THE BIG BANG THEORY SCHOLARSHIP

By the end of their first year, TBBTS will be required to be deeply involved in their research project in their individual lab. By this time, they will have learned lab techniques and conducted a thorough literature review to fully understand why they and their lab are conducting the research. This is essential to innovative, high-quality research and useful for Scholars for graduate school applications and future STEM-related endeavors. In the summer following their first year, TBBTS will be required to be in the lab. With this level of time commitment, Scholars can dedicate their full attention to conducting experiments, asking questions and learning from unexpected research results. During the summer, Scholars will continue to meet for social gatherings and journal clubs.

Personalized academic advising is a hallmark of academic success at UCLA. The university-wide Center for Academic Advising in the College (CAAC) serves all undergraduates, but the volume makes sustained one-on-one advising impossible. In contrast, the UCLA Chuck Lorre Scholars Program Director will provide TBBTS with a high-touch academic advising experience throughout their four years. Prior to the subsequent academic quarter, each TBBTS will have an Academic Planning Meeting with the Director to select courses, examine academic performance and discuss opportunities available to apply for UC graduate student funding. The Director will be responsible for monitoring the research experience and progress of each TBBTS.

In their second year, TBBTS will begin receiving peer mentoring from upper division TBBTS if additional academic support is warranted. Every year, the Division of Undergraduate Education trains over 130 upper division students who have demonstrated high academic achievement to work as Peer Learning Facilitators (PLFs) and serve as academic role models and peer mentors. This training would be expanded to include upper division TBBTS. (This is a paid position that qualifies as work study, and can be thoughtfully planned for so that it works in concert with each TBBTS and their financial aid package.)

Peer mentoring builds on the premise that critical thinking and intellectual independence are developed through questioning and dialogue, so most sessions take place in small groups to foster discussion and allow students to listen to, grapple with and articulate new perspectives. It enables students to work collaboratively and develop the tools necessary for scholarly inquiry while also helping them to see that they can rely on classmates as well as PLFs. A key component of peer mentoring is helping TBBTS hone writing skills by learning about the writing process through revision, critical evaluation and editing.

Beginning in the second year, TBBTS will enroll in courses of their choosing from the Research Practice course series for two out of three quarters. Offered through the Division of Undergraduate Education, these courses cover the development of research questions and the application of methodologies as well as forms of qualitative and quantitative analysis and research communications and publications. The courses combine the theoretical and the practical, and emphasize experiential learning, helping students gain knowledge and skills in their discipline as well as an understanding of how knowledge is created and applied across the university. (Examples of courses include “Understanding Scientific Literature and Context”; “Integrity in Science Research”; “Research Today: Sources, Tool, and Strategies”; and “Mastering the Oral Presentation of your Research.”)

Each quarter, TBBTS will complete, reflect on, and revise an Individual Research Plan (IRP) that they review with the UCLA Chuck Lorre Scholars Program Faculty Chair. The purpose of the IRP is to reflect on the previous years’ goals, outline new goals, update the Chair on their research progress, identify potential roadblocks and share successes. This frequent engagement with the Chair will ensure that the TBBTS makes progress on their lab projects and receives a high-quality research experience.

The IRP also serves as a living document in which TBBTS record the skills they amass, including lab-specific skills (e.g. electrophoresis, PCR-DNA amplification, Western blotting, cell culture) and broader skills (e.g. public speaking, writing a scientific manuscript, communicating research, research design and project management). Documentation of such skills is useful when applying to graduate programs, jobs, grants and scholarships as a demonstration of the expertise they gain during their UCLA Chuck Lorre Scholars Program research experience.

Each spring, TBBTS are required to attend professional leadership training via a one-day workshop. Topics covered will include collaboration-building, communication skills, meeting management, navigating group dynamics and designing collaborative scientific projects. All of these topics will be centered on how they apply in scientific and research settings.

Beginning in the second year, each student’s laboratory mentor (i.e. the Principal Investigator of the lab the TBBTS has joined) will be asked to submit a report to the UCLA Chuck Lorre Scholars Program articulating the student’s progress, successes and opportunities for growth. This type of report is common in graduate programs to ensure the mentor is knowledgeable about the student’s progress and so that the UCLA Chuck Lorre Scholars Program can provide assistance as needed. For example, if the mentor reports poor writing, time management or technical skills, the UCLA Chuck Lorre Scholars Program Director can identify resources to help the TBBTS overcome these challenges.