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Lori Bettison-Varga is an associate professor of geology and chair of the department at The College of Wooster, where she has been a member of the faculty since 1992. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara and her master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of California at Davis. Bettison-Varga specializes in the study of mineralogy, petrology, mid-ocean ridges, hot smokers, ancient ocean crust, and clay minerals. She has to her credit several publications, including "Fluid-Rock Interaction in the Hydrothermal Upflow Zone of the Solea Graben, Troodos Ophiolite, Cyprus" in a special publication of the Geological Society of America and "Relation Between Ore-Forming Hydrothermal Systems and Extensional Deformation in the Solea Graben Spreading Center, Troodos Ophiolite, Cyprus" in Geology. A member of the Geological Society of America, Clay Minerals Society, American Geophysical Union and Mineralogical Society of America, and the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR), Bettison-Varga received a National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award in 1994, the NAGT Distinguished Lecturer for 1997-2000, and the Henry Luce III Award for Distinguished Scholarship. In addition, she was a coordinator for the CUR 2000 Conference, which Wooster hosted two years ago. |
For more than 50 years, students at The College of Wooster have had an opportunity to experience the value of independent learning through the Independent Study (I.S.) program. Regarded as the hallmark of a Wooster education, I.S. pairs every student with a faculty mentor for the purpose of producing a piece of original research. On Monday afternoon, seniors will celebrate the conclusion of their projects with the annual I.S. parade. Lori Bettison-Varga, associate professor of geology and chair of the department at Wooster, explains the origin and value of Independent Study. What is Independent Study? In 1948, Wooster President Howard Lowry led the faculty to develop the Independent Study program. This program is based on the belief that a student’s drive to learn is best developed by undertaking a major independent research project that leads to self-discovery. The College seeks to produce graduates who have experience as independent and creative scholars in the development and expression of complex ideas, who have excellent communication skills, and who have the necessary tools and confidence for a lifetime of intellectual discovery and change. The College believes that all individuals should be challenged to achieve their best efforts of independent and creative thought. Therefore, all students are required to do I.S. The effectiveness of the I.S. program at Wooster stems from joint activities of students and faculty. How does it work? Formal independent study begins in the junior year, with one course devoted to the I.S. process. Each department has developed its own way of facilitating this work. Many departments require independent projects based on the students’ own interests, while others have seminars that are devoted to preparation for the senior I.S. work. In the sciences, most students will do research for their I.S. during the summer proceeding their senior year. Sometimes students will have opportunities off-campus (e.g. field studies, laboratory experience); many will work with Wooster faculty on projects related to faculty research interests. For example, we will have geology majors in Alaska, Ireland, Arizona, England, California, Cyprus and Ohio this summer doing the fundamental field work necessary for their I.S. projects. This work is supported through grants from the National Science Foundation, the W.M. Keck Geology Consortium, and through various special funds at the College. Students in other fields also have interesting opportunities for summer work. Many students, however, will not initiate their projects until they return for the fall semester. During the course of the senior year, students are engaged in their work and interact weekly with their faculty advisors. Many students will present their work orally or through other mechanisms (performance, directing, etc.). Faculty evaluate the students’ work after it is turned in on I.S. Monday. For the most part, the evaluation involves reading the student’s thesis, the results of an oral exam on the project, and consideration of the student’s process during the year. How does Wooster prepare its students for the Independent Study experience? The foundation for critical thinking necessary for the I.S. experience is laid in the first year. All entering students take the First-Year Seminar in Critical Inquiry, a course designed to introduce students to the type of thought processes that will guide them through their Wooster education. Sophomores may become involved in sophomore research projects, a means by which to get students in the transitional year engaged in research before their junior year. Each major has a curriculum designed to provide both the breadth and the depth necessary for students to be prepared for their I.S. experience. How significant is the role of the faculty in the Independent Study process? Ultimately, the student is responsible for his or her Independent Study project. However, to say that I.S. is an exercise completed independently, without any guidance from others, would be misleading. Faculty members serve as mentors to students, and this close one-on-one interaction is critical to the success of the I.S. program. The level of faculty involvement will vary depending on how closely associated the student work is to that of the professor’s. Faculty meet with students regularly, give advice during project development and completion, and read drafts of the written work. Sometimes, students are working on faculty research projects. No matter what the level of interaction with faculty, student ownership is fundamental to the process. It is up to the student to take the project from beginning to end, in theory and in practice! Do Wooster students have a competitive edge in graduate school because of their independent study experience? Yes! Graduate schools look for previous research experience in successful applicants. In a survey of nationwide liberal arts colleges, Wooster ranked 14th in all disciplines and 18th in the sciences for graduates eventually completing the Ph.D. degree between 1920 and 1995. This is surely a statement of success on the part of the I.S. program. Equally important is the fact that students gain transferable skills through the I.S. process since the work involves critical thinking, problem solving, written and oral communication, and creativity. A liberal arts education prepares students to navigate the changing workplace faced today. Given the educational foundation students receive at the College, our students are well-suited to any number of occupations. Their completion of an I.S. project makes them even more attractive to employers. |
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| Last updated: January 10, 2006 · For more information, contact John Finn | ||
