Research Overview

Undergraduate Research l Graduate Research
Faculty and Staff Research

Undergraduate Research

Research opportunities for undergraduate students are offered through the independent study program. Research projects can be oriented to laboratory, greenhouse or field activities and can be scheduled for one or two semesters. A faculty sponsor is required.

Students interested in a Plant, Soil & Insect Sciences (PSIS) independent study research project should contact a faculty member to discuss interests and opportunities within specific areas. The list of PSIS faculty available as independent study research sponsors should be consulted.

After discussing a proposed research project with a faculty member, students should register in one of the Plant, Soil & Insect Sciences independent study classes (PLSOILIN 196, PLSOILIN 296, PLSOILIN 396, PLSOILIN 496, PLSOILIN 496A, PLSOILIN 496B, or PLSOILIN 496D). The selection of a course level and number of credits is dependent upon the time and effort the student wishes to devote to the research project. After meeting with a faculty member, students should also contact the Undergraduate Affairs Office in the Department to ensure proper registration for the course.

All PSIS majors are encouraged to enroll in an independent study class during their undergraduate years in the Department. A research experience can be very rewarding to PSIS undergraduate majors, and to those in related life-science majors as well. In addition, Commonwealth College Students can choose to use this research towards an Honors Thesis or Culminating Experience in partial fulfillment of their Commonwealth College Honors requirements.

Graduate Research

Graduate students enrolled in the Department Graduate Program at the masters of science or doctoral level are expected to do original research as part of the degree requirement. Such research is conducted in cooperation with their Graduate Advisor, and after approval by the Graduate Advisory Committee. Students have the opportunity to do research in a number of areas involving plants and soils.

Students interested in plants may choose to work with agronomic, floriculture, medicinal and aromatic, orchard, turf, or vegetable crops. Studies of the parasites and/or environmental factors that affect these plants can be an area of concentration. Students interested in soils may work in environmental soil chemistry, soil fertility, soil genesis and classification, soil microbiology and biochemistry, soil remediation and waste disposal, soil physics, or wetland delineation and protection. Students interested in insects may choose insect ecology, insect biology, biological control, insect evoloutionary biology, insect behavior, pest management, genetics, molecular systematics, or biodiversity and conservation.

The Department feels that research is important in the learning process. In research, the graduate student learns the scientific procedures and acquires the skills necessary to become a leader in disciplines associated with plants, soils, and/or insects. Upon completion of a research project, students should plan to publish the results of the experimental work in a peer-reviewed journal and to make a formal presentation about the work to other scientists.

Faculty and Staff Research

Research is a key activity of Plant, Soil & Insect Sciences faculty and staff. Through research, faculty and staff develop knowledge to better society and the quality of life. Research in the Department primarily focuses on solving "real-life" problems that will improve economic opportunities and provide a quality living environment.

Faculty research programs within the Department cover a wide variety of subjects within the general areas of plant productivity, plant diseases, soil protection, ecology, and insect sciences. For example, some current research studies in the Department center on such areas as sustainable agriculture, organic farming, medicinal and aromatic plant production, plant breeding, post-harvest practices for floriculture crops, wetland protection, pesticide residues in soils, biocontrol of plant diseases and insect pests, plant and insect genetics, phytoremediation of soil contaminants, and insect-plant interations. Specific details on research programs can be obtained by contacting individual faculty.

Faculty and Professional Staff Research and/or Outreach interests may be found on their individual Personnel Pages Or, find summaries of Faculty Research interests and Departmental Research and Outreach specialties on the Faculty Research Interests page and the Departmental Specialties page.

Research in the Department is supported by a number of sources, including government grants, industrial contracts, private foundations, anonymous gifts, and the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station.