91´«Ã½

David Freeman ’22 and Hayden Roberts ’24

Research with Chris Connors, Summer 2021. “Collaborative Research: An Alaskan perspective on middle Paleozoic terrane translation, contraction, and subduction initiation in northwestern Laurentia”

• Read More About David and Hayden's Experience

Brendan Moehringer ’23

Research with Jeff Rahl, Summer 2021
This summer I did research with the Washington and Lee Geology department as a Summer Research Scholar. I spent a majority of my summer working in Lexington in the tectonics lab in the science center, but also was extremely lucky to be given the opportunity to get some pretty incredible traveling experience for my work. During July I was able to fly to Texas to work at Baylor University for 2 weeks, and then in August I traveled to Crestone Colorado to do some field work in the Sangre de Cristo mountains.

• Read More About Brendan's Experience

Katie Larkin ’22

Research with Keck Geology Consortium, Summer 2021
This summer, I was granted the opportunity to do research here in Rockbridge County as part of a Keck Geology Consortium Advanced Project. With Professors Hinkle and Lyon as leaders, myself and 8 other 91´«Ã½ from various colleges delved into a two-pronged project focused on water, soil, and sediment quality in the Shenandoah Valley. All of us participated in the fieldwork and data collection for the first two weeks, but we narrowed our scope during the next two in order to develop and refine our individual theses. This experience exposed me to real research (a rarity during COVID!), encouraged collaboration between like-minded 91´«Ã½, and made for a truly great start to my work-filled upcoming months. We did a lot of stuff, so I’ve tried to summarize it all!

• Read More About Katie's Experience

Alicia Nguyen ’23

Research with Lisa Greer, Summer 2021
I was fortunate to be a part of Professor Greer’s research team working remotely from my hometown in Hanoi, Vietnam. Our summer research portion was both a continuation and an extension of an on-going research project of Professor Greer to monitor whether Coral Gardens at Belize remains a refugium for A. Cervicornis in the face of the changing global climate.

• Read More About Alicia's Experience

Ani Croy ’22

Research with Keck Geology Consortium, Summer 2021
This summer I spent about three months participating in summer research with the Keck Geology Advanced Project for 2021 and Dr. Hinkle in the Washington and Lee Geology Department. Essentially working a nine-to-five, hands-on job was a big change from studying abstract topics in the classroom setting. Thanks to the Keck program, I received practical experience of working in the field and the lab.

• Read More About Ani's Experience

Alec Mulkern ’22 and Michael Kutsanzira ’23

Research with David Harbor, Summer 2021
This summer, we worked with Dr. David Harbor refining experimental equipment and gathering data to study the mechanisms which cause river bedrock erosion by plucking. Our work was divided into two projects: developing and executing experiments using the scale-model lab flume and working in the field with our custom sensor capsule to study a real river. As engineering majors, our focus was to improve the mechanical design of the lab flume and field sensor capsule, develop data logging and plotting software, and collect data from both the lab and field equipment.

• Read More About Alec and Michael's Experience

Jordan Jontz ’24 and Lily Petsinger ’24

Research with Lisa Greer, Summer 2021
This summer, we worked with Professor Lisa Greer on her ongoing monitoring of Coral Gardens, Belize and the new and exciting photogrammetry project. Although the trip was almost canceled due to the pandemic, at the last minute we got the opportunity to travel to Belize for nine days. Before leaving, we both got scuba certified, and we were able to go diving almost every day in the field. The main goal of our research was to take photographs of segments of the coral reef, which we analyzed in the lab once we returned to W&L’s campus. The percentage of living coral in each photograph was quantified and compared to data going back to 2011. This part of the research was so invigorating because we got to use our data to confirm what was already apparent from diving on the reef - that we are seeing real resilience and recovery! We also had the opportunity to work with local organizations, like the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Fragments of Hope, that are focused on conservation and innovative solutions to widespread loss of coral. It was really inspiring to see how grassroots efforts can initiate real change with these global issues and at the same time work to involve the community.

• Read More About Jordan and Lily's Experience

Haley Culbertson ’22

Research with Keck Geology Consortium, Summer 2021
This summer I’ve had the fantastic opportunity to work with Dr. Margaret Anne Hinkle and Dr. Eva Lyon as they led a Keck Geology Consortium Advanced Summer Research project on manganese (Mn) contamination in soils and waters of the surrounding area. Beginning in Spring Term, preparations were made for the arrival of seven 91´«Ã½ from visiting universities, as well as two more of our own. In the wake of COVID, which we’re getting used to living with and working around, preparations included stocking up on KN95 masks and personal lab goggles, reserving all of the vans, and LOTS of hand sanitizer. After the common experience of anticipated summer projects being canceled last year, health and safety was the number one priority, which allowed us to successfully see the program to completion!

• Read More About Haley's Experience

Ben Wachholz ’24

Research with Jeff Rahl, Summer 2021
This summer, I was fortunate enough to spend 8 weeks as a research assistant for Dr. Rahl. During this time, I worked alongside Dr. Rahl and learned new techniques. I spent the first six weeks in the lab assisting Dr. Rahl on his exploration of transcontinental sediment transportation. Dr. Rahl is interested in a transcontinental drainage system that flowed westwardly from the Appalachian mountains and was diverted by the ancestorial rocky mountains, an intracratonic block uplift, which formed 325 ma. By studying the thermochronology and geochronology of zircon crystals, which were extracted from samples taken from sediment basins created by the ancestorial rocky mountains, we can infer the provenance of the crystals. In the lab, I spent much of my time conducting mineral separation to extract zircon crystals for analysis. Learning how to do mineral separation was a valuable experience that allowed me to learn how to operate many machines such as Frantz magnetic separator and a water table.

• Read More About Ben's Experience