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Biology students excel in summer internships and research
Biology students are having a productive summer, with many participating in internships or in research with faculty members. These hands-on learning experiences help cement students’ interest in biology careers and open doors for future employment or research opportunities. A few of their stories are highlighted below, in their own words:
Bekah Shupe earned a coveted month-long internship with the Virginia Department of Forestry. She spent the month of June shadowing/working with VDOF employees and mentors.
"Ever since I was a kid I’ve loved learning about trees and plants. During my internship I’ve had the chance to teach landowners about the composition of their forests through my knowledge of trees and plants. I’ve also been able to shadow other foresters and learn about forest management and the services VDOF has to offer landowners in Virginia. Participating in this internship has given me the experience I’ve been looking for as I continue onto gradate school after I graduate."
Meghan Howard is spending the summer working at PrideRock Wildlife Refuge in Texas, getting a once-in-a-lifetime experience. She is working to care for rescued big cats - lions, tigers, cougars, and more.
“I am interning at PrideRock Wildlife Refuge where they focus on giving big cats a better life than they previously lead. All the cats rescued and brought to PrideRock live out their lives here happily as they get to play, run, or sleep as much as their heart desires. Working here is an amazing opportunity, knowing that I’m making a difference in some extraordinary animals lives.”
A number of students are working on wildlife research projects with professor Karen Powers. They are assisting with trapping and camera surveys for the rare Allegheny woodrat and acoustic surveys for the endangered gray bat. Particiapating students are Karissa Aly, Jasemine Brown, Miranda Dimas, Neil McDonald, and Breann Mullen.
Breann (in lower right photo, with mouse) talks about her experience:
“This summer has been nothing short of amazing! Working with Dr. Powers, my classmates, and cute critters has made for a summer full of new experiences and learning opportunities. My favorite part has been checking traps and handling the critters in them, but also checking trail cameras to see what animals were roaming the trapping sites.”
This summer, 12 RU students completed forest conservation research with professor Christine Small and USDA Forest Service researchers Jim Chamberlain and Matt Winn. The research team conducted field inventories on Appalachian medicinal plants in the George Washington-Jefferson National Forest as part of a 10 year study to develop sustainable management plans and inventory methods for medicinal, edible, and other non-timber forest products. Participating students: Celeste Chorniak, Leah Cort, Grayson Davie, Alden Dunn, Cole Faulkner, Lindsay Goad, Ryley Harris, Samantha Houck, Andrew Kopjanski, Robert Krebs, Nolen Miller, Travis Mitchell.
Biology major Matt Cooley spent 10 weeks of his summer in an internship with Dominion Energy, using skills gained through GIS and Environmental Biology courses: “In my internship so far, I have learned how to use many different applications of ArcGIS. Currently, I collect data and correct geographic positions of the transformers that I am inspecting and correct geographic locations in the company database. Although what I am doing now is not exactly what I foresee myself doing for a career, I really like the company I am working for. This internship is a foot in the door and has allowed me to gain some hands on experience.”