Howdy! Y’all gig’em in Aggieland!
That’s just some of the culture I picked up this summer at
Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. I and nine other
undergraduate students from around the country were selected to participate in
their ten week Observing the Ocean Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)
program. In this program, I had the opportunity to work with an Oceanography
research professor on an independent research project. My responsibilities
included writing a formal research proposal, conducting laboratory experiments,
collecting water samples on an oceanographic research vessel, processing and
analyzing data, and communicating the results of my research both orally and in
a poster presentation.
I was mentored by Dr. Kathryn Shamberger, who studies
carbonate chemistry, ocean acidification, and coral reef biogeochemistry. My
research project studied the effects of Hurricane Harvey on the coral reef
ecosystems at the Flower Garden Banks (FGB) National Marine Sanctuary, which is
in the Gulf of Mexico. Little is known about their water chemistry, so the data
I analyzed this summer will be used in future work to elucidate the temporal
variation in the environment. My research found that, with respect to their
ability to generate calcium carbonate skeletons, the FGB coral reef ecosystems
were not negatively impacted by Hurricane Harvey.
The most exciting part of the REU was the opportunity to
work on an oceanographic research vessel. In June, we embarked on a three-day
cruise in the Gulf of Mexico on the R/V Pelican. We used a Conductivity,
Temperature, Depth (CTD) instrument to assess water column data such as
dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll, temperature, depth, and salinity. We also
collected water samples for chemical and biological analysis.
My experiences in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department
at Bloomsburg University prepared me for this experience. I was able to quickly
learn to use and troubleshoot our lab’s main analytical instrument, the VINDTA,
as well as display mastery of other laboratory techniques. Those skills were
not granted naturally, and the excellent guidance of BU chemistry faculty, in
both research and coursework, is where credit is owed. My exposure to a wide
variety of instruments in Physical Chemistry and in my research at BU last
summer was particularly helpful. I could not have succeeded as I did this
summer without the prior mentorship of BU faculty!
Though my research project has concluded, I will continue to
communicate its results. Based on an oral presentation I gave at the end of the
program, I received a travel award to attend the Association for the Sciences
of Limnology and Oceanography conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico this
February! I am so grateful for the opportunities that I have been exposed to by
participating in this REU.
My positive experience at Texas A&M this summer has
inspired me to pursue a career in Chemical Oceanography. This fall I will be
applying for Ph.D. programs! I highly recommend participation in REU programs
to undergraduate chemistry students. I wish I would have participated in one
earlier in my undergraduate career. It is important to be exposed to different
fields of research as well as the resources that larger universities can offer.
An REU program can also be a good indication of your suitability for graduate
school, if that’s something you’re not sure about (I wasn’t). My advice would
be to keep an open mind when considering what you would like to do with your
chemistry degree. Without the guidance of the wonderful Dr. Venn of the EGGS
Department, I probably would have never known that Chemical Oceanography
existed. Cast a wide net, because you never know what research you will end up
falling in love with!
~ Lauren Barrett
No comments:
Post a Comment