UC Davis distinguished professor James R. Carey

UC Davis Distinguished Professor James R. Carey will pay selected students $1000 each to write a paper dealing with human hibernation and longevity--a two-fold project aimed at assisting him with his research and helping students learn how to research, write, illustrate, finalize and deliver the equivalent of a quality term paper.

"With a heavy fall quarter teaching load and other demands during this academic year, I am in need of help in researching the literature on the biology of hibernation and concepts associated with its integration into the human life course," Carey announced, adding that he is "in the early stages of writing a theoretical paper tentatively titled “Human Hibernation as a Future Life Course Option."

The deadline to apply is 5 p.m., Friday, Oct. 1. UC Davis students at all levels and all majors may apply. "It's a report equivalent to the quality term paper I expect in my class that would receive an A or an A+," Carey said.

Carey said he hopes to assemble an interdisciplinary team of 10 to 12 students able and willing to invest the time (60-70 hours) to write the equivalent of a 2,500-word term paper on one of 10--or possibly more--topics. Research and writing efforts will be spread over the 2021-22 academic year. He will compile and format their papers in  “proceedings” and publish as both a print and digital book, using the Barnes and Noble Press self-publishing website.  The students are also free to re-purpose their papers.  

Carey is seeking papers similar to the quality of the three award-winning term papers that his Longevity and Human Development students submitted in the UC Davis Lang Writing Prize Competition. Two students won the top prize in their categories in both 2020 and 2021, and another scored third place in 2021.

Paper Topics (Tentative)  

1. Ecology and population biology of dormancy 

2. Physiology and ecology of mammalian hibernation 

3. Human torpor: Historical, accidental and medical 

4. Prospective role of human hibernation in deep space exploration 

5. Historical rates of biomedical progress in disease mitigation and cures 

6. Reconfiguring the human life course 

7. The biology, psychology and behavior of long-term isolation and separation 

8. Personal, family and societal consequences of “dropping out” 

9. The biology, behavior and psychology of individuals re-entering society 

10. The future of human longevity: Emerging concepts 

Students interested in participating in the project can email Carey at jrcarey@ucdavis.edu with the subject line “Human Hibernation Project" and include in the body:

• your UC Davis major and year
• your first and second choices of paper topic by number or topic (e.g., dormancy; life course; etc);
• whether you would be interested in participating if another student was assigned your topic(s) of greatest interest (yes/no)
• a 100 to 150-word statement on why you are interested and would be a good choice to join the team; and
• a 1-page (only) CV. Writing experiences and skills are a plus, he said, but "I am mostly interested in highly motivated and self-directed students who are willing to dive deeply into the literature related to my broad topic and to synthesize the results. I will teach you how to write your paper competently and professionally."
  

Carey will interview the top candidates via Zoom and make final selections within a week. If selected, they will have
"plenty of time" to enroll in his one-credit ENT 99 or 199, he said.  

Timetable

Fall Quarter (2021): Frame, research and finish a preliminary working draft including at least rough figures and tables and references (using Endnotes bibliographic software). 

Winter Quarter (2022): Complete research, finalize structure and submit near-final draft, all figures, tables and references cited finished 

Spring Quarter (2022): Finalize narrative, figures, tables and references. Submit final version. 

Carey, a senior scholar at the Center for the Economics and Demography of Aging at UC Berkeley, focuses his research on the biology and demography of aging and lifespan, particularly the use of insect models. A national-award winning teacher, he offers worldwide workshops on best practices in information design and presentation strategies. His most recent book is Biodemography: An Introduction to Concepts and Methods (2020, Princeton University Press), co-authored by Deborah A. Roach, professor and chair of the Department of Biology, University of Virginia.