Departments of Biology, Chemistry and Earth and Environment
Exploring the Earth
Field Studies at F & M
Field Based Research Offers Students Unique Opportunities to:
- learn outside the classroom
- work closely with faculty on important research
- travel to exciting places
- meet new people
- gain true hands on experiences
If you are a student with a general interest in science or a student already majoring in science field based research opportunities offered by the Departments of Earth and Environment, Biology, and Chemistry are a great way to explore every aspect of science.
Australia…Mongolia…Coastal Maine…Poconos…Sea Semester...
East Africa…Nevada…Alaska...Indonesia…Oregon
| Rachel Dvoretsky traveled to Australia as Megan Murphy's (F&M alumna) assistant looking at microbial material in some of the oldest rocks on Earth. Rachel also conducted a study with Professor Carol de Wet, F&M Department of Earth and Environment, on ancient reef pinnacles exposed in southeastern Pennsylvania. | ||||
 The purpose of her research was to investigate the features of a type of ancient, well-preserved, microbial growth that was previously unidentified and did not fit the established scheme for classification of microbialites. |
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Sedimentology of the Tsagantsav Formation; Southeast Mongolia Justin Gosses traveled to Mongolia on a project with students from 11 other colleges across the country. The students and professors spent 5 weeks in the field analyzing the geological history of southeast Mongolia. |
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The study was significant because of its contribution to the understanding of the causes for the late Mesozoic extension in North China – Mongolia, and for predicting regional petroleum resources in the East Gobi Basin. The project was funded by the KECK Geology Consortium which is known nationwide for excellent student-faculty collaborations. KECK is dedicated to providing high-quality field research opportunities which enhance undergraduate geosciences education. |
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Jesse Yoburn determining the thickness of Hesperia Planum Ridge Plains on Mars using data from the Mars Orbiting Laser Altimeter. | |||
| Initially participating in a KECK Geology project and later with funding from NASA/Delaware Valley Space Grant Consortium, Jesse conducted a study to determine the thickness of Hesperia Planum Ridge Plains of Mars. He focused on information from crater relief. Jesse completed his Ph.D. in Planetary Science at Arizona State University and now works for ExxonMobil. |
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Bryn Benford participated in a research project using sea kayaks to map part of the Maine coast. The team of two professors and several students used a Global Positioning System (GPS) with integrated infrared equipment to pinpoint small-scale features associated with the collision between North America and Africa 500 million years ago. | |||
| The data was processed using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. The collaborative research project was funded through the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates program | ||||
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| Professor Janet Fischer, F&M Biology Department, and her students use relatively large-scale field experiments to understand how environmental factors affect community dynamics in freshwater lakes in the Pocono Mountains. Although most of her research has focused on zooplankton (small planktonic invertebrates that prey on algae and are consumed by fish), she has broadened her perspective in recent work on ultraviolet radiation (UVR) to include lower trophic levels like bacteria, protozoa, and algae. In these large-scale experiments, she uses mesocosms (~ 1 meter diameter, > 4 m deep plastic tubes) to explore the effects of various environmental factors, including acidification, fish predation, and UVR on community dynamics. | ||||
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| These experiments are labor-intensive and have involved many students in the field during the summer. Because we return from the field with literally hundreds of samples to process, students have continued their involvement in the project during the academic year as well. | ||||
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Yoana Voynova, working with Professor Jennifer Morford, F&M Department of Chemistry, joined Dr. Dan McCorkle, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on a cruise to collect sediment cores. She helped with coring, processing samples and separating benthic foraminifera for ongoing experiments. Yoana also spent a semester aboard ship with Sea Semester. Opportunities exist for F&M students to get shipboard experience and work on trace metal cycling in the marine environment. | |||
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Rob Tunnell participated in a project in Southern Australia along with 11 other colleges across the country. The project was funded by the Keck Geology Consortium The students and professors spent 5 weeks compiling information about the poorly understood late Neogene and Quaternary landscape evolution along Cape Liptrap and the Yanakie Isthmus. Rob's project focused on contributing to an improved understanding of many of the features of 8 marine terraces present in the field area as part of the larger story of documenting the specifics of the tectonic activity in the area through time. |
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Pete Witucki, East Africa "Requirements for the Establishment of Kuku Community Conservation Area in Kenya: biodiversity, tourist and stakeholder support" |
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Paul Riley Jessica Darter Sara Zeigler Stephen Pasquale |
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