November 1998

Related Links New Century College Center for Field Studies

NCC, Center for Field Studies Involved Students in Research Projects Undergraduate students in New Century College (NCC) and the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as high school students from around the United States, had the opportunity to work with George Mason faculty members this year on an Andros Island research project. Funded by the Earthwatch Institute and the Durfee Foundation for Research through George Mason's Center for Field Studies, the research efforts at Andros Island were lead by Karen Oates and Luther Brown of NCC. According to Oates, who serves as associate dean of NCC, the research team pursued several projects, including developing a preliminary investigation of the antimicrobial properties of shallow water reef sponges. Students were also involved in Brown's research, which analyzed one of the deepest blue-holes known on Andros and conducted a survey of the flotsam and jetsam of Andros beaches. The research team also worked with the class of Ted Bradley, Biology, which was studying the population of the endangered Attala butterfly. "This was a great research experience and an exciting research agenda for all of us who participated in this program," says Oates. "I know those of us on the faculty research team were very impressed with the work and dedication exhibited by the students, and the strong effort that they made in the weeks we were on Andros." Her comments are echoed by student Tawni Tidwell, a Durfee Foundation award recipient. "The best part of this experience was not exactly what we did, but how the team worked together to accomplish its goals--whether it be performing an experiment on sponges or fixing breakfast," says Tidwell. "Each project required us to rely on each other so much that we had to trust each other and have confidence in one another." High school students competed nationally for eight available positions with the research program. They came from California, Colorado, Iowa, and several East Coast states to participate. They were accompanied by several George Mason students, including biology major Greg Justice and Molli Dohogne of NCC. Assistant professor Yvette Petty from NCC and Kristy Jones, program manager of the Center for Field Studies, were the research assistants on the project. Research on Andros Island takes place at the Bahamas Environmental Research Center (BERC). In addition to the work of NCC and the Center for Field Studies, BERC supports basic and applied funded research efforts by faculty from State University of New York at Albany, the University of Reading, Duke University, and Bradford College. Faculty members Tom Wood and Karen Misencik of NCC, as well as Bradley, have taught courses at BERC. Closer to home, as part of a separate research project, George Mason students accompanied Wood and Elizabeth Gunn, also of NCC, on a field experience on the Chesapeake Bay. The experience gave students the opportunity to investigate and perform analytical research on the water from an integrated, multidisciplinary perspective. The students explored issues ranging from water quality, fossil collection, and public policy to the literature and oral histories of the watermen's lives. Oates and Brown have had their research grant renewed and look forward to involving more George Mason students in next year's research program. For more information on these research programs, call NCC at x31436.