Tarleton REU Program

The relationships that the students form with their research mentors are an integral part of the REU program at Timberlake Biological Field Station. A huge thank you to all of the REU faculty mentors for your time and dedication to the program this summer!

The 2021 REU cohort with their research posters at the 2021 REU symposium at Timberlake Biological Field Station:

Students, mentors, biology faculty, judges and special guests gathered at Timberlake Biological Field Station on August 5 for the research poster symposium. The 12 posters on display were a culmination of 10 weeks of dedicated work by the REU students on independent research projects and collaborative teamwork. All of the students did a fantastic job presenting their research findings!

REU research spotlight: D'Metrie King

Home Institution: Southern University and A&M College, Louisiana

REU Mentor: Dr. Phil Sudman, Dept of Biological Sciences

D'Metrie is working with Dr. Sudman to survey birds of Timberlake and in particular to find and track the success of nests with game cameras. This will provide baseline data for bird biodiversity and nesting success during restoration.

D'Metrie isn't one for taking pictures of himself in the field, so instead I'd like to take a minute to recognize and thank D'Metrie for always being willing to help other REU students with their fieldwork. Many students helped each other in the field and visited each other in the lab to learn what they do. One of the best things about the REU program is how students can gain experience in more than just their project.

REU research spotlight: Hailey White

Home Institution: Fort Lewis College, Colorado

REU Mentor: Dr. Rajani Srinivasan, Dept of Chemistry

Hailey is working with Dr. Srinivasan to investigate how plant-derived polymers can be used to remove microplastics from freshwater. This technique could provide a low-cost, environmentally friendly way for water treatment plants to reduce the amount of microplastics in drinking water and sewage water.

REU research spotlight: Jose Martinez

Home Institution: Wharton County Community College, Texas

REU Mentor: Dr. Dustin Edwards, Dept of Biological Sciences

Jose is working with Dr. Edwards to develop PCR protocols to test animal droppings, such as birds and bats, for viruses like retroviruses and coronaviruses. These protocols would allow for the non-invasive testing of wildlife (i.e., no need to capture animals and take a blood sample) to identify and monitor viruses.

REU research spotlight: Elyshia Danaher

Home Institution: Trinity University, Texas

REU Mentors: Dr. Subi Gandhi, Dept of Medical Lab Sciences and Public Health, and Dr. Victoria Chraibi, Dept. of Biological Sciences

Elyshia is working with Dr. Gandhi to survey the impacts of COVID-19 on rural communities surrounding Timberlake Biological Field Station to identify gaps in community access to health care and mental health services.

REU research spotlight: Nicole Herbert

Home Institution: Tarrant County College, Texas

REU Mentors: Dr. Arthur Low, Dept of Chemistry and Ms. Joree Burnett, Dept of Geology

Nicole is collecting water from the Colorado River at Timberlake and using HPLC methods to identify pharmaceutical compounds. This will lend insight into the pharmaceuticals and other chemical pollutants in the river and identify potential sources of pollution upriver from the station.

The REU cohort headed out on a fun adventure at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center to celebrate the end of a week of statistical analysis and poster preparation in week 9. They also visited Dinosaur Valley State Park to see the tracks and have a swim. It's hard to believe only one week remains!

REU research spotlight: Heizel Acosta Vilanova

Home Institution: University of Puerto Rico – Mayaguez

REU Mentor: Dr. Kristin Herrmann, Dept of Biological Sciences

Heizel is working with Dr. Herrmann to identify parasites in fish at Timberlake. This research lends insight into parasite ecology and taxonomy as well as indicates the ecological health of the ecosystem.

REU research spotlight: Nayeli Medina

Home Institution: Tarleton State University

REU Mentor: Dr. Robert Cavazos, Dept of Sociology

Nayeli is working with Dr. Cavazos to collect surveys of residents near the field station to gauge perceptions and concerns of water quality and pollution of the Colorado River. This will lend insight into social aspects of water quality and environmental policy in the area, which can be used to develop future research and educational outreach programs at Timberlake.