MURFREESBORO — MTSU
will welcome college students from across the country to campus this year for
an intensified research endeavor.
From May 27 to July 26, undergraduates will work with MTSU
professors in a research experience funded by a National Science Foundation
grant.
The overall theme is environmental and involves the
disciplines of Earth science, chemistry and biology, said Dr. Mark Abolins,
coordinator of the Geoenvironmental Challenges Research Education for
Undergraduates site and associate professor of geology.
The site is the first of its kind at MTSU and one of only 21
such sites funded by the National Science Foundation.
The 10 students “will search for ancient inactive faults,
investigate water and air quality and explore the ecology of rare cedar glade
habitats,” Abolins said.
He also noted, “Although the focus is science research, the
research will also lead to a greater appreciation of the role of geology during
the pivotal first day of the American Civil War Battle of Stones River, and the
research will lead to a greater appreciation of the role of geology and botany
in the lives of rural African Americans after the war.”
The summer 2013 cohort will conduct eight weeks of research
and explore Mammoth Caves and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a
five-day field trip. The 2013 students also will attend the 2014 Geological
Society of America’s annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The NSF grant of $368,000 also will enable MTSU to host
similar endeavors in 2014 and 2015. The 2014 cohort will travel to meetings in
Baltimore, Md., and the 2015 cohort will travel to meetings in Denver, Colo.
In addition to Abolins, MTSU faculty who will mentor the
students are Dr. Melissa Lobegeier, associate professor, geosciences; Dr.
Heather Brown, chair, concrete industry management program; Dr. Ngee Sing
Chong, professor, chemistry; Dr. Beng Guat Ooi, professor, chemistry; Dr. Jeff
Walck, professor, biology; and Dr. Steve Howard, professor, biology.
Abolins says there were 37 applicants for the 10 positions.
The students chosen are Joel Bostic, Western Carolina University; Kathryn
Briggs, Western Kentucky University; Amanda R. Brown University of
Tennessee-Chattanooga; Joe T. Camacho, Humboldt State University; Shaina J.
Dunn, Missouri State University; John D. Fultz, Middle Tennessee State
University; Kristina Krull, University of Massachusetts-Lowell; Anthony J.
Mims, Kutztown University; Emily I. Silveira, California State University-Fullerton;
and Shaunna D. Young, Radford University.
For more information, contact Abolins at mark.abolins@mtsu.edu.
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