Faculty Sponsor: Rachael Barlow
Steven Tu
Steven Tu is a rising sophomore (’29) at Wesleyan University, majoring in Psychology and CIS(Earth & Environmental Science), and minoring in Data Science. Steven is from Shenzhen, China. His research interests revolve around cognitive and behavioral psychology. Outside the classroom, he enjoys photography, skiing, and singing with a cappella groups.
Abstract: Integrated Chemistry Laboratory is an advanced course for chemistry majors emphasizing hands-on practice, scientific literacy, and writing. This project aims to examine students’ skill development across the course and its relationship to prior experience and career intentions. Students (N = 52) rated their proficiency in five domains — characterization, synthesis, purification, computational methods, and research process skills — before and after one semester. Paired t-tests, correlations, and regression were used to assess growth and its predictors. The results revealed that self-rated skills increased significantly in all five domains, with the largest gains in research process skills. Students who began with lower ratings gained significantly more in four of five domains, and prior research experience did not significantly predict gains. Career intentions remained stable, suggesting the course built competence without redirecting students’ plans. These findings may reassure prospective students’ concerns about insufficient prior experience, as those who started with the least gained the most.
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