And some of the results students get in this lab are of higher quality than those commonly published in the current scientific literature. Lovett senior Orson Sydora said the fullerene lab is the best lab he has had at Rice. This technology is not taught in any other undergraduate-level class, and it's something you don't get at other universities. The new fullerene lab is instructional, but the professors are already thinking about a follow-up module in which students would make new derivations of fullerenes and characterize them, constituting new research contributions. What students need out of a lab experience has changed, Whitmire said.
Research is more specialized, more complicated.
The new curriculum reflects more closely what happens in the research world by combining different disciplines. With a variety of seven-week modules, it also offers students more flexibility in their lab choices. A faculty committee works with students in selecting modules, making sure they get a balance and breadth of experience. The curriculum also gives faculty an opportunity to do something related to their own specialties. Additional modules are currently being developed and old labs are gradually being restructured into the new modules.