Research Projects
Undergraduate Research Sunfish Coexistence
The file attached is the final results of my undergraduate research that studied the effects of coexistence between redbreast (Lepomis auritus) and green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) in Virginia’s rivers. This project is something that I’m very proud of because it is the first research project that I came up with that focuses on some of my favorite parts of ecology. I am fascinated by evolution and competition, and how these two forces interact. A big topic in today’s world is how introduced species can be problematic for native species, and my project aims to add to our understanding of how introducing species for human benefit impacts our native species. Another reason why I am proud of this project is because I had to redesign my research project three times before I came up with something that was feasible to do as an undergraduate student because of time and or resource restriction. My completed research project will set me apart from other graduate school applicants. Going through the entire research process has taught me a lot about how to conduct research and what type of researcher I am. From this project I learned how much fun field work is and how important it is for me to be out in the field when I do research. In the lab, I learned how to do a morphological and stomach content analysis and use principal component axes to explain changes in morphology and behavior. I also learned how to communicate my project to other people so I can get funding and approval to carry out my research. I am glad I had this opportunity to do my own research because it has confirmed my decision to pursue graduate school after I graduate.
R Coding Proficiency
During my time at the University of Mary Washington I learned how to use R Coding to analyze and graph my data. The pictures below are from a project that I worked on while learning how to use R Coding. The pictures show the code and scatter plot made from simulated data about largemouth and smallmouth bass habitat use. I have included the R file that shows all the work that I did to analyze and graph my data. This project was difficult because the data I had did not meet the assumptions to run a parametric test. To fix this, I tried to transform my data to meet normality, but my data could not be transformed. This lead me to run a Kruskal Wallis rank sum test. During this project, I learned not only R coding skills, but I also honed my critical thinking skills and problem-solving kills. The new skills helped me to better analyze my data and try to make my data meet the assumptions for a parametric test. I enjoyed working on this project because it reinforced my desire to continue to cinduct research after I graduate. This project has allowed me to grow as a researcher and I am now more confident when analyzing data and more comfortable working with a complex and sometimes troublesome system like R Coding. With the skills I learned from this course and from conducting this research I am confident that I can have success when pursuing post graduate opportunities.
PowerPoint Presentations
These are a pair of brief PowerPoint presentations that I made for my sedimentation and stratigraphy class at the University of Mary Washington. These presentations cover sedimentary minerals used in human society and bedding plane markings. I am pleased with how both these presentations turned out, I got several compliments from my classmates and professor on their design and content. Although these presentations are not the longest that I have made, I did try to expand my knowledge of PowerPoint by trying new design techniques. I learned a lot from making these PowerPoint presentations, not just on how we use different minerals or how to identify bedding markings and what they represent, but also how to better use PowerPoint to convey important information. I also improved my verbal communication skills through these presentations. Effective communication is critical for scientists, because it allows us to effectively convey our ideas to our peers and to others who may not have the same knowledge base we do.
