Spanish Major
Spring 2021
I completed an independent study with my friend and fellow Spanish major Olivia Thompson. We organized a seed starting event for local Spanish speakers in partnership with Springfield Community Gardens (SCG). To supplement the event, Olivia and I will translated SCG promotional materials and the event curriculum from English to Spanish for future use by SCG. We are grateful for Stephanie Handy, life long gardener and SCG staff member for teaching the event and providing the lesson for us to translate.
Environmental Biology Major
Fall 2020 - Spring 2021
Research was the main focus of my major this year. My Honors research on Sciurus carolinensis (Eastern Gray Squirrel) went through the fall into the spring and was presented at both the Tri Beta district conference and at the Drury Honors Spring Research Symposium. I was finally able to complete my RENS research on Acris crepitans (Cricket Frog) in from May 2021 into the summer. This research studied the impact of body size and environmental variables on call characteristics in A. crepitans (See the RENS Proposal link below for more information).
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My more traditional environmental biology courses included vertebrate physiology and environmental ethics. I enjoyed environmental ethics because it took a step back from the hard science of environmental issues and explored the different ways people can think about them. We studied thought from a variety of sources and viewpoints (eg. ancient Greece and Rome, the Enlightenment, and contemporary Democratic and Republican leaders). We finished the course with group research projects applying an environmental ethic to a local environmental issue. My group applied Deep Ecology to improving Springfield's local food system.
Year Four
It's astonishing how quickly four years went by. I am thankful for the relationships and opportunities I had at Drury and plan on maintaining these connections as an alumna. I completed two research projects, was President of the Honors Student Association, and grew my professional network through my work at Springfield Community Gardens during my senior year.
HNRS Reading Seminar: Magic
Fall 2020
This was my second Honors reading seminar; I had taken one before during my freshman year. Since then, they had become completely student lead, with no designated faculty member facilitating discussion. Instead, students took turns leading book discussion and provided their own questions and comments on the texts. I enjoyed this format because it gave us more freedom to explore the texts without having to think about giving the "right answers" during discussion. I took this reading seminar to prepare to lead my own in the spring.
HNRS Reading Seminar: Environmental Justice
Spring 2021
I led my own Honors reading seminar on environmental justice during the spring semester. We read three books (A Terrible Thing to Waste by Harriet Washington, Living Downstream by Sandra Steingraber, and World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil) and viewed one film (Public Trust: The Fight for America’s Public Lands) produced by Robert Redford & Yvon Chouinard. This was an opportunity to connect with first year Honors students in the group, provide feedback on their writing, and engage in meaningful discussion about environmental justice and the complexities of interactions between Nature and people.
HNRS Vertebrate Physiology
Spring 2021
Vertebrate Physiology was a difficult but rewarding class. The lecture/lab was seated with only three students, so there was no hiding from questions or discussion. The lab improved my statistical abilities by allowing me to play with Minitab and problem solve through experiments without penalizing mistakes made through the process. I feel more confident in my ability to perform statistical analysis and interpret their findings into biological conclusions.
HNRS Senior Capstone: Squirrel Research
Fall 2020 - Spring 2021
My senior Honors capstone tested optimal diet selection in Sciurus carolinensis (Eastern Gray Squirrel) who live and feed on Drury's campus. I found that squirrels preferred walnuts buried at a shallower depth (3 cm) than at a greater depth (9 cm), which I had predicted. I also found that squirrels preferred walnuts with shell over walnuts without shell even under equal abundance; I had not predicted this. This new finding may be due to the squirrels' inconsistent access to both walnut types since I conducted 19 data collection days over a 5 month span. More research is needed to better understand Eastern Gray Squirrel's learning ability under both consistent and inconsistent access to food items.
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Leadership and Extracurriculars
Summer 2020 - Spring 2021
Drury Neighborhood Association (DNA)
This marked my third summer volunteering with DNA. COVID-19 kept us from meeting weekly to swim and share a meal, however we were able to celebrate the high school graduation of a DNA alum and host an outdoor movie night in the neighborhood. I am proud of the programming we were able to provide, even though it looked different than that of past summers.
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Honors Student Association (HSA)
I was elected as HSA President after serving two years as VP. I was grateful for the opportunity and looking forward to facing the challenges ahead with the rest of the Executive Council. COVID-19 bought new Drury and local health department guidelines to follow and changed the way we held meetings and events. We also worked to expand our current programming, including our Welcome Week, Peer Mentor Program, and community service. This marked our first year volunteering with Springfield Community Gardens.
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Tri Beta Biological Honor Society
I had the opportunity to present my research, funded by Tri Beta, on the Eastern Gray Squirrel at their district conference. It was virtual due to COVID-19, but it was still good to gather remotely and learn from other student's research as well as my own. I was runner up for the Frank G. Brooks Award for Excellence in Student Research, surpassed only by another Drury student researcher, Gwynna Fuller. Congrats Gwynna!
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Other
I decided to not be an RA for my last year so I could focus on my academics, building relationships, and prepare for life after graduation. RACA was one of the highlights of my Drury experience, providing opportunities for personal and professional growth. (Add TriBeta)
