1) The author used their Brown Foundation stipend to fund an internship studying DNA-based species identification techniques on the Ravinia plant genus at the University of Cincinnati, and a Sierra Club backpacking trip in Rocky Mountain National Park. 2) At their internship, the author helped insert and clone Ravinia DNA fragments into E. coli to amplify and sequence an uncharacterized nuclear segment, gaining lab experience and career advice. 3) The backpacking trip taught the author field research techniques like detailed note-taking on observed flora and fauna, and helped develop skills in identifying animal tracks, scat, and prints to complement their prior lab experience.

1. Annie Roessler<br />Symposium Abstract<br />This summer, I applied the majority of my Brown Foundation stipend toward two major expenses: an internship at The University of Cincinnati and a Sierra Club backpacking trip.<br />The internship that I received at the University of Cincinnati was an investigation of DNA-based species delimitation techniques in the agriculturally important genus, Ravini. Problems associated with the current DNA data in combination with an ambiguous species definition had created a confusing taxa for Ravinia. Our purpose was to utilize both nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA to establish species and gene trees, as well as create a genomic DNA library. As an overview, we inserted sections of Ravinia DNA into E. coli DNA, allowed the E. coli to amplify and clone the Ravinia DNA, and then sent the cloned Ravinia DNA to be identified. As a student research, this translated to approximately a 40 hour work week comprised primarily of working alongside my student mentor in the laboratory, field collections of potential subjects and literature reviews of similar published studies. We were able to obtain a nuclear segment that had not been sequenced before, which contained phylogenetic information that helps us to better understand evolutionary systems. Additionally, I gained valuable career advice and laboratory experience.<br />Following my acceptance of this internship, I became aware that I had created a competitive background in laboratory research throughout my academic career. However, I lacked experience in field research, which differs in laboratory research in many respects. With this in mind, I chose to spend the majority of my stipend on an Alpine Beginner Backpacking course led by The Sierra Club in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. The Sierra Club is famous for the numerous outings that it holds across the United States and abroad. Trips typically last between 4 and 10 days, a time frame that coordinated with my SUMR-UC internship of 8 weeks. The Beginner’s Alpine Trip in particular served to not only teach me basic survival skills but also allow me to independently develop and practice field research techniques. Throughout the trip, I took detailed notes on all of the flora and fauna that I spotted. A typical field note entry included a sketch, dimensions, colors, proximity and location, and if an animal, whatever it was doing at the time of identification. I became skilled at identifying not only animals, but also prints and scat. Recreationally, I also enjoyed the immense physical challenge that the trip offered.<br />I plan to make a career as researcher and eventually run my own lab. After this summer I have a stronger arsenal of research skills that I would hope to offer a company in need of an intern in a lab.<br />