Eastfield College/NSF - Big Thicket Summer Institute 2007 banner

 

The Project Pathways Biodiversity Summer Institute was made possible by the NSF-STEP Program at Eastfield College in collaboration with the Big Thicket National Preserve. The purpose of the program is to encourage students to consider careers in the sciences by providing them with hands on experience and access to sophisticated research equipment that is not usually available at the undergraduate level.

     
     

During the first part of the project the students had the opportunity to work side by side with faculty and graduate student mentors from collaborating research institutions including:

Texas A&M University, University of Arkansas, Stephen F. Austin, and the National Park Service at the Big Thicket National Preserve in Saratoga Texas.

 

The students spent the rest of the summer working on their research project at the NSF-STEP Microscopy Lab on campus.

They used state of the art equipment such as the scanning electron microscope in their research.

On July 31, 2007 each student gave an oral presentation of their experimental results in the Eastfield College science building in room S-100.

 
 
     
Each student gave an excellent presentation and
received achievement certificates for their efforts.

Butterfly Wing Scale Structure
Brian partnered with Gillian Bowser (Texas A&M Univ) and Pedro Chavarria (Texas A&M Univ)

Brian Goad
Field of Study: Butterflies
Brian Goad
The butterflies Junonia coenia and Papilio troilus were collected at the Big Thicket National Preserve.
   
View Brian's Project Poster
click thumbnails below for larger view
Field Pictures
Microscopic Lab Images
Butterflies Butterflies
 

Carnivorous Plant Structure Comparisons
Travis partnered with Curtis Hoagland (National Park Service) and Carl Knight (Eastfield College)

Travis Richardson
Field of Study: Carnivorous Plants
Travis Richardson
The purpose of the study was to examine the North American Sarracenia alata pitcher plant and differentiate the zone morphology of the plant using the TM-1000 and the S-3400N.
   
View Travis' Project Poster
click thumbnails below for larger view
Field Pictures
Microscopic Lab Images
Carnivorous Plant Carnivorous Plant Carnivorous Plant
 

Dragonfly vs. Damselfly Wing Structure
Dixie partnered with Gillian Bowser (Texas A&M Univ) and Pedro Chavarria (Texas A&M Univ)

Dixie Williams
Field of Study: Dragonflies
Dixie Williams
The focus of my study was to see if the TM 1000 and the S 3400N SEMs could effectively observe slime mold fruiting bodies of five specimens xxxx.
   
View Dixie's Project Poster
click thumbnails below for larger view
Field Pictures
Microscopic Lab Images
 

Fish Gill Structure & Fish Parasites
Christopher partnered with Mark Kelly (Eastfield College) and Jeff Hughes (Eastfield College)

Christopher Bryan Alberts
Field of Study: Fish
Christopher Bryan Alberts
Morphological differences in the pharyngeal teeth of blacktail shiners (Cyprinella venusta) and weed shiners (Netropis texanus) were compared using scanning electron microscopy
   
View Bryan's Project Poster
click thumbnails below for larger view
Field Pictures
Microscopic Lab Images
 

Survey of Fungi, Spore Structure Comparisons
Brittany partnered with David Lewis (Stephen F. Austin Univ) and Heinz Gaylord (Stephen F. Austin Univ)

Brittany Dunegan
Field of Study: Fungi
Brittany Dunegan
Morphological variation in four common species of Amanita indigenous to Southeast Texas were studied using the Hitachi TM-1000 SEM.
   
View Brittany's Project Poster
click thumbnails below for larger view
Field Pictures
Microscopic Lab Images
Microscopic Lab Image Microscopic Lab Image Microscopic Lab Image Microscopic Lab Image Microscopic Lab Image
 

Survey of Fungi, Spore Structure Comparisons
Francisco partnered with David Lewis (Stephen F. Austin Univ) and Heinz Gaylord (Stephen F. Austin Univ)

Francisco Serrano
Field of Study: Fungi
Francisco Serrano
The purpose of this experiment was to determine the gross and microscopic differences between Lentinus crinitus and Microporellus dealbatus.
   
View Francisco's Project Poster
click thumbnails below for larger view
Field Pictures
Microscopic Lab Images
Fungi Fungi Fungi
 

Slime Mold Survey, Propagation, Spore Structure Comparisons
Rafael partnered with Katie Winsett (Univ Arkansas) and Jane Packard (Texas A&M Univ)

Rafael Gutierrez
Field of Study: Slime Molds
Rafael Gutierrez
The purpose of this experiment was to compare
the morphology of spores of six different species of myxomycetes (slime molds).
   
View Rafael's Project Poster
click thumbnails below for larger view
Field Pictures
Microscopic Lab Images
Slime Mold Slime Mold
 

Slime Mold Survey, Propagation, Spore Structure Comparisons
Sara partnered with Katie Winsett (Univ Arkansas) and Jane Packard (Texas A&M Univ)

Sara Hays
Field of Study: Slime Molds
Sara Hays
The focus of my study was to see if the TM-1000 and the
S-3400N SEMs could effectively observe slime mold fruiting bodies of five specimens.
   
View Sara's Project Poster
click thumbnails below for larger view
Field Pictures
Microscopic Lab Images
 

Water and Soil Quality
Aaron partnered with Don Hellstern (Eastfield College) and Jeff Hughes (Eastfield College)

J. Aaron Wood
Field of Study: Water & Soil Samples
J. Aaron Wood
The purpose of this experiment was to determine differences in the macro / micronutrients, and trace elements between the northern and southern units of The Big Thicket.
   
View Aaron's Project Poster
click thumbnails below for larger view
The SEM equipment was not needed for this project
Water & Soil Water & Soil Water & Soil J. Aaron Wood The End
 
 

 

Dr. Carol Brown
Dr. Carl Knight
Dr. Cheryl Green
Melanie Gill-Shaw
Jeff Hughes
Dr. Mark Presley

President, Eastfield College
Principal Investigator, Eastfield College Professor of Anatomy and Physiology
Co-Principal Investigator
Eastfield College, Interim Dean, Resource and Community Development, Grant Administration
Associate Professor, Biology, Eastfield College
Dean, Science and Physical Education, Eastfield College


This program was funded by grant Award # DUE 0525536, from the National Science Foundation to Eastfield College,
one of the seven Dallas County Community Colleges, located at 3737 Motley Drive, Mesquite, TX 75150.

[ top ] [ back to Research Opportunities ]

View Sara in her Graduation & Phi Theta Kappa regalia