Les Chercheuse Noires /Chercheurs Noirs (Black Researchers)

Many researchers and scientists are taking action today as part of #ShutDownSTEM to “pause all business as usual to demonstrate the contributions of Black intellectuals and their allies to academia.” In this spirit, Princeton Vaughn, an undergraduate student here at OWU and my research partner this summer, are coordinating a discussion forum for researchers and mentors participating in Ohio Wesleyan’s Summer Science Research Program. Our intention is to create dialogue among us about the experiences of Black/African American scientists and a place to recognize the essential contributions made by Black/African American researchers and others from marginalized groups, including women, NBPOC, and LGBTQIA+.

To complement this action, I am writing this blog post as a celebration of two gifted and ambitious students that have chosen to conduct research with me this past year (and beyond): Princeton Vaughn and Ciara Pettit. I wrote a bit about their current research projects in a previous post, so will add a bit more about each of them as researchers here.

Ciara is originally from the Cleveland area and is a Zoology major with a Spanish minor here at OWU. She had previously volunteered with a reptile rehabilitation center and approached me last fall with interest in doing research with reptiles or amphibians. She started developing cool project ideas this past spring and working to make them happen, including learning how to use a multi-data logger to measure temperature and humidity and 3D-printing lizards to use as temperature models in our field studies! Her research interest is in understanding how water availability and hydric status affect ectotherms’ ability to effectively thermoregulate. Ciara is diligent and creative in her approaches. She has dived into the primary literature and honed her writing skills, including successfully co-authoring a grant to fund her and 3 other students to do research in France for the summer (now delayed to summer 2021). Ciara also loves cookies. I am looking forward to seeing Ciara back on campus this fall and continuing to work with her for several more years – and hearing of her successes after that!

Ciara shows off her first 3D-printed model lizard (affectionately named Charizard)

Princeton approached me last August, before the fall semester had even begun, to introduce himself and inquire about potential research opportunities. Since that time, we have had many interesting conversations about research, graduate school, and music (mostly obscure instrumental math-rock and contemporary classical). Princeton’s project involves a creative approach to the morphology-performance-fitness paradigm, measuring lizard body size characteristics and correlating this with their locomotor performance under different conditions.  While he isn't able to go to France this summer as planned, we were lucky enough to spend several days exploring vacant lots and parks in Cincinnati to collect lizards for his experiment. This week, we started sprinting lizards on the racetrack that he designed with fellow student Wyatt McQueen, which can be easily adapted to different inclines and different running surfaces. Additionally, Princeton has also begun imaging lizard toes with a scanning electron microscope, in collaboration with Dr. Laura Tuhela-Reuning, to examine how variation in microstructures affects running performance. He is extremely motivated to conduct this work and has impressed me with his enthusiasm, creativity, and hard work. While he is a true polymath (a triple major in Zoology, Environmental Science, and Music Composition!), Princeton is focused on continuing his studies and research and will earn a PhD in ecology/evolutionary biology (graduate advisors, take heed!).

 

Princeton and his very first Podarcis muralis!

I am fortunate to be working with such keen, astute students and grateful every day for their brilliant insights, hard work, and dedication to discovering the natural world.