IOWA TURTLE ARMY (ITA)

The ITA provides an opportunity to Integrate undergraduate discovery-based learning through a service-learning activity that helps recruit biology undergraduates into the field and lab modules of the research projects conducted by the Valenzuela lab at Iowa State University (ISU).

ITA interns learn about environmental and evolutionary genomics, field, experimental and developmental biology, herpetology, and evolutionary ecology.

The ITA combines service experience following ISU’s Skunk River Navy (SRN) program (improving the quality of local aquatic environments) with academic learning and reflection.

Additional ITA participants come from ISU's Program for Women in Science and Engineering (PWSE), George Washington Carver Internship Program (GWC), the program for Alliance for Graduate Education and Professoriate, or as independent interns during the summer or academic semesters.

The ITA also provides opportunity for K-12 teachers to participate in summer internships on animal research as other ITA members, through a collaboration with the Plant Genome Outreach program at ISU. This internship enables teachers to share the latest scientific advances with their K-12 grade pupils to inspire them to love and pursue science. Teachers develop curricular material to be used by them in their classroom as well as by other K-12 teachers at peer institutions.

 

If you are interested in joining our group, please contact me at nvalenzu@iastate.edu to explore possible options.