Neil C. Aschliman
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
Dear Esteemed Representatives of the Alice Eve Kennington Endowment,
It is said that even the most minor circumstances and occurrences may dramatically sculpt the course of one life and the cultivation of his passions. Despite this mass contingency of minutiae, the phenomenal impact of such a defining event as participation in the Research Training Program at the National Museum of Natural History is simply incalculable. The Smithsonian RTP is an insurmountable pinnacle of undergraduate opportunity, and one in which I could have not dreamed taking part without your generous sponsorship.
I have conducted research in myriad eclectic fields throughout my career, and upon entering the RTP anticipated pursuing developmental biology in graduate school and beyond. At this year annual ichthyological conference, I was introduced to an exciting problem in the systematics of the needlefishes and their allies that I later investigated as my RTP project under Dr. Bruce Collette. Using morphological characters from the gill arches to evaluate a recent molecular hypothesis of evolutionary relationships, I arrived at conclusions with potentially substantial ramifications concerning the higher-level organization of this interesting group of fishes. The electric feelings of excitement, confidence, and accomplishment that studying at the NMNH evoked have inspired me to seriously consider a museum career in systematic ichthyology. Working closely with several affable, eminent systematists has engendered in me a renewed interest in this area of research, which is suffering from a dearth of new minds even as it grows increasingly important.
Being a part of the NMNH community has been a lifelong, intense ambition for this diligent student of natural history. I wish that you could experience my sublime joy and awe upon first witnessing the collections, and how my skin prickled and my heart forgot its rhythm. Every day is equally a challenge and a delight, establishing the milieu in which I live and work as an inseparable facet of my future. Building fast friendships with senior staff and my fellow interns, each radiant with a love of science, and observing the curiosity and delight on the faces of the young and the wise in the exhibit halls have become as rewarding and self-defining as my research itself. I thank you again so deeply for granting me this wonderfully elucidating, reaffirming experience with such a remarkable program.
Sincerely,
Neil C. Aschliman
Research Training Program
Class of '04