Faces of SRAP: Caroline

From: Tennessee

Much like other students her age, Caroline, a recent high school graduate, plans to attend college. But unlike other students, Caroline will have an added benefit when she attends the University of Tennessee in the fall – hands-on research experience.  

Dr. Andy Parsekian and Caroline

This summer, Caroline will be working with Dr. Andrew Parsekian, in the department of Geology and Geophysics, as part of the Summer Research Apprentice Program (SRAP).

“Caroline will be working on a hydrogeophysics project using ground penetrating radar (GPR) to study tree roots,” says Dr. Parsekian. “We’re building this experiment from the ground up.”

Caroline plans to study geology when she goes to college, and her interests make her well suited for the field.

“I’m specifically interested in planetary science,” she says. “My ideal career would be being a professor at the same time as being a research scientist.”

Caroline is excited to study hydrogeophysics this summer and looks forward to the challenges ahead.

“I’m most excited about getting my hands dirty and really getting into research,” she says. “I’ve never really done anything like this before.”

SRAP is a six-week, intensive research program for high school students. It is based at the University of Wyoming and is sponsored by Wyoming EPSCoR. To learn more about the program, click here, or search “SRAP” in the archives.

By Robin Rasmussen

Photo by Robert Waggener