Wyoming EPSCoR is Accepting Applications for Fall 2014 Undergraduate Research Fellowships!

Each semester, Wyoming EPSCoR supports and funds outstanding undergraduate students in Biological Sciences, Geosciences, Hydrology, Computational Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, Engineering and Mathematics.

To collect his data, Jeff rigs up a microphone to catch the sounds
of the river.
"I take a stereo microphone and put it perpendicular to the stream," Jeff says.
"Then, I suspend it with a pulley system, so that I get the same section
of water each time."

Students who are awarded a Wyoming EPSCoR Undergraduate Research Fellowship are eligible to earn up to $750 for the fall semester to conduct research and gain valuable experience. The same amount is available for the spring semester, and students can earn up to $3500 in the summer, when students are not in classes and can devote their time exclusively to their research project.

In the past, students have studied various topics in many fields, and have gained valuable skills during their time as Undergraduate Research Fellows.

“Undergraduate Research Fellowships are a fantastic opportunity for undergraduate students to get hands-on research experience in a subject of their choosing,” says Sarah Konrad, Associate Director of Wyoming EPSCoR. “Such experience can be transformative, and numerous former recipients have caught the research bug, continuing on to graduate school in science.”

Wil Chapple traced water through the ecosystem in the Snowy Range during his time as a Fellow. “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.”

Andrea Alvarez

Callie Berman studied water. “I investigated water transport mechanisms in the Snowy Mountain Range outside of Laramie to not only understand how these dynamics work, but to also gain an insight into how this resource is managed on a local and state-wide scale.”

Andrea Alvarez studied water quality analysis on the Wind River Reservation. Jeff Santos worked to find a correlation between the sound of streams and the amount of water they carry.

“Science is so much bigger than what can be found in textbooks, and some students who are bored reading about science come to life when they actually get to do science,” says Sarah.

Applications for Fall 2014 are due September 19^th at 5 p.m. For more information, please contact Lisa Abeyta. To apply for an Undergraduate Research Fellowship, click here.

By Robin Rasmussen

Photos courtesy of Jeff Santos and Andrea Alvarez

2014 Wyoming Undergraduate Research Day

While many students are counting down the days to summer vacation or graduation, a select number of student scientists from the University of Wyoming and Wyoming’s community colleges are counting down their days until the Wyoming Undergraduate Research Day on April 26^th, 2014.

Over 360 undergraduate students from around Wyoming will gather to present their research to peers, mentors, faculty, family and friends. Undergraduate Research Day is a day of anticipation, excitement and celebration. It is the culmination of many hours, weeks and months of demanding research.

Student research projects vary, and encompass a large range of departments and subjects. Attendees will be able to see presentations or posters on topics including economics and finance, physics and astronomy, education, geology and geophysics, and many more. 

 "Wyoming Undergraduate Research Day is important because it provides a forum to showcase the wide-variety impressive research that is being done at the undergraduate level at UW and at Wyoming's community colleges," says Rick Matlock, Wyoming EPSCoR’s project administrator.

Wyoming EPSCoR supports undergraduate students through the Undergraduate Research Fellowship program, and these students will be among students presenting their research at Undergraduate Research Day.

EPSCoR encourages other students, faculty members, and staff to attend Undergraduate Research Day and support student researchers. Oral presentations will be held from 12 to 4 p.m. in the University of Wyoming Classroom Building. Poster presentations will be held from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Wyoming Union Family Room. A map of the University of Wyoming campus can be found here. 

“Quite simply, attending Wyoming Undergraduate Research Day allows you to witness the amazing things that happen at the University of Wyoming and Wyoming’s community colleges throughout the year,” says Rick. “The level of work done by undergraduates is just remarkable.”

For questions or more information about Undergraduate Research Day, please visit our website or contact Beth Cable at bcable@uwyo.edu.

By Robin Rasmussen

Undergraduate Research Fellowship Spotlight: Andrea Alvarez

Each semester, Wyoming EPSCoR selects and funds twenty or more Undergraduate Research Fellowships. These fellowships are excellent opportunities for students to gain quality experience in research, prepare for graduate programs, and obtain practical knowledge.

As a Petroleum Engineering student at the University ofWyoming, Andrea Alvarez was interested in the relationship between water with oil and gas extraction.

Andrea Alvarez

This interest led her to Dr. Ginger Paige, a professor in Ecosystem Science & Management at UW. As an EPSCoR Undergraduate Fellow, Andrea has the opportunity to study and conduct research under the direction of Ginger.

“I’m studying water quality analysis on the Wind River Indian Reservation,” says Andrea. “When people think of petroleum, they don’t really think of water, they think of oil and gas. But in reality, they’re very closely related.”

Although she’s conducting research in a field different from petroleum engineering, Andrea has enjoyed the challenge.

“The most challenging part is the fact that I don’t know much about water quality,” she says. “I came in from a totally different field. But it’s shown me my strengths and weaknesses when it comes to working in a field that I don’t know.”

Throughout her time as a fellow, Andrea has learned a lot about water quality, but she’s also learned about herself and the world around her.

“Doing this really gave me a better idea of what grad school would be like,” Andrea says. “It showed me where I would be lacking and where I would have advantages. It kind of just broadened my horizons overall.”

For other students thinking about applying for fellowships, Andrea encourages others to give it a shot.

“Get out of your comfort zone,” she says. “Try everything once.”

By Robin Rasmussen 

Photo courtesy of Andrea Alvarez

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