Facing the Future
The future is uncertain. Climate change is disrupting more than just the weather: It drastically alters the life cycles of animals and plants, who often cannot adapt quickly enough, and it is making millions of climate refugees. The world will be a different place in 20 or 50 years. And what is my place in this world? I’m just finishing my undergraduate degree. What field will I go into? What careers will I pursue? This last summer, I completed a research program that helps answer all these questions.
I found out about the research opportunity in South Dakota through the Honors College at UNLV. A few weeks after sending in my application, transcripts, and letter of recommendation, I got the news that I had been accepted! I would be living in South Dakota for two months in the summer. I had never lived outside of Las Vegas and didn’t know anyone else in the program, but I was excited to embrace these new challenges and see where this opportunity would take me.
A week before the program I flew out to Rapid City to get acquainted with my new home. Housing was covered as part of the program, so I ended up residing in a dorm on campus. As a commuter student at UNLV, I had never lived in a dorm. It took a while for me to adjust, but I eventually fell in love with my new home. This program helped me become more adaptable and confident, even before the research had begun.
There were three summer research groups living in the dorms, which allowed me to interact with students from around the globe. I was part of BuG ReMeDEE, which focused on analyzing the genomes of bacteria from extreme environments to better understand how genome editing could help combat increasing methane levels in the atmosphere. I attended up to four seminars every week: these focused on data analysis, experimental design, communications, and poster design and presentation. Each student was given a different faculty mentor and worked on a different project centered on methanotrophic bacteria. I worked alongside Dr. Dhiman, a post-doctoral candidate in the chemical and biological engineering department. Using very expensive software that I would otherwise not have access to, we were able to analyze the Cytochrome C protein. These novel analyses established a foundation that other research could build upon to reduce greenhouse gases. After my work in the lab was complete each day, I would hang out with other students in the program, whether that be going out on the town or staying in and watching a movie in the dorms.
Although the whole summer was building up to a poster presentation at the end of July, I felt like there was a good balance between work and play. I became incredibly close with the other students in the program. Contrary to popular belief, there was plenty to do in South Dakota. We explored the Badlands National Park, Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park, and downtown Rapid City. We even had the opportunity to explore the Sanford Underground Research Facility, which is where the samples of methanotrophs were collected.
At the end of July, students from all three programs traveled to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where we participated in an Undergraduate Research Symposium. We got to present our research and network with other students who were working under the same National Science Foundation grant that we were. We were all in this together to fight climate change!
By the time we got to the symposium, I knew my presentation forwards and backwards. The program did a terrific job of preparing us to present in front of people and even helped us with poster design. Because this wasn’t my first time presenting, I was also able to provide a lot of feedback to the other individuals in my Summer Undergraduate Research Experience. I like that I was able to help other people working on this important topic.
I signed up for this program because I was looking for something exciting to do over the summer that would enhance my resume. It helped me grow as a person and allowed me to forge so many beautiful friendships with people around the world. BuG ReMeDEE also gave me an opportunity to grow as a scholar. It prompted me to look into MD/PhD programs, as I fell even deeper in love with the process of research and the thrill that comes along with presenting my hard work. I’m not sure yet what area I will pursue, but I know the future will be challenging, and I’m ready to meet that challenge.
I cannot overstate the importance of doing research during your undergraduate career. These research experiences set you apart from other candidates when you apply to graduate school. Joining a research lab at your local university is an important first step. However, I highly recommend taking your research a step further and seeking out opportunities at other universities in order to set yourself apart from other applicants. The UNLV Honors College told me about this particular research opportunity. However, similar opportunities can be found by doing a simple Google search. A little investigation now may help propel you into the uncertain future in a direction you feel good about, setting your course for years to come.
Jennifer Frazee has been a member of the Interactive Measurement Group since Summer 2017. She served as Computer Coordinator, Poster Supervisor, and Lab Manager. In Spring 2019 she graduated from UNLV with a B.A. in Psychology, a B.S. in Pre-Professional Biology, and a minor in Neuroscience. She anticipates on applying to medical school in 2020.