Faces of SRAP: Sarah Fanning and Virgil Morrison

Although they’re still getting all of the details of their project worked out, Sarah Fanning and Virgil Morrison both enjoy what they’re doing in the Botany department, and they love collecting ecological data.

“We went out to the field last week to measure trees,” says Sarah Fanning, a senior from Colorado. “That was really fun.”

From left to right:
Virgil Morrison, Dr. Brent Ewers, Sarah Fanning

“I’ve learned a lot in the lab, but I definitely like to be outside,” says Virgil, a recent high school graduate from Riverton, WY.

Sarah and Virgil are working in Dr. Brent Ewers Botany lab this summer, studying the effects of pine beetles for their Summer Research Apprentice Program research project.

Sarah and Virgil have different passions, but both of them greatly enjoy science.

Sarah enjoys Paleontology, and plans to make a career out of it.

“I’ve never done Botany before, I’ve never worked with anything that hasn’t been dead for 50 million years,” she says. “I’m excited to see how living things are right now, in their purest form instead of their fossilized form.”

Like Sarah, Virgil enjoys science, specifically Biology.

“I like seeing and learning about what’s going on where I go,” he says. “I just really enjoy it, I have a really good teacher, so that made it fun for me.”

Both Sarah and Virgil look forward to a summer filled with research and exciting new opportunities.

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

Undergraduate Research Fellowship Spotlight: Wil Chapple

Each semester, Wyoming EPSCoR selects and funds 20 or more Undergraduate Research Fellowships. These fellowships are excellent opportunities for students to gain quality experience in research, to prepare for graduate programs, and obtain practical knowledge. Throughout the next few weeks, our blog will be highlighting various students participating in the EPSCoR Undergraduate Research Fellowships program.

Wil Chapple

Wil Chapple, a senior in the Rangeland Ecology and Watershed Management department is studying water and isotopes.

“I’m tracing water through the ecosystem in the Snowy Range,” says Wil. “And also, how the glacial history that helped shape the Snowies has affected the soils that similar ecosystems rely on.”

To trace the water, Wil is using various research methods to collect data.

“I’ve been collecting soil samples and taking isotope measures of the water in the Snowies,” says Wil. “I’m looking to see if there are similar isotopic signatures in certain depths of the soil.”

Wil has been working in the Stable Isotope Facility for three semesters. His faculty mentor is Dr. David Williams, a professor in the Departments of Botany and Ecosystem Science and Management and Team Lead in WyCEHG.

“I’m lucky to get a lot of support and help from Dave and fellow grad students,” says Wil. “I’m really thankful for that!”

Through his fellowship, Wil has gained many valuable experiences, but a few things stand out above the rest.

“I’ve gotten a glimpse into what graduate school would be like,” says Wil. “I’ve also learned what it takes to do good science. I’ve learned a lot of patience.”

By: Robin E. Rasmussen

Photo courtesy of Wil Chapple

SRAP Student Spotlight: Marten Baur and drought research

SRAPer: Marten Baur

Home state: Wyoming

Grade in school: Senior

Plans after high school: Attend a university

Drought is a part of life that citizens of Wyoming understand completely. Because of the huge impact of drought on the Wyoming way of life, many scientists at the University of Wyoming are currently studying droughts and their effects on plants. Marten Baur, a Wyoming high school student, is one of those researchers.

Marten is working with Dr. Brent Ewers in the Botany department at the University of Wyoming for his SRAP project.

“My project helps to understand soil water potential for plants. When plants are in a drought, the soil is dried up,” says Marten. “The water potential is basically water’s ability to move to another area, such as up the plant.”

 
Marten is working to understand what happens when the soil doesn’t hold much water.
 
“As the plant is trying to draw up the water, it generates tension and that tension, if the soil is too dry, it will cause the plant to have too much tension and it will cavitate,” says Marten.
 
When a plant cavitates, it makes it more difficult to get water to the top of the plant.

 “So when soil is wet, it has low negative pressure which is good for the plant,” Marten says. “That means it doesn’t need as much tension to pull the water up and get it to the canopy.”

 
Although the research Marten is conducting must be precise, he enjoys it.

 “I like being outside, but the science parts are definitely interesting. As tedious as this is, the concepts are cool.”

 
The research that Marten is conducting is crucial to better understanding droughts and their effects.  His SRAP project will have a large impact on citizens all over the state of Wyoming.

SRAP is a six-week long intensive research program based at the University of Wyoming and sponsored by Wyoming EPSCoR.

By Robin E. Rasmussen and Kali S. McCrackin
Photo by Robin E. Rasmussen

SRAP Student Spotlight: Danny Tran and soil water potential

SRAPer: Danny Tran

Home state: Colorado

Year in School: Junior

Plans after high school: Go to a university, possibly studying medicine

Understanding how plants receive and use water is critical for the future of forest health and development. Danny Tran is working to add to this body of knowledge.

“I’m working on soil water potential,” says Danny. “And I’m also working on the hydraulic system for the cavitation of xylems.”

The xylem is the part of a plant that moves water and nutrients from the root to the rest of the plant.

“The cavitations of xylems happen when the tissue in the xylem burst, because of air bubbles,” says Danny. “That’s not good for the plant.” 

Danny is working with Dr. Brent Ewers in the Botany department. The research that Danny is conducting is crucial to understanding the relationship between soil and water in plants.

“With the hydraulics, you spin a centrifuge and you see the pull of the water column,” says Dr. Ewers. “If you pull too much, it breaks. The soil measurements tell us how much the soil pulls on the water column, so then we could see how dry it is out at the field and how much that is causing plants to cavitate the field.”

For Danny, getting into the field to collect samples to study is one of the most interesting parts of his research project. 

“I like going into the field and collecting samples, but I think the machines we use are actually pretty interesting,” says Danny.

“We use this machine, the WP4, to see the soil water. Then, we take a lot of measurements, like temperature and the MPa.” says Danny.

“The WP4 is an instrument that measures the water potential of a porous medium like soil,” says Dr. Ewers. “The principle is that the humidity in a small chamber equilibrates with the water potential, or how hard the soil pulls on the water, in the sample. The chamber is cooled down until water condenses on a mirror inside the chamber. The point of condensation is equal to the water potential of the soil. Thus, measurements of temperature are used to calculate the suction of water in the soil in units of MPa.”

“I didn’t believe they could make a machine that could do its job like this one,” Danny says.  “And since it’s also a homemade hydraulic system, I think that’s pretty cool.”

SRAP is a six-week long intensive research program based at the University of Wyoming and sponsored by Wyoming EPSCoR.

By Robin E. Rasmussen and Kali S. McCrackin
Photo by Robin E. Rasmussen

SRAP Alumna Mariah Strike: Seeing the Big Picture

The girls from SRAP 2010. Mariah is in the middle on the right.

Sometimes seeing the big picture is easier said than done. In the middle of a lab project or sitting through a seemingly unnecessary class, it’s hard to believe that all the pieces will come together. But, as previous SRAP (Summer Research Apprentice Program) student Mariah Strike learned during her experience, everything does come together in the end. 

Mariah participated in SRAP in 2010 between her junior and senior years of high school. Originally from Pinedale, Wyoming, she is now a sophomore at UW majoring in International Studies and Environment and Natural Resources, with a minor in Spanish. This year she is not studying at UW however. She is spending the entire year abroad, studying in Spain. 

Despite the distance, we had the opportunity to talk over email. Our virtual interview not only showed Mariah’s passions for SRAP and her education, but showed how science can be combined with so many diverse interests.

What was your SRAP lab experience like? Did it help prepare you for college?
 My SRAP project had to do with soil respiration in sage brush. My professor was Dr. Kiona Ogle and my mentor was Colin Tucker. The best part of working in Dr. Ogle's lab was that I actually felt like I was accomplishing something. While I may have done a lot of lab work that didn't seem important at the time, by the time I was done with my project I felt like I had added to their research. I think this helped me to realize that in college it might not always seem like my classes are super important, but in the long run, they will contribute to my future. I think that SRAP prepared me for college in that I became accustomed to campus life as well as interacting with professors and graduate students.

What was your favorite part of SRAP?

My favorite part of SRAP was meeting so many incredible new people. During our 7 weeks in Laramie, I made so many great friends. A few of the friends I made also go to UW. In fact, one of my two closest friends from SRAP also goes to UW. We're still friends to this day. 

You have a unique combination of academic interests. What interested you in these fields?
I came into UW declared as an International Studies major. I had chosen this because I have always had a passion for traveling and learning about other cultures. Within my IS major, I have to choose a global track (culture, politics, economics, or environment.) I chose the environmental track which led me to my first ENR (Environment and Natural Resources) class. After taking this class, I knew that I also wanted to be an Environment and Natural Resources major as well. The majors actually fit together rather well, as does the Spanish minor. For my IS major, I have to take so many credits in a language anyway, so I decided I might as well get a minor. Besides, I love learning Spanish, and I always enjoy my Spanish classes. 

What has your college experience been like so far?
My college experience has been incredible so far. As of right now, balancing everything hasn't been too hard. However, I only had my freshman year at UW before I left for my year-long study abroad. Therefore, I'm not exactly sure how hard it will be to balance everything when I get back. However, I am confident that I will be able to do it. I had a great first year in Laramie, and now I am spending my entire sophomore year in Granada, Spain. To say the least, it is an opportunity of a lifetime. 

Mariah (second from the left) with some new SRAP friends

Mariah will return to UW in the fall to finish her degrees. Her experience abroad will undoubtedly add to the lessons she learned from SRAP and will continue to help her succeed in all aspects of her academics and life.  

To learn more about SRAP, please visit: http://www.uwyo.edu/epscor/fellowships-and-student-programs/srap/index.html. Applications for the Summer 2013 program are due March 15^th, 2013.






By Kali S. McCrackin
Photos courtesy of Mariah Strike

SRAP Alumnus Leo K. Perez Jr.: The Value of Learning Time Management

Going to college is not just about learning the specifics of your major. It’s also about learning how to be an independent, successful adult. For Leo K. Perez Jr., a sophomore at the University of Wyoming majoring in Petroleum Engineering, learning these important life skills began when he was in the Summer Research Apprentice Program (SRAP) as a high school student.

“SRAP gives you a little bit of an insight into what being on your own is going to be like,” Leo says. “In the program you’re pretty much independent and on your own. You have to take care of yourself and manage your time. I think that SRAP was pretty helpful and it helped me get a pretty good feel for the UW campus too.”

SRAP is an EPSCoR program which aims to encourage more underrepresented groups to pursue degrees and careers in science and to further their education after high school. The program gives students hands-on experiences in science labs at UW, where they conduct their own projects with a mentor and are paid to do so. Leo was in SRAP two years in a row, in 2009 and 2010.

“The first time I worked with Dr. Mark Gomelsky in Molecular Biology,” Leo says. “And then the second time I was with Kiona Ogle in the Botany department. That’s actually how I got my job. When Kiona went to Arizona, one of the grad students moved to a different lab and I got my job through him.”

Leo is an undergraduate lab technician in one of the Botany labs at UW. As a SRAP student, he studied water uptake and the ecosystem of sagebrush. The project has expanded since then, and now he is working on the broader grassland ecosystem.

While Botany and Petroleum Engineering do not exactly mesh well, Leo has found that his involvement in the lab has contributed to his education.

“I am learning the research process and how to run experiments, which could be valuable because I am thinking about staying at UW and getting my Master’s degree,” Leo says.

In his first two years at UW, Leo has been involved in a variety of academic as well as extra-curricular activities, including the collegiate Future Farmers of America (FFA). He has enjoyed having familiar faces from high school in UW’s FFA and networking with new people.

“College in general has been a lot of fun,” he says. “It was pretty difficult at first because I was adjusting to everything, including big classes, but I’m in the groove now and I’m doing pretty well with everything.”

As he reflects on the last few years, he looks again at SRAP. It introduced him to different fields of science but also to a group of new friends he would not have met in his hometown of Glendo, Wyoming.

“The whole experience in general was a complete blast!” he says. “You really get a taste of all different cultures. In Wyoming, you don’t get to experience that too much. Both summers in SRAP we had students from all over the country, so you really meet people from a lot of different backgrounds. I always thought that was pretty cool.”

This diversity and networking is exactly what EPSCoR aims for in SRAP and what SRAP encourages in the broader scientific community. 

The deadline for this year’s SRAP applications is March 15^th. More detail and applications can be found at: http://www.uwyo.edu/epscor/fellowships-and-student-programs/srap/index.html

By Kali S. McCrackin