Douglas Edmonds
St. Louis University
St. Louis, MO
Dear National Science Foundation,
I would like to begin by sincerely thanking you for funding my experience
at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History this summer. This program
has provided me with an unparalleled glimpse into the life of a researcher.
I believe this program is so unique because I feel there is no other opportunity
that could accomplish this same feat.
In this program I am working in the Mineral Sciences Department concentrating
on volcanoes. My project involved examining three volcano chains in Mexico
to provide controls on the K2O content of the cross-arc chains. My project
was important because studying the potassium concentration within the Mexican
rocks gives insight into the melting process of the mantle and how much crustal
contamination occurs during the magma’s ascent to the surface. I accomplished
my project by first making GIS images of each chain with data from the ASTER
satellite. Second, I used a large database of geochemical and petrological
data to examine the changes of the K2O content within each volcanic chain.
Preceding this summer, I was very focused on geology and had a narrow scientific
scope. The most important thing I feel that I have learned is to employ a
multi-disciplinary, broader scope to research problems. I now have a more
thorough understanding of why one must be grounded in all the natural sciences.
Being grounded in all the sciences allows one to tackle a research problem
from many different angles, offering a unique and many times successful view
to a question.
On a much broader scale the Research Training Program has taught me the importance of science, the power of the question, and the magnitude of the process used to answer the question. Prior to my experience in the RTP I thought I knew exactly where I wanted to go with my life. Nearing the completion of this program I now have a better understanding of where I want to go and what I want to contribute with my life.
Sincerely,
Douglas A. Edmonds
Research Training Program, 2002