The Road to an URCA Award

By: Erika Dietrick, Honors College Junior

2067f07Applying for the ECU Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement (URCA) award was similar to every other “first” I have had as a student new to research—confusing, overwhelming, and in the end, extremely rewarding.

I began my research on the endangered plant species Thalictrum cooleyi Ahles, or Cooley’s meadowrue, this fall after a semester of volunteering in the laboratory.  Volunteering consisted of learning laboratory protocol, listening to and participating in group meetings, gaining familiarity with commonly used equipment, and assisting in any hands-on or data-related tasks that needed to be completed.  It was difficult to be at ease at times in the laboratory because I started with almost zero knowledge of plants, but I had been interested in Dr. Claudia Jolls’ lab because she was a patient, helpful, and effective instructor in the Honors Research Colloquium.10689707_919389444757172_9190603531867221927_n

By the end of that semester, I had signed up for Field Botany and Plant Biology for the fall, sketched out a rough plan for my Senior Honors Project, and agreed to work as a Field Assistant for graduate student Renee Fortner.  Suddenly, my life was plants, and I had no idea what I was in for.

Working in the pine savannas of Pender and Onslow counties is what solidified my confidence and interest.  Every week or so, Renee and I would make the 2-hour drive to the site of Cooley’s meadowrue to gather information on sex ratios, pollination limitation, and density.  With each trip, I gained a newfound appreciation for the species and the protection of the pine savanna ecosystem in general.  There were so many memories made, from accidentally shattering a window of the biology truck to touching a venus fly trap for the first time.  The savannas were gorgeous and made working in the blazing heat of a North Carolina summer worth it.

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Despite the experience gained up to that point, this semester in the laboratory was still very much a challenge.  I quickly realized how much thought, care, and work went into a quality research project.  There are things professors will tell you in your required lab courses, such as keep a detailed lab notebook or read and plan the experimental procedures ahead of time, that you think aren’t a necessity.  I couldn’t have been more wrong! It’s the attention to detail (along with several other admirable qualities) that make answering such significant scientific questions possible.

In addition to learning through experience what I should have learned the first time, I was also encouraged to apply for an URCA award by Dr. Jolls. (Follow link for more info.)  Through many revisions, I attempted to convey in very few words the essence of my project: I wished to use stereo- and scanning electron microscopy to view seed embryos under different environmental conditions and determine the plant’s potential for a seed bank.  This would accomplish three things: a) help us to determine what causes this mystery species to germinate b) possibly save this endangered species and c) protect the integrity of the pine savanna ecosystem.

Picture3I have to admit that I was not optimistic.  I knew that the attitude towards plants was generally negative, so I thought they may think my project less worthy of funding than say, something in chemistry, medicine, etc.  However, I can’t describe in words the excitement and pride I felt when I received that e-mail—I would be receiving a $1,000 stipend for the spring semester and a $625 materials budget.  I was ecstatic!

I have been hard at work ever since, and I hope to present my research findings thus far at the Association of Southeastern Biologists Conference in April.  I am extremely grateful to the URCA committee, Dr. Jolls, Dr. Fink (who manages the microscopes) and the ECU Honors College for where I am today and where I am headed.  If it weren’t for the Honors College, I never would have even considered conducting research; and now I’m getting paid to do it!