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Research
Training Program
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Highlights
from 1997
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Updated:
4 October 2006
Smithsonian
Institution
National Museum of Natural History
Research
Training Program
Main
Page
1997
24
May 1997 - 2 August 1997
A total of 30 students participated in
the 1997 session of the Research Training Program
including 2 students awarded "non-program"
status. The group also included 5 international
students representing Belize, Ecuador, Mexico,
Russia, and Wales.
Schedule
of Events |
Poster |
Program
Summary
Student Abstracts |
Photo
Gallery
Meet
the 1997 participants
and read about their research projects.
Listed
left to right, front to back:
1. Josh Chamot, 2. Emma Dawson, 3. Chris Richards,
4. Pablo Jarrin, 5. Klint Cowan, 6. Traesha
Robertson, 7. Emily Greenfest, 8. Nathan Muchhala,
9. Hoah Feinstein, 10. Josh Campbell, 11. Luisa
Falcon, 12. Mac Alford, 13. Surangi Punyasena,
14. Bronwen Presswell, 15. Leo Smith, 16. Tatiana
Mikhailova, 17. Jessica Cafarella, 18. Sarah
Hood, 19. Jeannie Skalsky, 20 . Kerri Carlson,
21. Anna Munoz, 22. Sea McKeon, 23.* Whitney
Butler, 24. Greg Dehn, 25. Rebecca Spokony,
26. Linda Boose, 27. Katherine Bash, 28. Carla
Nappi, 29. *Amy Balanoff, 30. Brian Yang.
* Designates "non-program" participant
Research
Training Program Participants
Project Summaries
Non-program
Participants
Project Summaries
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Amy
Balanoff
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Whitney
Butler
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*
"Non-program participants" are students
participating in the entire curriculum of the
RTP but not selected through the regular application
process or provided an award package.
RESEARCH
TRAINING PROGRAM
PROGRAM SUMMARY
24
May 1997 to 2 August 1997
1997
STAFF
W.
John Kress and Jon Norenburg, Program Directors
Mary
Sangrey, Program Coordinator
The
RTP Steering Committee
Paula DePriest
W. John Kress
Jon Norenburg
Dave Pawson
Richard Throington
SUMMARY
Supported
by grants from the National Science Foundation
Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program,
the Smithsonian Women's Committee, The Herbert
R. Axelrod Foundation, and TWA barter tickets
the 1997 Research Training Program hosted 28
undergraduate students including five international
students (Belize, Ecuador, Mexico, Russia, and
Wales).
The program was is session from 24 May 1997
to 2 August 1997 and featured research topics
ranging from investigating the presence of scurvy
in archeological human remains, to developing
a better understanding of the solar system by
studying the Bencubbin meteorite, to the identification
and description of a new genus and species of
freshwater fish from Guyana.
More than 85 residents from the NMNH community
contributed to the 1997 curriculum which included
10 lectures, 6 discussions, 16 tours, 9 workshops,
and 1 field trip.
Highlights of the year, as nominated by the
students, included a lecture by Mark and Diane
Littler about their recent discoveries in marine
botany; a discussion with Vicki Funk about cladistics;
the wonderful world of worms tour by Kristian
Fauchald; a behind-the-scenes tour of the Geology,
Gems, and Minerals Exhibit in production; and
a foraminifera workshop hosted by 1996 RTP intern
Ryan Houston. This was also the first year the
Research Training Program hosted a web site
thus allowing students to obtain current information
and apply to participate in the program directly
from the site.
SPONSORS
National
Science Foundation Fellows:
1. Katherine Bash
2. Jessica Cafarella
3. Josh Campbell
4. Kerri Carlson
5. Josh Chamot
6. Noah Feinstein
7. Emily Greenfest
8. Sarah Hood
9. Sea McKeon
10. Nathan Muchhala
11. Anna Munoz
12. Carla Nappi
13. Chris Richards
14. Rebecca Spokony
15. Brian Yang
Smithson Women's Committee Fellows:
1. Linda Boose
2. Luisa Falcon
3. Pablo Jarrin
4. Tatiana Mikhailova
5. Bronwen Presswell
6. Jeannie Skalsky
NMNH Office of the Director Fellows:
1. Mac Alford
2. Klint Cowan
3. Emma Dawson
4. Greg Dehn
5. Surangi Punyasena
6. Traesha Robertson
The Herbert R. Axelrod Foundation Fellow:
1. Leo Smith
PARTICIPATING STUDENTS
A
total of 28 students were selected for participation
in the 1997 Research Training Program at the
Smithsonian Institution - National Museum of
Natural History.
Katherine Elaine Bash. Institution:
University of Texas, Austin, Texas. Status:
Senior. Major: Biology with an emphasis in
Chemistry and Italian. Career Goals: after
graduate school, attain a position at a university
teaching evolutionary ecology with application
to the maintenance of biodiversity.
Jessica
Danielle Cafarella. Institution: Duke
University, Durham, North Carolina. Status:
Junior. Major: Biological Anthropology and
Anatomy. Career Goals: after graduate school,
attain a research position studying human
biology.
Joshua
W. Campbell. Institution: Auburn University,
Auburn, Alabama. Status: Junior Major: Zoology
with an emphasis in Geology. Career Goals:
after graduate school, attain a research career
in entomology.
Kerri
Michelle Carlson. Institution: Miami University,
Oxford, Ohio. Status: Junior. Major: Anthropology
and Microbiology. Career Goals: after graduate
school, attain a research career at a museum
studying molecular anthropology.
Joshua Andrew Chamot. Institution: College
of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia.
Status: Junior. Major: Geology. Career Goals:
after graduate school, attain a university
research/teaching position with a focus on
global climate change or mass extinction events.
Noah
Robert Feinstein. Institution: Harvard
University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Status:
Junior. Major: Biology. Career Goals: attain
advanced degree in marine science then pursue
a career in science journalism and science
communication.
Emily
Frances Greenfest. Institution: Bryn Mawr
College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Status:
Sophomore. Major: Geology and Computer Science.
Career Goals: after graduate school, attain
a research position at a university or comparable
institute teaching Computer Science and conducting
research in computer applications to the analysis
and modeling of paleobiological data.
Sarah
C. Hood. Institution: University of Nevada,
Reno, Nevada. Status: Senior. Major: Biology.
Career Goals: after graduate school, attain
a teaching position at a university while
conducting research in marine invertebrate
zoology.
Christian
Hollis Peregrine McKeon. Institution:
The Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington.
Status: Junior. Major: Evolutionary Ecology
and Zoology. Career Goals: to attain a teaching
career in the sciences.
Nathan
Christopher Muchhala. Institution: Earlham
College, Richmond, Indiana. Status: Junior.
Major: Biology. Career Goals: after graduate
school, attain a professional career at a
large museum conducting systematic based research
of vertebrates and designing science exhibits
for the public. Ethnicity: Indian American
Anna
Marie Munoz. Institution: New Mexico State
University, Las Cruces, New Mexico. Status:
Junior. Major: Wildlife Science. Career Goals:
after graduate school, attain a research position
at a university teaching biology and conducting
research in tropical ecology and herpetology
with applications to conservation. Ethnicity:
Hispanic
Carla
Suzan Nappi. Institution: Harvard University,
Cambridge, Massachusetts. Status: Sophomore.
Major: Paleobiology. Career Goals: after earning
a graduate degree in both paleobiology and
Chinese language and literature, attain research
position at a university teaching paleobiology
and conducting paleobiology field research
in Africa and China.
Surangi
Punyasena. Institution: Yale University,
New Haven, Connecticut. Status: Junior. Major:
Anthropology and Organismal Biology. Career
Goals: after graduate school, attain a research
career in theoretical biology. Ethnicity:
Indian American
Christopher
Thomas Richards. Institution: Oberlin
College, Oberlin, Ohio. Status: Junior. Major:
Biology and Violin performance. Career Goals:
after graduate school, attain a position at
a college or university teaching Biology.
Ethnicity: African American
Rebecca
Fran Spokony. Institution: Cornell University,
Ithaca, New York. Status: Junior. Major: Biology.
Career Goals: after graduate school, attain
a career conducting research in molecular
evolution.
PROGRAM NARRATIVE
SUMMARY
The ambitious 1997 Research Training Program
ten-week curriculum challenged participants
to balance research time and time spent exploring
other exciting opportunities available in natural
history through program activities and Museum
events. There were 49 days (392 hours) included
in the summer session of the 1997 Research Training
Program; 34 days (289 hours) were reserved for
project research (74%) and 15 days (103 hours)
included 59 scheduled options such as lectures,
tours, workshops, demonstrations and field trips
to highlight the 121 million specimens of the
National Museum of Natural History, the research
conducted by the 100+ scientific staff, and
the opportunities and insights into succeeding
in natural history science.
Through a formal lecture series Smithsonian
staff provided personal instruction in the concepts
and methodologies used in natural history collections-based
investigations including details about how they
manage their specific research programs and
their personal contributions to science. Highlights
from the lecture series included "Recent
discoveries in marine botany" by Drs. Mark
and Diane Littler who openly discussed their
successful husband-wife working relationship,
their secrets to securing research grants, and
their perspective on ways to manage a productive
research career. They also presented the details
about their contributions to science including
their 1983 discovery of the deepest plant life
collected from the ocean depths and their 1994
discovery of a new pathogen of reef destroying
algae - "CLOD" - that threatens Pacific
coral reefs and their ecosystems. Igniting interest
in geology-based research topics, the presentation
by Dr. Tim McCoy "Martian meteorites: what,
where, how, and who(?)" illustrated the
high tech, high profile, research that resulted
from the recent discovery of possible traces
of ancient life found on the meteorite ALH84001.
The lecture series also covered ecological and
socioeconomic questions, especially by Dr. Tom
Fritts who has been on the research team following
the impacts of the brown tree snake on Guam
since the early 1980's. His lecture "Exotic
snake eats Guam," is an annual favorite
because it clearly illustrates why interdisciplinary
and international cooperation is necessary,
how museum collections can play a critical role
in studying ecological, real-life problems,
and when to employ different methods to communicate
your research findings from political lobbying
on Capitol Hill and gaining cooperation from
local in-country residents to scientific publication
and broadcasts on the local news.
In addition to lectures, weekly discussions
and seminars were held to present topics in
an open format. Topics covered included funding
options for research and graduate school, different
job opportunities available in natural history
fields, and tips and hints about communicating
research results including publishing and presenting.
Highlights of the discussions series included
a gathering of more than a dozen of the NMNH
collections management staff from different
scientific disciplines for a lunch discussion
"One hundred twenty one million and counting:
using, managing, and maintaining the NMNH specimens."
Specimen storage methods, preservation techniques,
international collecting ethics, loan procedures,
destructive analysis, repatriation issues, endangered
species legislation, and other topics of concern
were addressed and compared across disciplines.
Calling on the expertise and experience of four
scientific staff in communicating their research
results, a lively discussion addressed the topic
"Communicating research results through
publication" The panel of scientists discussed
their views on where, when, and how to communicate
research including: how to determine the best
means to communicate research results - scientific
paper, monograph, book, or popular article;
are all scientific journals the same; how important
is publishing in a "peer reviewed"
journal; what determines co-authorship compared
to acknowledgment; and do the rules change as
you progress from undergraduate to graduate
student to postdoctoral fellow to career tenure.
Rounding out the 1997 curriculum, workshops
were offered on how to prepare, use, and maintain
museum specimens. Behind-the-scene tours throughout
the NMNH were scheduled to broaden the participant's
biological, geological, and cultural perspective.
They emphasized an appreciation of the diversity
of the Earth and the role natural history museums
play in studying and preserving that diversity.
The tours also provided an overview of the different
types of equipment and supplies used in storing
and studying museum collections. Weekend field
trips accommodated a forum to discuss and demonstrate
collection and observation techniques on site
and in the laboratory, traditional and modern
methods were demonstrated and students were
given the hands-on opportunity to learn and
experiment with these various techniques.
In overview, the 1997 summer session was very
successful in content and accomplishment due,
in part, to the long-term planning and tremendous
effort invested by the NMNH community and the
guaranteed funding base provided by NSF-REU.
Over the past year we have:
* Implemented a web site complete with on-line
fill-in forms.
* Refined the curriculum, providing more time
for quality research investigation.
* Improved our representation of the Geological
and Anthropological sciences.
* Increased the number of project advisors,
from 74 to 97.
* Conducted an alumni evaluation of accomplishments
proceeding participation.
* Appointed Dr. Timothy J. McCoy, Director
and Principle Investigator for the 1998 -
2002 Research Training Program.
AWARD
PACKAGE
STIPEND: To achieve the goals of the
Research Training Program, financial assistance
must be offered to participating students. For
the 1997 program all facilities and services
were provided by the Program at no cost to the
student. In addition, a financial award packet
was granted to students to help defray the cost
of travel to, and a ten week stay in, Washington,
DC. The 1997 student award packet included a
transportation allowance, housing, stipend,
and research support budget. All 28 participants
in the 1997 Program each received a stipend
of $1,250; transportation allowance,
average $350 based on distance traveled; and
housing at the Oakwood apartment complex in
Alexandria, Virginia. Student-advisor teams
also submitted proposals requesting a research
supply and travel budget to purchase items necessary
to conduct the research project and to support
travel to off site locations to review other
collections, participate in scientific meetings,
or conduct in-field investigations. Teams were
granted an average of $280 each. The total award
package provided to 1997 student participants
averaged $2,954 (Transportation $350 + Housing
$1,074 + Stipend $1,250 + Research Supply &
Travel Budget $280).
Transportation Allowance. To help off-set
the cost of travel to and from Washington, DC.
a transportation allowance was awarded to each
of the 28 students, including 3 international
students, who participated in the 1997 program.
Foreign students were compensated the entire
cost of their travel. Students in the US were
granted an allowance according to Smithsonian
standards ranging from $50 to $500 based on
distance traveled. Students located in areas
serviced by TWA airline flights were given the
option to select either a cash allowance or
TWA round-trip barter ticket (granted to the
Smithsonian, and allocated to the program, by
TWA Corporation) to support their travel. Total
travel cost for 28 students was $9,800, averaging
about $350 per student.
Housing. For cost effectiveness, block
housing was secured for ten weeks in multiples
of four students per apartment at the Oakwood
Apartment Complex in Alexandria, Virginia. The
apartment complex provided completely furnished
(four-person occupancy: two bedroom, two bathroom,
kitchen, living and dining room) apartments
located in a safe neighborhood with easy access
to public transportation. In addition, a 24-hour
staffed desk service was available in case of
emergency. By providing group housing we facilitated
interaction and communication among the students
that resulted in a sharing of ideas and the
development of a support group of young professional
colleagues crossing disciplines and cultures.
Total housing cost for 28 students (7 apartments)
was $30,072, averaging about $1,074 per student.
Stipend. A stipend of $1,250 was paid
to each participant in the program. The stipend
covered standard per diem items such as food,
laundry, and commuting to and from the Museum.
This amount proved adequate to cover all costs
incurred during the ten week appointment. The
stipend per diem level is determined following
Smithsonian standards established by the Office
of Fellowships and Grants. In discussions with
colleagues at universities who have had students
participate in Smithsonian programs, we learned
that it is critically important that there be
a consistent standard used across programs.
Total stipend costs for 28 students was $35,000.
Research Support. In general, the Smithsonian
and research advisors provided all facilities
and supplies necessary to conduct the research
topics. However, additional items or special
circumstances established the need for complementary
research funding. Each student/advisor team
submitted a proposal the first week of the program
defining the research topic, charting a timetable
for completion of the project goals, and requesting
a budget identifying and justifying additional
items and opportunities necessary to complete
the research topic or complement the students
education. The requested research travel and
supply budget covered the purchase items necessary
to complete projects (including the purchase
of special chemicals, computer analysis software,
and page charges to publish research results)
and to support additional opportunities that
complemented the research project such as travel
to, and participation in, a scientific meeting
and travel to nearby research sites and other
specimen collections and laboratories for consultation.
Total research travel and supply budget awarded
to the 28 student/advisor teams was $7,840,
or $280 per student.
Program Maintenance. In addition to the
direct costs for each student, funds to operate
the Program were required. These maintenance
costs included: advertisement announcements
(e.g. posters, mailing envelopes, mailing labels,
etc.); student non-project supplies (photographic
film and processing, curriculum notebooks, etc.);
computer expenses; and general operating costs
(including the orientation reception, awards
ceremony, and field trip to a local research
site). Total program maintenance costs for the
1997 program were $7,842, or $280 per student.
RECRUITMENT
/ SELECTION PROCESS
As part of the recruitment process 7,500 advertisement
posters were distributed in July, 1996, to colleges
and universities around the world to introduce
undergraduate students to the Research Training
Program. The mailing list included target minority
institutions and international universities
to encourage a diverse applicant pool. The 1997
advertisement poster was designed to link students
interested in information about the program
to the RTP web site (http://www.nmnh.si.edu/rtp/),
which went public in October, 1996. In addition
to posting current information about the program,
the site featured on-line fill-in forms and
electronic submission capabilities for all application
materials including cover letter, application
form and recommendation forms (for references).
The site was very active receiving more than
16,000 hits from October 1996 to January 1997
and more than 16% of the application materials
for the 1997 program were completed and submitted
electronically on-line from the RTP web site.
Highlights of the site included an information
link for students to track their application
through the selection process. Weekly updates
were posted to confirm completed (or not) application
folders; record the number of applications received;
list the semi-finalists, finalists, and selected
student/advisor teams; and quickly communicate
alternate status changes. Through the web site
and e-mail students were provided up-to-date
information about the status of their application
file and were able to play an active role in
ensuring that all parts of their application
folder were available for review.
The Research Training Program selection process
is highly selective, but objective. The application
deadline for the 1997 program was 1 February
1997. Once received, applications were registered
for review or forwarded to other Smithsonian
offices for consideration (as post-doctoral
fellows, visiting scientists, short-term visitors,
or high school interns). To select student participants
for the program a seven step process was followed:
1) prescreening, 2) application scoring, 3)
applicant pool evaluation, 4) project advisor
review, 5) final evaluation and selection, 6)
student/advisor team approval, and 7) applicant
notification.
A total of 375 applications were received,
347 by the deadline and an additional 28 after
the deadline. The selection process began with
a pre-screening of all applicant files to reduce
the applicant pool by approximately one-third.
Pre-screening was completed Sunday, 2 February
1997 with the committee eliminating 147 applicants
(42%) and nominating 200 semi-finalists (58%).
The semi-finalist applications were scored and
ranked by a committee composed of fourteen members
from the NMNH scientific community representing
each of the seven research disciplines. Committee
members were assembled into seven review teams.
Each team scored 28 or 29 folders. Each application
folder was scored by two different reviewers.
There were 100 points possible. Scores were
computer normalized based on an average score
of 75 and standard deviation of 10. The 50 top
scoring applications were then evaluated to
ensure that there was adequate representation
across divisions and disciplines in the finalist
set. Next, project advisors were given the opportunity
to review the entire applicant pool and provide
input about individual applications including
nominating an additional applicant for consideration
in the finalist set. Fifty-four finalists were
identified and critically reviewed by a final
selection committee composed of seven research
staff, representing each of the seven NMNH science
Departments. This committee nominated 28 student/advisor
teams plus twenty alternates. Project advisors
were consulted concerning the committee recommendations,
adjustments made, and all applicants notified
of status 8 March 1997. Nominated student/advisor
teams had until 1 April 1997 to accept or decline
the position. Three students canceled, alternates
were selected.
RESEARCH
CONDUCTED
Under the guidance of a research scientist,
students participated in the design and execution
of all the phases of a scientific study including
developing an explicit hypothesis, designing
investigations to test this hypothesis, gathering
data, making observations, analyzing results,
preparing information for publication in a scientific
journal and/or presentation at a scientific
meeting. The research project involved students
as research collaborators in all stages of the
scientific study and throughout the project
students were expected to provide input and
contribute original ideas. Although study topics
were delimited by the specialties of the research
advisor, the student worked with the advisor
to develop a project consistent with the students
education and career goals. Students devoted
more than three days per week to research investigation.
The independence of the students in conducting
the research project varied with the scientific
maturity of each student and the nature of the
project. To insure an appropriate level of guidance,
program staff monitored the progress of each
research topic through a written hypothesis
statement, a written mid-term report, mid-term
evaluation, and final report and evaluation.
Advisors were expected to interact with students
on a daily basis, especially during the critical
stages of project development and data analysis.
At the conclusion of the program, in scientific
meeting format, students gave a 15-minute, illustrated,
oral presentation on the progress of their research
and prepared a final report in journal style.
An average of 45 members from the NMNH scientific
community attended the final presentations.
The research projects were designed with the
goal of publication; students and research advisors
were strongly encouraged by the program staff
to prepare and submit these manuscripts for
publication.
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