Undergraduate Participation in the Society for Neuroscience

Raddy L Ramos; Michael Comiskey; Joseph Dowling; Hewlet G McFarlane; Adrienne J Betz

Undergraduate Participation in the Society for Neuroscience

J Undergrad Neurosci Educ. 2020 Jun 28;18(2):A129-A133. eCollection 2020 Spring.

Authors

Raddy L Ramos¹, Michael Comiskey¹, Joseph Dowling¹, Hewlet G McFarlane², Adrienne J Betz³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY 11568.
² Department of Neuroscience, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH 43022.
³ Department of Psychology, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT 06518.

PMID: 32848521
PMCID: PMC7438170

Abstract

Undergraduate neuroscience education has grown substantially in the US as well as participation in outreach and research activities by undergraduates. In line with these observations, undergraduates may also be seeking membership in the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) as well as attending the SfN annual meeting. Data in the present report show that undergraduate membership in SfN has increased between 2013 and 2019 as well as annual undergraduate SfN meeting attendance and abstract submissions for research presentations. Increases were observed for both US and international undergraduates. These data are discussed in the context of motivations of undergraduates to pursue future academic training and/or careers in neuroscience. These data are important to faculty and administrators at institutions that currently have or seek to establish new undergraduate neuroscience programs given membership in a professional society and attendance at a major conference can positively impact academic and professional development.

Keywords: Society for Neuroscience; neuroscience graduates; neuroscience majors; neuroscience programs.