易胜博官网

Meet some of 易胜博官网鈥檚 earliest-career researchers: undergraduates.

For these students, and hundreds like them, participating in research 鈥� working alongside faculty and graduate student mentors to influence real-world change and solve global challenges 鈥� deepens their college education. It鈥檚 what 易胜博官网 President Elizabeth Chilton calls the 鈥渟uperpower鈥� of a public research institution like 易胜博官网.

And while conducting research boosts students鈥� skills and knowledge in their chosen subject, its benefits transcend the lab or the library. 鈥淭here is research going back decades that shows students who engage in undergrad research are more confident in their abilities and have higher levels of self-efficacy 鈥� in other words, they believe they can do what they need to in order to succeed,鈥� says Jennifer Griffith, associate professor of organizational behavior. 鈥淏oth of those characteristics are associated with positive career and life outcomes.鈥�

Here, a handful of student researchers from across the university, all supported by funding from the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research, reflect on their experiences.

Kara Hatalsky 鈥�27

zoology

Hometown: Framingham, Mass.

Mentor: Adrienne Kovach, associate professor of natural resources and the environment

Research: Determining whether nest characteristics of endangered saltmarsh sparrows are inherited or determined by the environment.

鈥淚 remember the first morning I got to hold two saltmarsh sparrow听 nestlings. It was around 5 a.m., and I had worried about their little nest through all of the rainstorms that weekend. They were so small, and they snuggled up in the palm of my hand to escape the morning chill as I tucked them back into their woven home and wished them the听best. Watching them go from eggs, to nestlings, to birds flying around the marsh taught me exactly why we do what we do.鈥澨�

Nate Goodwin 鈥�25

exercise science

Hometown: Southwick, Mass.

Mentor: Michael Brian, assistant professor of kinesiology

Research: Effects of circadian misalignment in college students 鈥� sleep-wake cycles that shift by a few hours each day 鈥� on cardiovascular health.

鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome to see the results we hypothesized, knowing that it will have a positive impact on the community. It was super rewarding to see all of the hard work has been paying off, and that our protocol is effective.鈥�

Jack Sullivan 鈥�26

chemical engineering

Hometown: Plymouth, N.H.

Mentor: Nan Yi, associate professor of chemical engineering

Research: Converting methane, a potent greenhouse gas, to ethane using a light energy catalyst.

鈥淢y perseverance has improved, due to the many failed attempts at the beginning of my summer research. I have found a love for the lab that will help me continue to grad school where I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in chemical engineering.鈥�

Emilie Carroll 鈥�27

liberal studies

Hometown: Simsbury, Conn.

Mentor: Rose Pruiksma, senior lecturer of music

Research: New England contra dance 鈥渃hestnuts,鈥� dances that are always accompanied by a specific tune.

鈥淚 was excited to go to several fiddle camps and conduct ethnographic research by participating in dances, taking classes on New England fiddle music and interviewing about 10 musicians who are experts on New England contra dance.鈥�

Dan Zogby 鈥�25

zoology

Hometown: Natick, Mass.

Mentor: Laura Kloepper, associate professor of biological sciences

Research: Analyzing the vocalizations of the common tern to provide insight into conservation efforts.

鈥淚 made two trips out to the tern colony on the Isles of Shoals, where I had the opportunity to 鈥� gather observational data by watching the colony for two days. Getting paid to sit and look at birds all day is really all I want in life.鈥�

Torin Scalora-Riley 鈥�25

environmental science

Hometown: Newington, Conn.

Mentor: Jessica Ernakovich, associate professor of natural resources and the environment

Research: Investigating microbial communities in three types of permafrost, which is a carbon sink and important to carbon cycling in the Arctic.

鈥淲orking in a walk-in freezer to subsample permafrost cores was really fun even though it鈥檚 so cold in there! It鈥檚 very rewarding to be able to ask a question that most people probably aren鈥檛 thinking about and work your way to the answer. The Arctic is a special place that deserves our attention.鈥�

Caylin Grove 鈥�25

genetics

Hometown: Hollis, N.H.

Mentor: Bonnie Brown, professor of biological sciences

Research: Using genetic techniques to test Eastern oyster larvae in Great Bay for disease, to discern whether disease is driving the decline of the oyster population.

鈥淭his research gave me an opportunity to get field work under my belt. I hope to go to graduate school, and being able to use tools that pertain to my field will give me a leg up 鈥� and set me up for success.鈥�

This story appears in the 2025 issue of Spark, 易胜博官网鈥檚 annual research review. Visit the for more stories from this issue. And check out Inquiry Journal, 易胜博官网's undergraduate research journal, to read about research by Emilie Carroll, Nate Goodwin, Jack Sullivan and others.

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