Month: November 2019

Coming to Dartmouth, I knew I wanted to pursue my passion for sustainability. However, I quickly realized I’d be unable to do so through my classes, which are somewhat restricted by my double major. That’s why I decided to pursue ecologically-based research— as an opportunity to foster this interest, without relying on the classroom.

I was prompted to join a lab in my sophomore winter, when I received an email about UGAR’s Presidential Scholars Program. After looking at the online database of research postings, I reached out to a prof, and eight terms later I’m still working in her lab! Through the Cottingham lab, I’ve had the opportunity to design and run a toxicological experiment, use different microscopy techniques, and work on my data processing skills. Perhaps more importantly, I’ve been able to refine my academic interests and plans for the future. I’ve also reaped the benefits of research in the classroom— whether it’s a principle of statistical analysis or some lab protocol, I am better prepared to participate in a rigorous scientific setting because of my research experience.

Overall, my experience wouldn’t have been possible without the help of UGAR. I’ve received four terms of UGAR funding— three through the presidential scholars program and one through leave-term funding— all of which has facilitated my continued involvement in my lab.

Before I could walk or talk, I was fascinated by creatures both great and small. Indeed, I loved and still love them all. A fascination fostered by careful observation of and play in and with flora and fauna as a child developed into an interest in the intricacies of animal behavior and a desire to explore this realm of science so as to better understand the complex interrelationships between and among organisms of this biosphere.

At Dartmouth, I was able to pursue my intellectual passion in the laboratory of Mark Laidre, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences. At the Biological Sciences Department’s Open House my freshman fall, my interest was piqued by Professor Laidre’s enthusiasm for crustaceans, specifically hermit crabs, and his desire to understand their behaviors. Following the Open House, I sent him an email asking if he was in need of an undergraduate research assistant. And, the rest is history. As a member of the Laidre lab since my freshman fall term, I have had the opportunity not only to learn the ropes of working in such a lab from the ground up—meticulously floy-tagging shells and caring for terrestrial crustaceans—but also to interact with graduate students in the Ecology, Evolution, Ecosystems and Society Program and to conduct my own independent research.

This past summer, I received a grant to conduct an independent research study at The Shoals Marine Laboratory, a facility located on Appledore Island, roughly a thirty-minute boat trip from the coast of Maine. As an avid and enthusiastic outdoorswoman, I explored every inch of the island in addition to snorkeling daily to further my research. My research focused on the theory that subtidal hermit crabs exploit long-distance chemical cues to determine the availability of nearby gastropod shells that have been recently emptied. I used the Acadian hermit crab (Pagurus acadianus) to identify the gastropod shell characteristics that marine hermit crabs use to determine shell refuge quality—that is, which characteristics of gastropod shell architecture (e.g., shell diameter, wall thickness, aperture size, and weight) P. acadianus values in  assessing the overall quality of a potential home. In addition, by releasing long-distance chemical cues simulating nondestructive predation, indicative to P. acadianus of the availability of the emptied gastropod shell, I determined a preference for a specific gastropod species shell—whether that be the shell of the dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) or of the common periwinkle (Littorina littorea).

Having the opportunity to hone my research skills in animal behavior by working in both the laboratory and the field has been an invaluable and indelible part of my Dartmouth experience and has further confirmed for me my career choice: to be a veterinarian with a focus on conservation efforts.

As a classical archaeology major, hands-on experience is crucial for me. Unfortunately, working with artifacts is generally difficult in a classroom setting, and finding opportunities to interact with them is similarly challenging. Working with Professor Lynn of Dartmouth’s Classics department has afforded me the unique chance to do just this. I have worked with an authentic Latin antiphonary, studying it and analyzing it as professionals would. My professor has also helped me use the fantastic technology Dartmouth has at its disposal to catalogue the antiphonary and make study of it more accessible. This project has familiarized me with such techniques as well as with the proper handling of such artifacts. Moreover, it has been endlessly fulfilling to work on the antiphonary, as I feel I am truly contributing to further study by cataloguing the antiphonary and making it more accessible for scholarly analysis.

My Professor has been incredibly helpful; she offered this research opportunity in class, and I simply asked her if I could help. She has acted as a sort of mentor, both within the research project and beyond. In addition, receiving funding for the project was simple, as Dartmouth Undergraduate Advising & Research generously funded it and paid me for my work. Overall, the whole experience has been fantastic. I am considering an academic career in classics, and this research has afforded me an unparalleled glimpse into the reality of research work, which I very much enjoy. I am thus very thankful for this opportunity that Dartmouth has kindly provided me.

Ever since I was little, scientific research has interested me. At Dartmouth, I was able to continue pursuing my passion for research with Todd Miller’s lab at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Being a part of the Miller lab has exposed me to new scientific techniques, new ways of approaching problems and creating solutions, and has confirmed for me that research is something that I want to pursue in the future. The people I work with at DHMC have become much more than just co-workers, but they’ve grown to be friends and mentors, guiding me through not only research, but classes, career plans, and the future. Finding this community for myself at Dartmouth was as simple as sending an email to Professor Miller, indicating that I was interested in his research and would be honored to learn more and be a part of it. The endless support that I’ve experienced here at Dartmouth is unparalleled and I am so thankful for this community.

As an undergraduate researcher in the Miller lab, I have had the opportunity to delve into the perplexing disease that is breast cancer. I’ve taken my passion for breast cancer and have spent my off-term in Utah researching the immunological complexities behind tumor metastasis and invasion. In Utah, as part of Alana Welm’s lab at Huntsman Cancer Institute, I’ve been able to explore the impacts of a specific protein and its isoforms on regulating the immune response. Using imaging techniques, molecular biology methods such as Western Blots, and even mouse models, we’ve been able to isolate a specific isoform of a protein that when removed, exponentially increases the immune response, decreasing tumor growth and increasing survival rates of breast cancer patients. Both my experiences with the Miller lab and the Welm lab have shown me the cooperativity of the research world and I’ve enjoyed being able to pursue my interests with the support of Dartmouth. The skills that I’ve learned through research - organizing and analyzing data, communicating results, planning out experiments, etc. - have been invaluable and applicable to all facets of my undergraduate career.