{"id":163611,"date":"2026-03-23T15:03:27","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T19:03:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=163611"},"modified":"2026-03-23T15:03:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T19:03:27","slug":"new-course-gives-wright-state-students-real-world-experience-in-genetics-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2026\/03\/23\/new-course-gives-wright-state-students-real-world-experience-in-genetics-research\/","title":{"rendered":"New course gives Wright State students real-world experience in genetics research"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

From Genes to Genome, a new course taught by Shulin Ju, Ph.D., associate professor of biological sciences, provides Wright State students an opportunity to apply lab techniques to real research questions. (Photos by Erin Pence)<\/p><\/div>\n

Thanks to a gift from three-time Wright State University graduate Doug Hull, a new class offers students experiential learning opportunities in the fields of genetics and genomics.<\/p>\n

The course, From Genes to Genome, debuted in Fall Semester 2025 and is taught by Shulin Ju, Ph.D., associate professor of biological sciences<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a hands-on course,\u201d said Ju. \u201cWe do experiments every lecture, twice a week. Students can see actual results from their experiments.\u201d<\/p>\n

The class has been designed for undergraduates \u2014 primarily seniors \u2014 and non-thesis track graduate students.<\/p>\n

Ju said the opportunity for students, especially undergraduates, to apply lab techniques to real research questions sets this course apart.<\/p>\n

\u201cUndergraduate students don\u2019t have much research experience, unless they\u2019ve worked in a lab,\u201d Ju said. \u201cThis class gives students that opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

From Genes to Genome would not be possible without the gift from Hull, who earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in biological sciences in 1975, a master\u2019s degree in molecular biology in 1978, and an MBA in 1985.<\/p>\n

In 2023, Hull established an endowed fund to support student scholarships, encourage experiential learning and create a lab focused on genetic and genomics research<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He recently visited Wright State\u2019s Dayton Campus to see his gift at work. He toured the lab and met students who are aspiring researchers, just as he was 50 years ago.<\/p>\n

Hull was also able to see students utilizing the new, state-of-the-art equipment partially purchased through his fund, including a fluorescence microscope that allows students to look at molecules within a cell.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of this equipment is very unique, and the students know enough to realize that this is cool,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Hull hopes the hands-on aspect of the course will inspire students in their future research and prepare them for the job market.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting hands-on lab experience is very useful and will be a great benefit to my resume when I start applying for laboratory jobs,\u201d said biological sciences major Jacob Roberts. \u201cHaving this experience with an actual, tangible results kind of lab is going to really make a difference when it comes to hiring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Biological sciences major Andrea Hernandez appreciates the opportunity to engage in hands-on experiments during her senior year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis class has added more to my knowledge,\u201d she said. \u201cI feel ahead of my game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hernandez told Hull, \u201cI\u2019m so grateful for what you\u2019ve done for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

From Genes to Genome was supported by a gift from three-time Wright State graduate Doug Hull, center, who established an endowed fund to support student scholarships, encourage experiential learning and create a lab focused on genetic and genomics research.<\/p><\/div>\n

Genetics and genomics have long been a passion for Hull. As a Wright State student in the 1970s and 1980s, he worked with now-retired biological sciences professor George Kantor on cancer research. Together, they examined the potential of ultraviolet light to mutate a cell and transform it into a cancer cell.<\/p>\n

Hull also collaborated with Richard C. Juberg, a medical geneticist at Dayton Children\u2019s Hospital and chair of the Department of Medical Genetics and Birth Defects. At Dayton Children\u2019s, Hull worked in the first laboratory in Dayton to culture and evaluate cells collected through amniocentesis.<\/p>\n

Today, students in the lab that Hull helped fund at Wright State are answering real-world scientific questions, continuing a path he began years ago.<\/p>\n

Many of those questions focus on human disease. Students are studying the genes that are involved in a disease, like ALS. This helps them better understand the disease and potential ways to reverse or cure it.<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully, some of this information can be used for therapeutics,\u201d said Ju.<\/p>\n

While Hull\u2019s career path ultimately took a different turn after earning his MBA and working in finance at Dayton Power and Light and several area nonprofits, he has returned to his scientific roots by giving back to his alma mater.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad to see all of the equipment that they\u2019ve got in the lab and to see students interested in taking the course,\u201d he said. \u201cI hope it builds from here.\u201d<\/p>\n

From Genes to Genome will continue to be offered in Fall Semester, and the genetics and genomics program plans to create other experiential learning courses for the same lab space. The new equipment \u2014 which is typically not available in teaching labs \u2014 will be incorporated into those classes as well.<\/p>\n

A genetics working group, composed of faculty and staff in the Department of Biological Sciences, has met regularly to discuss establishing a new genetics and genomics concentration.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese discussions have included developing new genetics courses that were previously unavailable, establishing a dedicated laboratory space and equipping that space,\u201d said Ju. \u201cThe group has been involved in every step of making this new lab space ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the lion\u2019s share of the credit goes to Hull.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout Doug\u2019s support, none of this would be possible,\u201d said Ju. \u201cOur students are directly benefiting from his generosity.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thanks to a gift from three-time Wright State University graduate Doug Hull, a new class offers students experiential learning opportunities in the fields of genetics and genomics. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":163624,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[722,733,2064,2040,725,715,18,746],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-163611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-alumni","category-biology","category-giving","category-home-news-sidebar","category-news","category-research","category-science-mathematics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163611","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=163611"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163611\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":164522,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163611\/revisions\/164522"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/163624"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=163611"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=163611"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=163611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}