Tag Archives: PUC research

Student Research Profile: Jessica Edens

Here at PUC, biology students have countless opportunities to get involved with research, oftentimes working alongside professors on projects. Programs are specially curated to not only prepare students academically but also to equip them with real-world experience for success in future endeavors.

Here’s one student’s experience and how they feel PUC helped prepare them.

Who are you?

My name is Jessica Edens, and I’m a senior environmental studies major. After graduation from PUC, I plan to pursue law school and get my J.D.

What did you do?

My internship is with the Bureau of Reclamation within the Department of Interior as a park ranger. While there are many duties, one is working with local non-profits and other organizations to educate youth groups or perform community outreach programs. There are a lot of natural resource activities involved, like trail building and maintenance, invasive species prevention program for quagga and zebra mussels, re-planting of native trees, conservation, and water management.

When and where did you do this work?

My internship is at Lake Berryessa, California. I have worked there since July 2018.

What did you learn?

A big part of being a park ranger is working with the environment while educating people in the hopes of creating or maintaining good conservation practices. It’s trying to spread the idea we only have one earth and we should be preserving what we have.

How did your experience at PUC help prepare you for this experience?

Being an environmental studies major, I took a lot of classes about biology and the environment. There were many classes I took at PUC I am able to use in this internship. So much of the material and topics I learned in the classroom have proven invaluable in aiding my ability to speak knowledgeably on a subject.

Student Research Profile: Emma Payne

Here at PUC, biology students have countless opportunities to get involved with research, oftentimes working alongside professors on projects. Programs are specially curated to not only prepare students academically but also to equip them with real-world experience for success in future endeavors.

Here’s one student’s experience and how they feel PUC helped prepare them.

Who are you?

My name is Emma Payne, and I am a biochemistry major looking to go into biomedical and pharmaceutical research after graduating before going to medical school.

What did you do?

Under the guidance of Dr. Sung, I participated in research of Alzheimer’s disease from a physiological standpoint before continuing on to biochemical experiments. In our experiments, we collected data based on C. elegans worm behavior and its attraction to chemoattractants that replicated the smell of food. I was responsible for making more batches of E. coli food for the worms, incubating new batches of worms, and carrying out new behavioral tests based on the diet and age of worms.

When and where did you do this work?

I was able to work with Dr. Sung in Alzheimer research here at PUC in the research labs of Clark Hall during my freshman year.

What did you learn?

In my research experience, I learned to cement process and create consistent procedures to limit the amount of error in data results. I feel as though my experience in my research with Dr. Sung has been foundational to any future opportunities in research or in my practice in medicine later in life. By experiencing research and the process of exploring what causes biological mechanisms I learned to think abstractly and use information I was learning in my chemistry and biology classes to apply in our experiments. Additionally, I learned by reading the articles of others’ work I was able to see how useful it is to use the research of other’s to the furthering the understanding of diseases like Alzheimer’s by working as a community.

How did your experience at PUC help prepare you for this experience?

Previously I curated a love for lab research in high school when I took survey chemistry classes. I have also gotten the opportunity to intern at a clinic in Houston and interact with individuals who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. In having experience and a background in chemistry, however introductory, lead to my ability to look at biological research on a fundamental and chemical level as well as have skills to understand laboratory procedure and tools.

Student Research Profile: Tom Borecky

Here at PUC, biology students have countless opportunities to get involved with research, oftentimes working alongside professors on projects. Programs are specially curated to not only prepare students academically but also to equip them with real-world experience for success in future endeavors.

Here’s one student’s experience and how they feel PUC helped prepare them.

Who are you?

My name is Tom Borecky, and I am a senior biology major. I will be attending medical school in the fall and hope to get a master’s degree in public health as well.

What did you do?

I had the privilege of participating in a research project examining the impact of the Affordable Care Act on colonoscopy cancellation rates. I was responsible for organizing and collecting data from over 400 cases to analyze the specifics of the reasons for cancellations, such as demographic information and insurance type.

When and where did you do this work?

I did this work when I returned home from my gap year as a student missionary in Uganda in March 2018. This research was done at the Sierra Nevada Gastroenterology practice in Grass Valley, California. We spent a few weeks collecting and organizing all the data, and had the opportunity to present a poster of the findings at the American College of Gastroenterology annual conference in Philadelphia the following October.

What did you learn?

Throughout my experience, I learned the intricate process of research, which can be extremely detail-oriented and tedious, is essential to produce accurate information that will guide and help people. Also, the skill of learning how to work with others as a team to accomplish a goal was a major achievement from my research experience. These skills have impacted my life beyond the research in tremendous ways.

How did your experience at PUC help you prepare for this experience?

Throughout my time at PUC in the department of biology, the basic skills I have developed through lab such as organizing and processing data in Excel was extremely useful in aiding me in the research process. Also, classes such as Systems Physiology and BIOL 113 allowed me to have a sufficient understanding of the digestive system, which helped guide the conceptual understanding of “why” this research was meaningful.

Student Research Profile: Emily Castellanos

Here at PUC, biology students have countless opportunities to get involved with research, oftentimes working alongside professors on projects. Programs are specially curated to not only prepare students academically but also to equip them with real-world experience for success in future endeavors.

Here’s one student’s experience and how they feel PUC helped prepare them.

Who are you?

I am Emily Castellanos, and I am a senior biology, pre-vet major. I plan to go to graduate school for a masters in biomedical sciences: animal anatomy and physiology, then go to professional school to become a veterinarian.

What did you do?

I interned this summer as a veterinarian assistant at an animal hospital. I performed simple tasks such as cleaning cages, taking dogs out for short walks, and administering vaccines to cats and dogs to more complicated tasks such as monitoring anesthesia, performing blood draws, taking notes for the doctors, and interacting with as well as explaining treatment plans to clients.

When and where did you do this work?

My initial internship was for two and a half months (summer 2018), but now has been extended to a part-time job until I graduate in 2019. The animal hospital is the California Pet Hospital in Napa.

What did you learn?

I’ve learned so many things during my time at Cal Pet. I’ve learned about the basic anatomy of cats and dogs, the physiology of and calculations for the dosing of medications. I have had the amazing opportunity to learn how to interact with clients, basic animal behavior cues, surgery equipment identification, how to make estimates for treatments, basic radiography, cytology, and many other valuable skills.

How did your experience at PUC help prepare you for this experience?

There are several classes PUC offers which have helped prepare me for this experience. While many of the classes related to medicine are focused on human anatomy and physiology, there are countless comparative similarities between animals and humans. Thus, Human Anatomy, Developmental Biology, and Systems Physiology have been the most helpful in giving me background knowledge for treatments as well as allowing me to be more useful to the veterinarians because I have knowledge on what they talk about. But even the foundational sequences in biology and chemistry have also proven to be very helpful as well.

Student Research Profile: Sean Richards

Here at PUC, biology students have countless opportunities to get involved with research, oftentimes working alongside professors on projects. Programs are specially curated to not only prepare students academically but also to equip them with real-world experience for success in future endeavors.

Here’s one student’s experience and how they feel PUC helped prepare them.

Who are you?

I am Sean Richards, and I am a senior biology major. I plan to go on to graduate school in marine biology to specialize in invertebrate conservation.

What did you do?

I participated in a research trip with Dr. Hayes to study the commensal associations between different species of urchins, invertebrates, and fish. During this time, I was responsible for taking photos as well as counting urchin individuals, with and without associating organisms.

When and where did you do this work?

This research opportunity took place in January 2019 off the coasts of Cabo San Lucas, in the Gulf of California.

What did you learn?

I learned an immense amount on this trip. Though swimming in a wetsuit for multiple hours in a day can be tiring, it is well worth the effort. I saw several species of pufferfish, pipefish, and eels I had only read about or seen in captivity up until that point. It was also interesting to peek into each crevice to find different species hiding within the urchin’s spines for protection. From this, I learned much about underwater photography, the collection of density measurements, as well as the resources available for fish/invertebrate identification.

How did your experience at PUC help prepare you for this experience?

The classes immediately come to mind for me are those of General Biology, Ecology, and Marine Biology. From these classes, I learned an enormous amount about the writing of scientific papers, animal anatomy, as well as the mindset goes into doing this kind of research. Also, students at PUC are lucky enough to have a department that routinely offers research opportunities in a variety of areas.

Student Research Profile: Caroline Hogan

Here at PUC, biology students have countless opportunities to get involved with research, oftentimes working alongside professors on projects. Programs are specially curated to not only prepare students academically but also to equip them with real-world experience for success in future endeavors.

Here’s one student’s experience and how they feel PUC helped prepare them.

Who are you?

I am Caroline Hogan, and I am a junior environmental studies major. I plan to go into the Navy or to get my master’s degree in forestry and ecology.

What did you do?

I did an internship involving the study on the impact the October 2017 fires had on the plant and tree growth on my burned property. The mission was to count and record the impact the Nuns Fire had on the property and to see if any of the trees like oak and Douglas-fir were able to recover from being burned as well as the degree of life that the survivors had.

When and where did you do this work?

My research internship was for eight months on my property in Sonoma Valley in Sonoma County.

What did you learn?

There were so many things I learned when doing this research project I never knew were not in the norm for an internship. Much of the work was in the field and involved a lot of hiking and charting down every single individual tree and shrub inhabited the heavily wooded five-acre property. I learned how to chart and map the trees and plants properly, how to identify them in their burnt state. I also learned how to write up a report on the trees for the insurance company and client. As well as how to deal with a client professionally and how to work with multiple different people, agencies, insurance agents, and lawyers.

How did your experience at PUC help prepare you for this experience?

I am an environmental studies major, so the class Natural History of California helped prepare me to identify the plants and trees that were difficult to identify due to their burnt state. Intro to GIS as well helped me immensely because I learned how to properly use a GPS to map out the entire property and every individual tree. Professor Wyrick also helped me with her knowledge of the native plants of California and how to identify them and gave me tips on how to determine what they were when they were unrecognizable.

Student Research Profile: Antonio Robles

Here at PUC, biology students have countless opportunities to get involved with research, oftentimes working alongside professors on projects. Programs are specially curated to not only prepare students academically but also to equip them with real-world experience for success in future endeavors.

Here’s one student’s experience and how they feel PUC helped prepare them.

Who are you?

I am Antonio Robles, and I am a junior biology major. I am currently a pre-medicine student looking at research opportunities in the medical field or in marine biology.

What did you do?

I participated in research with Dr. Hayes by studying the symbiotic associations of urchins in the Sea of Cortez. Most were done by natural observations by counting holes with the urchins and writing down every species seen in the hole. In the summer, I also participated in neuroscience research with Dr. Sung. I was in charge of finding a way to stain the C. elegans tissue to link possible neurological damage due to overconsumption of food to dementia.

When and where did you do this work?

In the summer of 2018, I spent 11 weeks working with the C. elegans alongside Dr. Sung. This was all spent in the microbiology lab at PUC. In the first week of January 2019, I spent working with Dr. Hayes gather data for the associations with urchins in Baja California Sur, Mexico.

What did you learn?

From both experiences, I learned about the helpful scientific community and how to use certain equipment. Specifically, with Dr. Sung, I was able to communicate with successful research scientists in Switzerland through the internet to come up with an apparatus that would allow the staining and slicing of C. elegans. This cooperation was a highlight as it allowed me to move forward in my research while seeing how there is always collaboration in science. In addition, I learned how to use cryostats, different types of microscopes, micropipettes, and other tools. With Dr. Hayes, I learned the hard work it takes to do fieldwork and how to record data in computers. Each night Dr. Hayes would spend hours adding all the observations in Excel and being able to observe was a great experience.

How did your experience at PUC help prepare you for this experience?

Taking the Biological Foundations sequence helped me be familiar with lab tools such as the microscope and micropipette. In addition, it gave me the ground foundations for knowing about the brain and the importance of C. elegans for science. Intro to Research Methods II was very helpful in the way we approach research. This allowed me to know how to contact different researchers around the world to collaborate and it also gave me the opportunity to receive a grant for the research in Mexico on urchins. Past experiences with Dr. Hayes doing research in Clear Lake and Roatán, Honduras, also allowed me to be ready.

Student Research Profile: Charidan Jackson and Zoe Morphis

Zoe and Charidan (pictured) used a piece of flannel to collect ticks from the outdoors to determine their distribution patterns.

Meet Charidan Jackson and Zoe Morphis, who conducted a research project at PUC last year studying ticks in Albion and at the college’s Albion Field Station. Charidan graduated from PUC last year and is now getting her master’s at California State University, Long Beach, while Zoe is studying biology at PUC and intends to go to veterinary school after graduation.

Who are you?
I’m Charidan Jackson, and I’m a first-year master student at California State University, Long Beach. I plan to obtain a degree in biology and work as a forensic scientist.

I’m Zoe Morphis and I’m a biology major. I plan to go to vet school to become a licensed veterinarian.

What did you do?
We worked with Dr. Ness to survey the population density of ticks in Angwin and the Albion Field Station. We were responsible for taking collections, logging GPS locations, and recording other physical and biological information about each site. This was the beginning stages of a research project to study the prevalence of Lyme disease in the local tick populations and involved development of research methods as well as collecting preliminary samples.

When and where did you do this work?
The research was done during spring and fall quarters of 2017. We focused on collecting in areas of Angwin and Albion frequented by humans such as the back 40 and trails with plant growth on either side.

What did you learn?
Charidan: From our data collection, we learned Angwin is prime habitat for ticks. We saw differences in species, developmental stage, and sex. Collecting ticks was not difficult because they come toward humans and other warm-blooded animals. Ticks are especially active in warmer and slightly moist environments. Although we did not initially aim to collect data specifically on the plant matter ticks were found on, we noticed that more ticks were found on invasive species such as French broom and Himalayan blackberry

Zoe: The most valuable thing I learned during this research project was simply the amount of effort that goes into even a simple research project. Even simply getting approval for obtaining the necessary supplies was a challenge, not to mention the hard work of trying to collect ticks. It really helped me to appreciate complicated research studies scientists have done to help us learn about the world.

How did your experience at PUC help prepare you for this experience?
Charidan: Classes such as Conservation Biology and Ecology emphasized the importance of detailed and specific data collection. We applied the quadrat method we learned from those classes to organize data collection before we started. PUC also offered a one-day seminar on Geographic Information Systems. GIS gave us the tools to map Angwin’s trails and plot our points along the trail. Flowering Plants opened my eyes to the different types of plants in on habitat. Without the expertise of that class, I doubt we would have noticed any correlation between invasive species and ticks.

Zoe: PUC prepared me for this experience by providing me with the basic knowledge necessary to understand the research process. Specifically, taking Intro to Research Methods provided me with a solid background to be able to read and comprehend scientific research articles in order to prepare a feasible plan for our study. I also was grateful for the knowledge I had from Genetics, as it allowed me to understand how sequencing the ticks’ DNA to detect Lyme disease would work.

Student Research Profile: Michelle Tang and Janet Tang

In this picture, Michelle (left) and Janet are running an experiment in which the rattlesnake strikes a solution-filled glove they will later analyze for venom content.

Meet Michelle Tang and Janet Tang, both biology majors at PUC who plan to continue on to medical school after college. Last summer, they conducted research in the college’s very own Clark Hall lab studying rattlesnakes and their venom.

Who are you?
I’m Michelle Tang and I’m a senior here at PUC. I’m also a biology major/pre-medicine student, planning on going to medical school to become a physician.

I’m Janet Tang, a junior biology major hoping to continue on to medical school.

What did you do?
Michelle: I worked with Dr. Herbert to study the habituating acts of rattlesnakes by calculating venom expenditure and observing measures of defensiveness. My partner and I were in charge of filling the rubber hand gloves with saline, warming it up to about 37 degrees C, and scenting it to match the effects of a real hand. I was also responsible for pouring the contents from the glove into a bucket, diluting it, and putting it into individual vials. My partner and I also used the vials of diluted venom to find the concentration of protein in the venom via protein assay.

Janet: I was responsible for recording the interaction between the snakes and the saline-filled rubber gloves. I followed each snake and made sure to film the potential bite at a specific angle that allowed us to determine the time of strike and more.

When and where did you do this work?
The research lasted 10 weeks during the summer of 2017 in Clark Hall.

What did you learn?
Michelle: I learned rattlesnakes are not vicious reptiles that are out there to get you. Each and every rattlesnake had a different character and temperament and reacted very differently to the actions imposed on them. Some rattlesnakes didn’t even strike at the glove when they were seriously provoked. I also learned the importance of teamwork and communication in terms of getting things done correctly and on time.

Janet: Contrary to popular belief, I learned rattlesnakes are kind and gentle creatures. Though they are though to be aggressive, rattlesnakes do not want to bite humans and only do so when they are harassed or scared.

How did your experience at PUC help prepare you for this experience?
Michelle: As a biology major student, classes such as Animal Behavior and Intro to Research really prepared for the knowledge that this research entailed. Having taken Animal Behavior, I learned about habituation and the various types of non-associative and associative learning. Taking Intro to Research allowed me to better understand the steps and processes of how researching works. Although I haven’t taken Immunology yet, I will definitely be prepared to do a protein assay when the time comes.

Janet: Because I’m a science major, the science classes I have taken helped prepare me by providing valuable lab experience and knowledge I have utilized during my research. In addition, I have enjoyed getting to learn about various science topics ranging from single-celled organisms to large multicellular creatures.

Student Research Profile: Mychal Hellie

Mychal spent hours in a canoe studying grebes during his internship with the Audubon Society.

Meet Mychal Hellie, a junior environmental studies major at PUC who plans to continue on after college to get a master’s in ecology. Last summer, Mychal helped Dr. Floyd Hayes study grebes on nearby Clear Lake as part of his internship with the Audubon Society.

Who are you?
I’m Mychal Hellie and I’m an environmental studies major in my junior year. I plan to get my master’s in ecology.

What did you do?
I helped Dr. Hayes study the grebes on Clear Lake. We studied the distribution of nest locations and the grebes behavior on the nests. My job was to help set up the cameras and survey the nesting locations. I also recorded data from the pictures about how much time each parent spends incubating the eggs.

When and where did you do this work?
My internship was with the Audubon Society, doing research on Clear Lake during the summer of 2017.

What did you learn?
There is a lot of work that goes into field research, especially when it involves canoeing at five in the morning, and if you want good data, you need dedication. Studying the grebes out in wild taught me how interesting the natural world around us can be. Going minute by minute through photos of their lives showed me the vast complexity of wildlife and why they are worth studying and preserving.

How did your experience at PUC help prepare you for this experience?
Classes at PUC like Pollution & Environmental Quality helped me understand conditions like eutrophication that affect the ecosystems on Clear Lake.  Ecology and Conservation Biology taught me many field techniques I used in to study and sample the grebe populations.