4 August 2006
Emily
Armgardt
Seattle University
Seattle, Washington
Dear Alice Eve Kennington, Endowment,
I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincerest gratitude
to you for sponsoring my participation in the Research Training Program
(RTP) at the National Museum of Natural History. This program is an
invaluable experience for undergraduate students like myself looking
not only for an internship, but a research experience.
This summer, I had the privilege of working with Dr. Ellen Strong,
Curator of Mollusks in the Department of Invertebrate Zoology. My project
focused on a family of snails endemic to Lake Tanganyika in Africa.
I examined the changes in the microstructure of the snails by embedding
the shells in resin and then using a scanning electron microscope (SEM)
to capture the changes over the lifetime of the individual. Because
of my participation in this program, I am going to present my research
poster at the annual SICB meeting in January, 2007.
However, the research experience was not the sole focus of my summer.
The various lectures and tours provided a rich introduction to the many
different fields in natural history that I would have not otherwise
had the opportunity to explore. I feel privileged to have had access
not only to the vast number of specimens housed in the museum, but also
the expertise of the curators throughout the museum. Seeing each of
the different collections throughout the summer was an unforgettable
experience.
In addition to my time at the museum, I had the opportunity to visit
the Smithsonian Marine Station located in Fort Pierce, Florida. This
experience allowed me to get my hands wet while learning collecting
and processing methods for snails.
Thank you again for providing your support to RTP. As a senior this
year, decisions about my future are always on my mind and the RTP has
served as a good start to what my future might hold.
Sincerely,
Emily Armgardt
Research Training Program
RTP Class of '06