Brittany Duncan is applying for a lab technician position at Maloney Dentistry. She has a Bachelor's degree in Biology and experience working for the Elkhart County Health Department collecting and identifying mosquitoes. She also has experience identifying plants, maintaining greenhouse plants, and conducting independent research on plant mating systems. Brittany believes this position would allow her to further contribute to her community's health and safety.

1. Maloney Dentistry
17901 Turners Drive
South Bend, IN
Human Resource Department
April 13, 2015
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am contacting you for lab technician position for Maloney Dentistry. I learned about
this position through a career webpage.
I am interested in this position because I am passionate about working with others to
improve the health and safety of others in my region. I have graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor’s
degree in Biology and minor in Environmental Studies. Along with my biology courses, I also
have taken education courses and worked for 5 years at Elkhart Community Schools. I have done
independent research on plant mating systems, which included maintaining plants in the
greenhouse, maintaining data records, and some experience doing genetic lab work. I have
experience making presentations to diverse audiences including scientific audiences and the
general public. In summer 2014, I was an environmental technician for the Health Department
in Elkhart. As part of this position, I was responsible for collecting mosquitoes, sorting them
into species, and keeping careful records for submitting mosquito samples for disease testing.
Within this position, I also was involved in water sampling of Elkhart County’s lakes, rivers and
streams. I have experience identifying plants and participated in community plant identification
projects through the BioBlitz at Bendix Woods and Unity Gardens in fall 2014.
I am very interested in the position as it would allow me to be more involved in my
community. I appreciate the time taken to review my resume and look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Brittany Duncan
56150 Riverdale Drive, Elkhart IN 46514
T: 574-389-6053 –
E: duncanbl@iusb.edu
Brittany Duncan

2. 56150 Riverdale Drive, Elkhart IN 46514
T: 574-389-6053 – E: duncanbl@iusb.edu
Education
● 2010-2015 Indiana University South Bend: Graduation May 2015
o Bachelors of Arts in Biology and minor in Environmental Studies
● G.P.A = 3.03
● Courses in Education
● 2007-2009 Kalamazoo Valley Community College
o General Studies
● 2006-2007 Southwestern Michigan College
o Attended while in High School
ResearchExperience
● January 2015 - April 2015 Senior Seminar:
o Effects of coal-mining mountaintop removal and valley fills on local ecosystem.
Wrote 20 page research review paper using primary and secondary scientific
literature and presented 30 minute lecture to Biology faculty and colleagues.
● Fall 2014 - Assisted in data collection and identification of native plant species
o Learned how to create a plant herbarium
▪ Pressing, mounting and familiar with use of dichotomous keys
o Member of vascular plant team identifying prairie plants for BioBlitz inventory at
Bendix woods, St. Joseph County Park, Indiana
o Native plant inventory at Unity Gardens, South Bend, Indiana
● June 2013 - August 2013 Independent research:
o Investigated the differences in the pollination biology of two Hibiscus species
from Kenya, Africa.
▪ Tested for fitness differences between plants produced through self-
pollination and plants produced through cross-pollination.
▪ Focused on developing and testing of molecular genetic tools to use in
assessing actual levels of self-pollination from natural populations.
▪ Presented presentation “Mixed Mating Systems of Hibiscus aponeurus
and H. flavifolius at IUSB.
Grants, Honors, Scholarships
● 2012-2015 Cole Scholarship
o Requires GPA of 2.5 and above and being a full-time student

3. ● 2012 – 2013 Fall/Spring Frank O’Bannon Grant
o Requires GPA of 2.5 and above and being a full-time student
Relevant Skills and Coursework
Field Skills
● Techniques for obtaining insect species like mosquitos through light traps and gravid
solution
● Ability to obtain larvae insects through dipping
● Ability to identify species of mosquitos in adult and larvae stages
● Sampling techniques of water in ponds, rivers and lakes using equipment
● Plant Diversity surveys
● Plant pollination techniques
● Plant measurement analysis
Instrumentation
● Mass Spectrometry
o Absorption
o Fluorescence
● Microscopes: compound and dissecting
● Computer software (comfortable working with PC and Mac platform; know Microsoft
Office Suite, Adobe Photoshop)
Laboratory skills
● DNA extraction, PCR to identify plant species, DNA sequencing
● Gel electrophoresis
● Observations
● Data entry
● Fine-motor controls
● Precise note taking
Work Experience
● Hopman Jewelers (Summer 2014 – Current)
o Sales/Repair Consultant
● Elkhart County Health Department
o Environmental Tech (Spring - Fall 2014)
▪ Captured mosquitoes in local parks and Wastewater Treatment Plants
along with larvae dipping in Elkhart County.
▪ Identified mosquito species using microscope and sent the organism and
species name to the state to be further tested for viruses such as West Nile
and Equine Encephalitis.

4. ▪ Sampled water in Elkhart County along creeks, rivers and lakes.
● Elkhart Community Schools
o Substitute Teacher (Winter 2009 – Winter 2014)
Community Outreach
● Volunteered for Potawatomi Greenhouse and Conservatory from 2013-2014
o Plant inventory and maintenance of the plants
● March of Dimes 2014 – South Bend, Indiana
o I walked for my niece and other infants of my community to raise money for
research and programs to end premature birth, birth defects and infant
mortality.
● Conservation Club – Elkhart
o Our goal is to maintain the water quality and aid endangered species residing
in Cobus Creek and surrounding areas in Elkhart Indiana.
● Participated in discussions – 2014
o Deputy Mayor Mark Neal of South Bend, Indiana and Mayor Dave Wood on
infrastructure of city and with
o Mayor Pete Buttigieg on building a sustainable city.
References
● Dr. Deborah Marr
o Associate Professor Biology
o T: 574-520-5564
o E: dmarr@iusb.edu
● Dr. Andrew Schnabel
o Department Chair and Professor of Biological Sciences
o T: 574-520-4413
o E: ASchnabe@iusb.edu
● Ethan Ehler
o Supervisor at Elkhart County Health Department for internship in summer
2014
o 260-519-3308