3 August 2007
Amy Marquardt
Coe College
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Dear Smithsonian Women's Committee,
I would like to
express my sincere gratitude to the Smithsonian Women's Committee for
creating a permanent endowment which has provided a bright future for
tomorrow's scientists. As a recipient of your endowment, I was given
a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pursue my dream of researching in
a premier natural history museum through the Research Training Program
(RTP).
In RTP, I was able
to pursue my diverse scientific interests in anthropology and material
analysis through a research project analyzing Hopewell bead material
and Hopewell trade routes. For the first time, I was able to combine
my interdisciplinary interests and apply them to a research project
simultaneously. Collaborating with renowned scientist in mineral science
and anthropology who were eager to share their knowledge was an honor.
With the guidance of Dr. Tim McCoy and Dr. Ed Vicenzi, I used chemical
and structural analysis to investigate the source of the meteoritic
Hopewell beads and recreate how the beads were made. These analyses
have shed light on Hopewell trade routes.
RTP has enabled
me to experience working on a scientific project from start to finish.
I learned skills needed in every step of the research process, from
finding initial research and developing testing methods, learning how
to perform new forms of data analysis, to preparing my research for
peer review. All of these lessons will be invaluable to me as I prepare
for graduate school and a career in scientific research.
The RTP is like
no other summer internship. In addition to having the unique opportunity
to conduct original research, I feel fortunate to have been able to
go on behind the scenes tours, view breath-taking specimens, and hold
special artifacts, such as the oldest known object made by humans, meteorites
from Mars and precious gems. I also enjoyed exploring a variety of intriguing
scientific topics, such as the social behavior of ants and the debate
over the colonization of North America.
Once again, thank
you for your commitment to science and the Smithsonian Institution.
Your devotion has enabled me to pursue my passion for natural history
and has prepared me for future endeavors in science. To the Smithsonian
Women's Committee I am forever grateful.
Sincerely,
Amy Marquardt
Research Training Program
Class of '07