It is almost summer session and I am so excited to get into the Molecular and Cardiovascular Physiology lab and start working. I am still in Williamsburg and it is a ghost town. I cannot wait for everyone to come back!
May
15
Development of a Sanctuary Oyster Reef Network in the Great Wicomico River, Virginia – Seth Theuerkauf
Hello! I am a current senior (graduating Fall 2012) that is double-majoring in Biology and Environmental Science. I am currently conducting a Biology Honors Thesis under the advisement of Dr. Matthias Leu (W&M Biology Dept.) and Dr. Romuald Lipcius (Virginia Institute of Marine Science). I greatly appreciate the support that I have received from the various donors to the William and Mary Honors Fellowship program and the Charles Center. I am still in the process of switching from “School” mode to “Research” mode after the end of the spring semester. I have recently purchased a powerful notebook computer that I will be utilizing to conduct my summer research.
May
14
If you love wildlife, you’ll never want to leave . . .
As one can imagine, planning a scientific field study overseas that is in just three weeks can be quite frustrating and stressful, especially after two weeks of finals and moving out! Yet, these stresses are expected and things are proceeding quite well. I’ve been purchasing field and camping equipment such as a tent, GPS, sample vials, and more, and am now just about to head to the embassy to get my visa. I’ve also been marking the sites where I will sample the water on GoogleEarth, which even has pictures of the area I’ll be in. The area seems gorgeous, and my advisor said that if you love wildlife, you’ll never want to leave. It sure seems that way! I’ve seen pictures of anacondas, caiman, hyacinth macaws, jaguars, and even giant otters; can’t even imagine that this is where I’ll be this summer.
May
14
Meghan Moore & the Lone Star State
Technically, I’m a senior now, which is a scary thought in regards to how long this research question has been turning in my head. I am a government and sociology double major who hails from Yorktown, VA. However most importantly, I am a proud military kid with both parents who have formerly served in the United States Army. Parting from the military was something I became interested in while I was in high school. I would beg my mother to drive me to military installations just to see the neighborhoods of distinct stucco and brick that only a military child would come to love. Grocery shopping always had to be done at the commissary, never the closer Wal-Mart. I reveled in the fact that I still had my military I.D, my only passport to a world that seemed so familiar, but suddenly foreign. Over the years I have come to question this steadfast identification to an institution that, at times, is quite abstract.
May
13
And So it Begins!
Hello all!
My name is Anna Swanson. I am an Africana Studies major, heading off this summer for 10 weeks of research in Cape Town, South Africa. I will be studying urban school feeding programs in relation to community participation and engagement.
May
12
Riparian Buffer Bypassing and its Negative Effects on the Chesapeake Bay
Hello everyone!
My name is Sarah Young, and I am a Geology and Environmental Science Double Major here at the College. My Honors Thesis project that I will be working on this summer and next year revolves around the problems associated with agricultural runoff bypassing riparian buffers, allowing excess nutrients into the already unhealthy Chesapeake Bay. I am so excited to embark on this journey and begin my research with Professor Greg Hancock of the Geology Department. Many thanks to Professor Hancock, the Charles Center, and everyone who has contributed to my Honors research via the W&M website. I would not have been able to do this without your generous assistance. I’d also like to recognize Lyndsey Funkhouser, who will be graduating this weekend and successfully completed her Honors Thesis this past year on riparian buffer bypass; she has helped me in crafting a project that would expand on her own and I thank her for that.
May
11
“For A Woman”
Ann Stokes was a very unusual woman. Originally labelled, “contraband,” she enlisted as a nurse on the USS Red Rover on January 1, 1863, and served for almost two years. Thirty years later, Stokes applied for a pension. The request was so unusual that someone scrawled “For A Woman” across her file. It was also underlined for good measure. The situation must have still been confusing because six years after Stokes was granted her pension, an agent sent her a form that opened with “Sir” and asked questions about marital status and the wife’s name. Stokes wrote across the form, “Sir, I am a woman drawing a pension on my own services in a hospital. Ann Stokes.”
May
11
The year to come…
Welcome to my first blog post!
My name is John Lovette and I am a rising senior majoring in Chemistry and Environmental Science. First and foremost, I would like to thank all of the donors to my project. Without their help, this project could have never happened. I am very excited to get started with my work as it brings together a large chunk of my studies and the college. If you are interested in reading the full abstract of my project, it can be found here.
May
11
Exploring Southern Sudanese Transnational Identity
Hello,
My name is Nicole Brown and I’m a rising a senior Sociology major and history minor at the College. Among my wide and growing interests within sociology, I also have fostered a strong interest in African history, cultural arts and development. Not only are there various themes within this history of empires, struggles and transitions to explore, but also I’m fascinated in understanding the lives of the individuals who have lived in the incredibly varying regions and countries on this continent of the world that is most often forgotten than praised. Among the various languages and cultural identities shared by those who define themselves as “African” the complexities of these relations are ever changing along with the world as the forces of globalization are ever expanding. Having the opportunity to learn more about the far reaching influences of African culture has also furthered my interests into the contemporary lives of African immigrants and those whose lives and ideals are influenced by their compounding cultural identities.
May
11
Discovering Omani narratives in tourism
Hi! My name is Gretchen Nutz and I am excited about studying the story of Oman as it is expressed through Omani tourism. Six of my ten weeks of research will be spent in Oman as I immerse myself in the culture, study the Omani dialect of Arabic, and engage the tourism industry. Prior to those six weeks, I will be researching scholarly approaches to the intersection of tourism and identity construction and finalizing the logistical details of my travel plans.