back to Science at Reed Reviews