Stellar Student Research:
04 | Biology Undergraduates Pursue Independent Research
When electrical engineering student Owen Cupp chose to attend Cal State Fullerton over other universities, he wanted an opportunity for doing undergraduate research. Now a senior and a member of the prestigious Tau Beta Pi national honor society, Cupp has had those expectations more than fulfilled. He is especially proud of his work with Professor Prasada Rao, assistant professor of civil engineering, on the Water Hazard Mitigation Project. The three-year project, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency at $196,000, was launched to enhance hometown security efforts, a component of Homeland Security. The goal of the research is to be able to detect harmful chemicals in dams, reservoirs and aqueducts and to shut down the vital water systems in the event of accidental or intentional contamination. Cupp worked with Rao to develop algorithms to detect harmful chemicals more quickly and in smaller concentrations. The goal, Rao explained, is that once the algorithms have been further developed and refined, they can be altered appropriately to detect any substance from which the water should be guarded.
Undergraduate biology student Tracy Valentovich studies geographic variations among stands of Joshua trees. Robin Keber investigates how artichoke thistle, an invasive plant species, affects hummingbirds’ success in building nests. Amy Arispe is finding out whether crypto biotic soil crusts are a source of nitrogen for two desert shrubs.
These and similar projects are being carried out as part of the Southern California Ecosystems Research Program, training undergraduates for careers in ecology and environmental biology. Funded and recently refunded by the National Science Foundation, the program awards $12,000 scholarships for up to two years. Recipients design and complete independent research projects, closely mentored by faculty members, and then present their results at scientific meetings and in publications.
“We believe the program has had a dramatic, positive impact on our students,” says its director, biology Professor Bill Hoese. “Of the seven scholars who have graduated since the program began, five are in graduate school and one manages an ecology lab at UC Irvine. Students have received numerous awards for their work. Many have received scholarships, and three of our current students are enrolled in an exchange program to study coastal ecology in Brazil. These are a few examples of success.”
