J. Chris Pires
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences J. Chris Pires devotes his research to plant evolutionary biology and is part of MU's Interdisciplinary Plant Group. Pires, who earned his PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has had undergraduates working for him ever since he came to MU in 2005.
One undergraduate in particular, Nate Ellis, helped him set up his entire greenhouse operation. Ellis then became interested in doing research as the graduate students and postdoctoral fellows arrived and began working on various projects. Ellis graduated in 2008, but not before being named Young Botanist of the Year by the Botanical Society of America and nominating Pires for the faculty mentor award.
“[Pires] expects a lot but does not worry if you fail, and encourages you to try harder while giving advice on how to improve,” Ellis says of his mentor. “He understands not only the importance of his students graduating, but also helps them build a career during undergrad by encouraging his students to apply for scholarships and present posters, nominating his mentees for awards, and providing experience in his lab.”
Antoinette Gray, who has an Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology Fellowship with Dr. Pires, says that Pires has “demonstrated exceptional guidance in my personal development by providing an ongoing and nurturing relationship. He has guided my learning by being wholeheartedly committed to my individual educational and professional advancement. He offers psychological support, encouragement and essential strategies for life beyond undergraduate research.”
Pires has had about a dozen undergraduates doing research as part of his “lab family” and thinks that mentoring undergraduates in his research group is probably one of the most satisfying aspects of being a professor.
“I love teaching classes and try to get to know all 40 or so students I have in my plant systematics class each Spring, but I really get to know and mentor the two to four undergraduates working in my lab at any given time,” he says. “Unlike graduate students and postdocs who are already on an academic path, most undergraduates have not had a chance to do hands-on science and get excited about the joy of discovery. What I like most is helping undergraduates find their passion.”
Pires teaches his students that science is dynamic process and not a static body of facts. Instead of doing grunt work like washing dishes for everybody else undergraduates in his lab do an apprenticeship with an experienced researcher and then develop their own project. Ideally, an undergraduate works on a project over two years (including the summers) and then presents a paper at a conference and is co-author on a publication.
“In addition to having valuable learning experiences, we offer undergraduates another ‘home’ where they can discover themselves,” Pires says.