Hi everyone! My name is Shaylee Smith and I am a junior at Saint Mary’s college studying biology and environmental studies. My hope after graduation is to get involved in ecological field research; I have a particular interest in wildlife and animal behavior.
I joined Dr. Young’s research lab in December with the original intent to study swimming strategies in two species of salamanders. However, I was presented the opportunity to collaborate with Dr. Robin Verble and her graduate student Cara Yocom-Russel (both from Missouri University of Science and Technology) to compare the latitudinal differences in behavioral responses to predator scent cues in small carnivores. My collaborators’ research is being carried out at the Ozark Research Field Station in Rolla, Missouri. I have the unique opportunity to do my research and data collection at the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center (UNDERC) in Michigan’s upper peninsula. I am super excited about this opportunity because it will give me my first experience with working and researching in the field! Right now, I am reading through a lot of articles and studies on foraging behavior, community composition, and antipredator behavior to expand my knowledge on this topic. I am also currently taking an introductory course to UNDERC and field research at Notre Dame and preparing my research proposal. Then, I will be on-site at UNDERC this summer from May through July conducting my research! Hey everyone, it’s Megan S. again (it’s been quite the Megan show lately)! So far this semester, I have been working on a second draft of the proposal for my project: phylogenetic limb bone scaling patterns in Pleurodires (side-necked turtles). Additionally, I have begun to build a phylogeny of this clade and hope to begin analyzing data relatively soon. Being a part of Dr. Young’s lab group has been extremely beneficial throughout the beginning stages of developing my senior comp; I have learned how to read scientific papers in a much greater depth than before!
Recently, I have accepted an internship this summer working in a physical therapy outpatient clinic! My responsibilities will include checking in on patients, showing them exercises, and assisting in maintaining a general flow of the clinic. I’m really excited for this opportunity and look forward to gaining hands-on experience. Locomotion lab has definitely helped prepare me for this experience, specifically in learning about the relationship between form and function! |
AuthorsAlok Agwick Archives
February 2024
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