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UNK senior Emma Dower and biology professor Brian Drew study plant ecology at the Willa Cather Memorial Grassland near Red Cloud. They are completing a plant inventory that will help the nonprofit Willa Cather Foundation manage this important ecosystem. (Photo courtesy of UNK Communications, Erica Pritchard)
Written by Tyler Ellison
UNK Communications
As Emma Dower walked along a path in the Willa Cather Memorial Grassland, pillow clouds hung in the blue sky.
The sound of birds chirping and the summer breeze blowing through the rolling hills drowned out her footsteps.
“It’s very calm,” said Dower, a senior at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. “You’re just listening to the birds. I really enjoy being outside and that’s the best part of this job.”
A wildlife biology major from North Platte, she also thinks about the historical significance of the area each time she visits.
Tallgrass prairie once covered 170 million acres in North America, but today less than 4% remains intact. The Willa Cather Memorial Grassland was established in 1975 to protect this important ecosystem and preserve the natural beauty that inspired the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist who grew up here in the late 19th century. Ta.
Located just south of Red Cloud on Highway 281, this 612-acre “botanical treasure” has never been plowed or cultivated. It boasts an ever-changing tapestry of native grasses, flowers and wildflowers, totaling more than 250 species, and serves as an important habitat for a variety of insects, birds, amphibians and other wildlife.
“This is a very beautiful place,” says UNK biology professor Brian Drew. “When you’re tied and you’re losing, it feels like you’re back in the 1800s.”
Drew and Dahauer are helping the nonprofit Willa Cather Foundation manage this magnificent prairie and completing a botanical inventory of the plants found there.
“It’s been almost 50 years since research has been done here, so there’s been plenty of time for change to occur,” said Dower, who participated in the project through UNK’s Summer Student Research Program (SSRP). .
She visited the prairie several times a week during the summer, collecting and cataloging different plant species. The information she and Drew collect will be compared to studies conducted in the 1970s, allowing them to document changes in biodiversity and evaluate the effectiveness of land management practices.
Dauer is participating in another research project with Drew through the Undergraduate Research Fellows (URF) program, and will continue to work on flora surveys this academic year.
“One of my favorite things about studying plant taxonomy with Dr. Drew was going out and collecting plants, which is why I was so interested in this project. I think that’s why,” she said. “Research gives me the opportunity to gain hands-on experience outside of the classroom. Being in the classroom is all great, but being able to go outside and see plants in different life stages is great. Much more valuable.
“I was also able to work in a lab, which I had never done before. I wasn’t necessarily good at lab work, but at least I was able to make referrals for the future if needed.” It became.”
Drew points out similar benefits. He mentors several undergraduate researchers each year, giving them the opportunity to try new things and develop skills they will use for years to come.
“It’s fun watching them learn and grow,” Drew said. “What sets UNK apart from other universities is the fact that undergraduate students have the opportunity to work closely with professors, something that would never happen at a larger school. I wouldn’t have even thought of that.”
Opportunity for everyone
Unlike Drew, who graduated from UC Berkeley, fellow UNK biology professor Dawn Simon was able to participate in undergraduate research while attending the University of Iowa. She called it a “life-changing experience.”
“If I hadn’t had that experience, there’s no way I would be doing what I’m doing now,” says Simon, director of undergraduate research and creative activities on campus. “I want all UNK students to have the same opportunities, and our programs are designed to provide these opportunities to as many students as possible.”
Financial support is an important part of that equation.
SSRP is open to full-time undergraduate students in any field, and participants receive a $3,250 stipend over five months. Students who attend URF receive an annual stipend of $1,200. The university also provides financial support for students to present their research at professional conferences.
“UNK values and invests more heavily in undergraduate research and creative activity than many other universities,” Simon said. “This allows students to have mentors who are committed to them and their projects, which improves the quality of their work. In my experience with students in our program, they are generally dedicated This combination produces a lot of high-quality research from our undergraduate students. I am amazed every year by the quality of the work and the strength of the students.”
UNK biology professor Dawn Simon serves as director of undergraduate research and creative activities on campus. “Each year I am amazed by the quality of the work and the strength of the students,” she says.
In addition to pursuing projects in their areas of interest, undergraduate researchers often gain exposure to other disciplines across campus, broadening their educational experiences and fostering collaboration. The annual Research Day celebration will highlight the creative and scholarly work produced by Ropers, and approximately 200 undergraduate and graduate students will participate in the Spring 2024 event.
No matter what your professional plans are, Simon believes that all students can gain something from their undergraduate studies.
“The more experience undergraduates gain in college, the better prepared they will be to make informed decisions about their futures,” she said. “I don’t think anyone will know whether they like research or creative activities unless they actually try them seriously.
“Beyond this, the skills learned along the way can be applied to many aspects of future careers and life in general as informed citizens. They learn how to collaborate and gain experience in communicating effectively to a variety of audiences. They are taught to think critically and solve unexpected problems, all in research and creative work. It’s obviously an important skill for your career, but it’s equally important in many other fields.”
Ladan Ghazi Saidi (left), an associate professor specializing in communication disorders, and UNK junior Noel Abels, whose research focuses on identifying non-drug interventions that can slow cognitive decline in older adults Participating in the project. a rewarding experience
UNK junior Noel Abels is studying communication disorders with the goal of becoming a speech therapist.
The Omaha native will begin participating in undergraduate research in fall 2023, working on the project with Ladan Ghazi Saidi, associate professor of communication disorders.
“Honestly, one of my really close friends is doing undergraduate research in the biology department, and she has great relationships with her advisors and research groups, and I wanted that too.” Abels explained. “I love everything about it. I think it’s a lot of fun. It’s really fun to learn new things that I wouldn’t have thought of on my own. Things you can’t learn in class, but it’s really useful.”
The project, in collaboration with the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, focuses on non-drug interventions that can slow cognitive decline in older adults.
“Aging is usually accompanied by a decline in cognitive function,” says Ghazi Saidi. “But based on the literature, we know that there are times when the mind can be stimulated in a way that postpones these signs and symptoms and slows down the acceleration of cognitive decline. Therefore, the person can be more active for a longer period of time. You will be able to live independently while maintaining a high quality of life.”
Previous research has shown that learning a new language can be a “very good stimulation intervention,” said Ghazi Saidi, director of UNK’s Language and Cognition Institute. Now they want to compare those results with another promising intervention: reading in your native language.
The University of Nebraska team will begin by conducting fMRI scans to measure brain activity in adults between the ages of 60 and 80. Each participant then uses an online app to read news articles for 60 minutes a day, five times a week. They will be re-evaluated in four months to determine cognitive effectiveness.
By participating in both URF and SSRP, Abels strengthened valuable skills such as teamwork, communication, and time management.
“It really just opened the door for me to be curious and improve myself, which I think will be very helpful in graduate school and in my career, no matter where I choose to work or what I choose to do.” I think so,” she said. “These are skills you can use anywhere.”
More importantly, Abel gets to be part of something bigger than himself.
“It’s very rewarding to work on projects that show you how you can help people in the future,” she said. “I have someone in my family with dementia. I worked in a nursing home and I see how much dementia and Alzheimer’s disease can affect older people. A future where it won’t be so much of an issue. It’s a great thing to think about.”
Like many other UNK faculty members, Ghazi Saidi derives satisfaction from seeing his students succeed as researchers.
“It gives my work meaning,” she said. “If they’re successful, it means I’m successful at work, too. But other than that, it’s just fun. I get to talk to the students, engage with them, learn with them. I really love that.”
Eventually, she hopes some of them will decide to pursue this as a career.
“If they are interested in career growth, this is the best path,” Ghazi Saidi said. “We desperately need researchers in this field. Everything we do clinically is research-based, so when we don’t have researchers, we have to rely on more sophisticated interventions and assessments. We can’t rely on what we already know, because science gets old quickly. We have to create new science and learn more.”
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