As the academic year draws to a close, a group of students at UC Davis are celebrating more than just their personal achievements. They’re also applauding the promising scientists they’ve been mentoring through UC Davis EnvironMentors.
This campus initiative, part of the national EnvironMentors program by the Global Council for Science and the Environment, connects undergraduate and graduate students with high school researchers for STEM projects that span an entire year.
“The high school student is learning about life in college, about how to do science, about how to interact with people in a scientific setting,” commented Grey Monroe, an associate professor in the Department of Plant Sciences and co-director of EnvironMentors. “And the UC Davis students benefit from the leadership experience they gain from it all.”
Eight students from Pioneer High School in Woodland participated in this year’s program. They collaborated with faculty and mentors from various departments such as plant sciences, ecology, and environmental policy. Every team crafted a unique research project, engaging with lab equipment and local field sites for data collection and analysis through weekly campus meetings.
“We have a diverse set of projects, most of them include some field experiment and data analysis, which engages students with hands-on science, which is a really nice research experience,” explained Erwan Monier, associate professor in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources and co-director of EnvironMentors. “Students focus on environmental science topics that have a real societal impact, or that is relevant to their community, so they are really motivated and engaged.”
The program also offered field trips and hands-on experiments throughout the winter and spring quarters, culminating in poster presentations where students showcased their research findings.
Students Take Charge of Their Projects
Anna Callens, a senior from Pioneer High School, concentrated on the environmental effects of gravel mining on local water quality. She investigated how mining activities might change watershed conditions and increase risks to wildlife and human health through mercury contamination by measuring dissolved oxygen, pH, and mercury levels upstream and downstream of a gravel mine.
Guided by Gal Koss, a Ph.D. candidate in environmental and natural resource economics, Callens took initiative right from the beginning. “She had her own project idea, and I’ve been following her lead on it,” Koss said. “She comes to every meeting more and more prepared. It’s amazing to watch how her scientific muscle is growing.”
Callens acknowledged the program’s role in bolstering her confidence and technical skills, stating, “The program has elevated my interest in environmental science by pushing me to be more confident in my data analysis and poster presentation skills. Without joining EnvironMentors, I would not have gained the valuable research skills that I can now take with me to college that make me a more competitive applicant for future jobs or internships.”
Impacting the Local Community
Another participant, 11th grader Mudasser Ahmed, examined the consequences of rising salt levels in groundwater on agricultural crops. His research addressed the salt tolerance of walnut plants under high-salinity conditions. Ahmed found working in the campus greenhouses with his mentor particularly rewarding.
“I read that by 2050, salt levels will more than double in groundwater, so I thought that with this research, we can try to find solutions to that problem,” Ahmed explained. “By using the greenhouses, I feel like I’m learning a lot.”
Marie Klein, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Plant Sciences, mentored Marissa Bautista, who studied bird biodiversity in rural and urban settings. Klein found the mentorship process enriching, saying, “I’ve been in her position where I had to figure out my career and what I wanted to do next. I think a mentorship program, in which I can tell her about my experience and my story, is helpful to make decisions about her career. This group of mentees and mentors, forming this community on campus, is super valuable for anyone.”
Preparing for Future Endeavors
In addition to conducting research and getting a taste of college life at UC Davis, EnvironMentors assists students in planning their post-high school steps. The program provides workshops on college applications, offering practical advice as students gear up for the future.
Ahmed, Callens, and two other students traveled to Panama City with Klein and Monroe for the program’s annual research symposium. There, they joined peers from global chapters to present their projects. Callens earned first place overall for her research poster, while student Bareera Rehman received a Best Presentation award.
Monroe expressed enthusiasm about expanding such opportunities, saying, “The reason I’m passionate about trying to get this really going is because it’s nice to do something that actually makes a difference in people’s lives in a very tangible way, which is very cool.”
Recruitment for the next group of EnvironMentors will commence this fall. Learn more here.
By Tiffany Dobbyn | UC Davis News Service
Original Story at www.dailydemocrat.com