When assistant professor of biology Karen Hicks landed a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, she wasn't the only winner. Several of her Kenyon students have had the chance to conduct research with her in the cutting-edge field of genetic engineering.

The three-year, $270,000 grant is funded through the NSF's Research at Undergraduate Institutions program. Hicks's research takes a genetic approach to clarify the mechanism that governs photoperiodic flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana, a model plant that is a member of the mustard family. In addition to helping Hicks integrate students into her research, the money enables students to present their research at national meetings.

Students can participate in all aspects of Hicks's research program-and at all levels. First-year students can begin with routine plant care and lab maintenance before moving on to carry out independent projects in subsequent years. Opportunities include a six-week independent project during the second semester of the introductory laboratory course and the Kenyon Summer Science Scholars Program.

"Doing this kind of research with students keeps me intellectually alive and makes me a more effective teacher," Hicks says. "What I want as a teacher is for my students to make progress in understanding genes and enzymes. I want them to learn what science really is; how to do science; how to become a scientist."