Cal Undergraduate Tour

Qualifications and Expectations

I am most interested in very dedicated students that will balance their classes and research. I know you will "dissappear" during midterms and finals.

Unfortunately, we can NOT take the time to train undergraduate students who are not committed and do not stay with the laboratory for extended lengths of time.

The longer the better. One semester is usually insufficient. One year and the summer are better. Many of my BEST students enter the lab in their junior year, do research their senior year, graduate and then do research for one more year after graduation. The earlier you start the better. The more years you work in the Poly-PEDAL the more we all can benefit.

Remember you most often have little experience compared to post-docs and graduate students. The lack of committment and experience are the major reasons why many professors do not allow undergraduates to conduct research. My undergraduate program works because not one of the 50 or so students I have had thus far has left the lab early with a subpar effort. One student can ruin it for everyone else. Students who are not committed and just want a letter of recommendation need not apply.

I don't require any course to be able to work in the lab.

Taking any of the following courses would be helpful:

IB 100C Physiology, Structure and Biomechanics

IB 148 Comparative Animal Physiology

IB 135 The Mechanics of Organisms

IB 150 Physiological Ecology

IB 150L Physiological Ecology Laboratory

IB 132 Survey of Human Physiology

IB 132L Laboratory of Mammalian Physiology

IB 144 Animals Behavior

Human Biodynamics (HB) 101 Muscle Biology and Plasticity

HB 103 Musculoskeletal Biomechanics

HB 104 Locomotion Biomechanics

HB 105A/B Exercise Physiology

HB 108 Neuromuscular Fatigue

HB 110 Motor Control

HB 201 Seminar in Kinesiology and Body Mechanics

HB 204 Seminar in Locomotion Energetics and Biomechanics

Computer science

Physics

Dynamics

Skills or knowledge that we find most helpful include: computer programming (C++), UNIX, Mac OS and Windows OS operation, image processing, electronics, WWW design.