Getting involved with a faculty member's research is a thrilling experience, especially as an undergraduate! A majority of the faculty at Radford lead their own research programs, whether their field is in the humanities or life/physical sciences. Students at Radford begin research in a variety of ways. Here's how...
- Ask the faculty member who is teaching a course that excites you! Usually faculty teach in areas that are in or similar to their research focus.
- Surf the faculty web pages for a topic that excites you! At the bottom of each name will be their field of study. Click on their name to find out more. Then, reach out to the faculty member by emailing or stopping by their office.
- Ask a fellow student who is already participating in research! This student can introduce you to the faculty member.
- Ask your advisor! Your advisor generally knows how each faculty member prefers to be approached, as well as their field of study.
Are you interested in Aquatic or Terrestrial Ecology? If yes, contact me through email ([email protected]), stop by my office (Center for the Sciences 177), stop by my lab (Center for the Sciences 168), or chat with me after class! My students and I are involved with three research projects at the moment: Mountain Valley Pipeline, Biodiversity in Graveyards, and Chironomidae identification (read below for more details).
Once we've set up a time for you to meet the crew, we'll chat about which project most aligns with your interests. No experience necessary!
Once we've set up a time for you to meet the crew, we'll chat about which project most aligns with your interests. No experience necessary!
Monitoring the Effects of the Mountain Valley Pipeline
Sierra Bradley (RU Alum 2020) and I designed a before-after control-impact (BACI) monitoring program to determine the effects of a natural gas pipeline construction project on freshwater streams in Roanoke County, Virginia. The MVP is a 303-mile, 42-in in diameter, natural gas pipeline that will traverse the landscape from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia. The construction process has been delayed, which has given us more time to collect data to understand how the stream naturally varies over time. Thus, any deviations from this natural variation may be attributed to the pipeline construction and installation processes. Indeed, little is known about how the construction process will alter our small headwater stream ecosystems. Our team has been collecting physical habitat, water chemistry, eDNA, and aquatic insect assemblages since the late summer 2018. We collect our data in August and March (typically during spring break) each year. Groundwater and UAV mapping are being developed. Then, we spend our non-field seasons identifying the insect sample and analyzing our data. This project will develop students' skills in field work and identification, as well as talking to landowners! Students will also present their work at a local, regional, or national conference!
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The crew identifying insects or working on their analyses. Left to right: Donya Mohamed, Jess Butler, Angela Holmes, Madison Paterniti.
Example of an insect larvae found at our sites:
Left: Ephemeridae (Burrowing Mayfly Family) Right: Dixidae (Meniscus Midges) |
Biodiversity in Graveyards
Dr. Sarah Foltz, Jack Koger, and I are starting a new project to record bird, reptile, mammal, pollinator interactions, or other terrestrial insects in graveyards. This project is in the early planning stages! Students will learn how to film, collect, and identify terrestrial insects (among other taxonomic groups). Students will present their work at a local, regional, or national conference! Yes, this project is a deviation from aquatic research; however, this deviation shows the beauty of working in our Biology Department - the creative freedom to explore interests! Pictures forthcoming.
Dr. Sarah Foltz, Jack Koger, and I are starting a new project to record bird, reptile, mammal, pollinator interactions, or other terrestrial insects in graveyards. This project is in the early planning stages! Students will learn how to film, collect, and identify terrestrial insects (among other taxonomic groups). Students will present their work at a local, regional, or national conference! Yes, this project is a deviation from aquatic research; however, this deviation shows the beauty of working in our Biology Department - the creative freedom to explore interests! Pictures forthcoming.
Chironomidae Identification
Interested in learning how to identify an insect by its head? Chironomidae is the family name for non-biding midge or lake fly. They are among the most diverse insect families. This project would be great for a student or a pair of students who are interested in microscope work and taking publication worthy images. This project will develop students' skills in microscopy, solving problems, taking high quality photographs, and mounting heads to slides. The data produced by this project will be instrumental in documenting the biodiversity at our stream sites for the MVP. Pictures forthcoming.
Interested in learning how to identify an insect by its head? Chironomidae is the family name for non-biding midge or lake fly. They are among the most diverse insect families. This project would be great for a student or a pair of students who are interested in microscope work and taking publication worthy images. This project will develop students' skills in microscopy, solving problems, taking high quality photographs, and mounting heads to slides. The data produced by this project will be instrumental in documenting the biodiversity at our stream sites for the MVP. Pictures forthcoming.