Fall Senior Seminar Schedule and Deadlines
(Thursdays 11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m.)
Your regular attendance at senior seminar discussions and workshops is expected. Meetings will be held on Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. The Canvas site UBER MOBI Senior Thesis PO FA2026 & SP2027 will be used for the senior thesis. Please do not use the individual MOBI194 or MOBI191 sections (for example, PO MOBI 194A.9 where the #9 is a particular section that indicates the professor that is your thesis advisor). You may see these sites in Canvas, but do not use them. Below are examples of workshop topics covered in our class time meetings and various deadlines for your senior exercise.
Week 1 Discussion: Orientation
We will discuss class outline, goals, requirements, deadlines, and other important business. Students will share with classmates their preliminary project interests.
Week 2 Discussion: What Is a Literature Review?
Week 3 Workshop: How to Make an Oral Presentation and Research Note Taking Strategies
An introduction to talking about your science. And, discussion on research note taking strategies.
Week 4 Workshop 2: Searching the Literature and Citation Management (TBD)
Katie Kohn, Ph.D., STEM librarian at 11:00 a.m. Room TBD.
•Submit Annotated Bibliography (Friday, September 24, 2026)
Weeks 5–9: First Oral Presentations (Thursdays October 1, 8, and 15)
(11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Schedule of presentations TBD in class)
The purpose of this exercise is to provide the student an early opportunity to communicate orally an overview of their thesis project – the major question being asked and how the question will be addressed. The target audience for this presentation is any faculty member in the Molecular Biology Program – someone who has a degree in biology or chemistry but is not necessarily an expert in your field.
Relevant information and guidelines for preparing presentations will be discussed in class.
Friday, October 9: Mid-Semester Evaluation
(Experimental and Grant proposal)
Experimental & Grant Proposal theses: By October 10, students must meet with their thesis advisor to receive feedback on their thesis progress. If the student is not meeting the requirements for the Molecular Biology thesis, they will have until the end of the semester to remedy the concerns outlined in the evaluation.
Week 10 Discussion (Thursday, October 29): Draft of Literature Review Outlines
Students will informally present their progress on their project by sharing a draft of their Literature Review Outline with each other in small groups. This feedback will help thesis authors review and revise their outline before formally submitting it at 11:59 pm on Friday October 30.
Submit Literature Review Outline (Friday, October 30)
Week 11 Workshop 3: Scientific Writing, Figures/Figure Legends
We will go over tips on scientific writing, making your own figures and guidelines on writing figure legends.
Week 12 Discussion: Peer Review (Thursday, November 12)
We will discuss the process of Peer Review in the context of scientific research as well as in the context of the thesis exercise. Students should complete the writing of the literature review by this date.
Submit a Draft of Your Literature Review for Peer Review (Thursday, November 12)
Thesis authors submit a complete draft of their Literature Review, which will then be read by two of their classmates, who will provide feedback. This process is meant to give feedback such that a thesis author can review and make edits to their Literature Review before submitting it for formal evaluation. While this draft will not be formally assessed, it is respectful and appropriate to submit a draft of your Literature Review that is in a fairly complete state - that is, it is worth your classmate’s time and energy to read it and give you feedback.
Submit Your Feedback on the Literature Reviews Written by Two of Your Peers (Thursday, November 19)
The Thesis Coordinator (Prof Negritto) will assign you two classmates and will email the Literature Review drafts to you by 11:59 pm on November 13. Read these reviews and submit a document containing your thoughtful feedback.
Submit Your Final Fall Semester Progress Report (Wednesday, December 2)
This document includes the literature review that includes revisions based on feedback received, with one additional section:
- For experimental theses: highlight main results in outline/bullet point form. If analyzed data are available, they may be included either as figures with figure legends, or tables with appropriate footnotes.
- For grant proposal theses: list of Specific Aims with brief explanation.
Consult with your primary thesis advisor on expectations for this final section.
Your Fall semester grade takes into consideration the progress report, oral presentation, feedback provided to other students, information literacy skills, and work you have accomplished towards your project (for experimental theses).
For experimental theses: A passing grade is required to register for Experimental Senior Thesis, MOBI194B, in the Spring semester. If a passing grade is not accomplished you must sign up for a Grant Proposal Thesis in Molecular Biology, MOBI191, in the Spring semester.
Spring Senior Seminar Schedule and Deadlines, 2027
(there is no scheduled class meeting time in the spring)
Fridays January 29, February 5, and 12, 2027 (these dates are tentative): Oral Presentations
(Experimental and Grant Proposal theses)
This is the first opportunity you have to introduce in depth your thesis project. What is the major question you are addressing? Why is it important to address it and how are you planning on addressing it? You should present the nature and significance of the problem you are addressing and give extensive background information on what is already known in this area of research and what experimental approaches you plan on using to address this question. Remember to take into consideration the guidelines and tips given to you on how to give a successful oral presentation. Your presentation will be 8–10 minutes, plus 5 minutes for questions. Everyone is expected to attend the talks given by their classmates, to provide feedback, and to ask questions.
Submit Research Progress Report II by Friday February 19, 2027
Experimental: Add Materials and Methods section to the Research Progress Report I and revise Introduction, Figures and Figure legends with comments received.
Grant proposal: Define Specific Aims and, in outline format, propose experiments to address Specific Aims.
In outline format, identify the experiments and appropriate controls you will propose to address the Specific Aims. Clearly outline what are the possible results and how these will refute or confirm your hypothesis.
Grant Proposals Submit Experimental Approaches: Friday February 26, 2027
Grant proposal: Work on defining in detail the experimental approach you will be taking to address your specific aims. You must include an explicit description of the materials and methods used in each of the experiments you propose. This need not be as detailed as the Materials and Methods section of most published papers. Rather, you should clearly describe what you will be doing, what is the theoretical basis for major experimental procedures, and what specifically is required to undertake each procedure. Additionally, you need to clearly describe how you will obtain or make whatever specialized reagents, probes, antibodies, etc., that are required for the procedures you propose.
Friday March 26, 2027: Submission of First Version of a Complete Thesis
(Experimental and Grant proposal theses)
Note that this first version must be a finished piece of work, not a "rough draft." A graded copy with the comments and suggestions of your advisers will be returned to you no later than ten days after submission (April 6). You are highly encouraged to incorporate the suggestions you have been receiving up to date from your advisers into the final version. The grade received on the first version will be taken into consideration when determining your final grade.
Monday April 5, 2027
(Experimental and Grant proposal theses)
Return of thesis with comments and suggestions. Each of the readers will comment extensively; it is up to the student to obtain and request the input from thesis advisors.
Thursday April 22 and Friday April 23, 2027: Final Thesis Presentation in the Senior Molecular Biology Symposium (an extra presentation date may be added)
(Experimental and Grant proposal theses)
Monday May 3, 2027: Final Thesis Due
(Experimental and Grant proposal theses)
Submit on or before this date by NOON an electronic version of a complete revised final Thesis, Experimental or Grant Proposal, to the MOBI Thesis Final Assignment on the Canvas site: UBER MOBI Senior Thesis PO FA2026 & SP2027.
- Submit to Prof Negritto 3 hard copies of the final, revised version of your Research Report (senior thesis) (binding is optional but highly encouraged, the molecular biology program will cover the binding of your thesis at Pomona Duplicating services. Binding, NOT printing).
- Fill out exit survey; having a current Curriculum vitae on hand will help you be able to answer questions more quickly. The exit survey will be taken online through Qualtrics. At the end of your senior year you will receive a link to the survey.
- Submit Electronic versions of your final presentation to Final Oral Presentation Assignment and Research Report (Senior Thesis) or Grant Proposal submitted to MOBI Final Thesis Assignment site in the Molecular Biology Senior Thesis master site (UBER MOBI Senior Thesis PO FA2026 & SP2027) on Canvas.