Students Share Their Experience About Summer Research Projects

Friday, October 7th, 2011

While many college students were working hard to squeeze the last few drops of fun out of their summer vacations, some Wesleyan students were putting their noses to the grindstones – or rather, their gloved hands to the Erlenmeyer flasks, their eyes to the microscopes. This summer, several students remained on campus well after summer term classes let out in order to conduct research in the School of Science. While some joined in faculty research already in progress, others took on new projects, or defined studies of their own.

“This summer, we had ten students working on campus,” said Dr. Luke Huggins, director of Wesleyan’s School of Science. “We usually have between six and twelve students participating in various research projects across campus.”

Junior Kindra Whitlatch is working to earn her bachelor of science in chemistry with a biology minor. The Parkersburg native worked alongside Dr. Tim Troyer, assistant professor of chemistry, on an ongoing research project seeking to discover and isolate antibacterial and/or anticancer compounds from red mangrove seeds. The results of the study could have great potential within the pharmaceutical industry. “I very much enjoy the work we are doing,” Whitlatch said. “This is my second summer working on this project, and it has been great to be involved for so long.” A member of the chemistry club Benzene Ring, Whitlatch was awarded a Goldwater Scholarship Honorable Mention that was related to her research work.

Ariel McDaniel did not have to travel too far from home to complete her research project this summer. The sophomore biology major hails from Buckhannon, but the project in which she was engaged will affect students and researchers the world over. This summer, McDaniel worked alongside Dr. Kathy Gregg, professor of biology, curator of the George B. Rossbach Herbarium and director of the greenhouse at Wesleyan. Together, the two labored to make the Herbarium’s more than 25,000 plant specimens available online. Previously, researchers interested in Wesleyan’s specimens would have to travel to campus, or the College would have to ship the specimens to the researchers. Now, researchers from around the world will be able to gather nearly all the information they would need from the specimens without risking loss or damage that could be incurred in shipping. “This will help preserve our specimens, so that we can have them longer,” McDaniel said.

“The research we are doing consists of adding the plant’s identification information, habitat, location and date of collection and other relevant information into a specialized template, and then photographing the specimen,” McDaniel explained. “I love being able to see some of the specimens that are not common here. My favorite part is doctoring up the specimens that have been damaged or that have started to lose their seeds.”

While McDaniel is greatly enjoying her research experience, she is also learning valuable lessons about research in general, as well as the importance of accuracy. “The biggest challenge has been making sure that everything is spelled and organized correctly,” she said. “I once forgot to add an ‘i’ in a species name and therefore completely changed the species.”

Senior biology major and chemistry minor Hope Lima implemented a research project to investigate whether the courtship and dominance displays of male budgerigars, also known as parakeets, affect which of the males will be chosen as mates by the females. With Dr. Jeanne Sullivan as her research advisor, Lima allowed the parakeets to undergo pre-laying, laying and post-laying periods in which the birds were allowed to interact and reproduce freely, videotaping their interactions. “We are looking to prove that males that are more dominant within the flock will have greater access to mates,” Lima explained, “and also that males that are involved in more courtship interactions will have greater access to mates as well.” Lima, a native of Hartford, CT, hopes to publish the results of her research.

“I enjoyed being able to create my own project and see it all the way through to the end,” Lima said. “I like the flexibility not only in work schedule, but also in topics. With research, you find a niche that you love and run with it.”

The research experiences these students are gaining right now on Wesleyan’s campus are preparing them well for the road ahead. Graduate and professional schools have added an emphasis in their recruiting that focuses on independent research,” Huggins said. “Students who have had a research experience that requires them to think critically, problem solve and fight through boredom and failure are more likely to succeed in graduate and professional programs where the rewards can be few and far-between and the workload is high.”

“I want to get my Ph.D. in either animal behavior, tropical ecology or another animal-related field,” Lima said, “and this research is helping me gain experience so that when I move on to graduate school, I will be prepared.”

Whitlatch also intends to pursue a Ph.D. in a field related to chemistry or biology. The research in which she was involved at Wesleyan has helped lay the foundation for her future. “Research allows me to be involved in what I believe I will study post-graduation,” she said. “Also, the freedom to make mistakes as part of the learning process really sets research apart. Mistakes are important.”

The involvement of students in research benefits Wesleyan’s faculty as well. “It is fun,” Huggins said. “Really. We enjoy the work, and getting to know the kids. Our research is usually something that we are really interested in, so working with students on a project that engages us is always a lot of fun. If we are lucky and have a good set of students at our sides, we may even a publication out of it.”

In addition, Wesleyan can offer students research opportunities that other institutions cannot. “Students at Wesleyan are often able to jump into research earlier in their academic careers than students at some larger schools,” Huggins explained. “Some of these opportunities arise through faculty funding, but many are programs that target student-driven research.” Many projects are funded through grants, and students often have the opportunity to be involved with projects from the inception, writing the grant applications for their own research.

“Another advantage is that we do not necessarily have the time restrictions that other institutions do,” Huggins said. “West Virginia University and Marshall are constrained in time due to the high volume of students and the limited space and opportunity – students often participate in projects just for a summer or a semester. Here, we can look at student projects that will stretch over a year or more, allowing the students to gain more experience.”

Huggins adds, “It is all about experience, experience, experience. You cannot develop the mental skills for the discipline without practice.”