"I have been given for the first time, an opportunity to entirely plan and execute my own research,” said Rosalba Queirolo ’08, who studied fluvial formations in the Plotter Kill Preserve in Jaclyn Cockburn’s Geomorphology class, Geology 202: Origin and Evolution of Landscape.
“It has been a very trying yet exciting experience that will strengthen my scientific foundation. I now have a better understanding of the steps involved in doing research and am more prepared for future research.”
Queirolo and her fellow students will participate in a poster session Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2-4 p.m. in the F.W. Olin Center Rotunda.
They are presenting their term projects based on the independent research they designed and conducted in a variety of settings in the Plotter Kill, located in nearby Rotterdam.
“Field work is an important aspect of Geosciences, and at Union we have a unique opportunity in that there are several sites close by that are excellent examples of many processes that contribute to landform evolution,” said Cockburn.
Students were required to establish a research question and methodology before going into the field. Once there, they worked as partners and individually to collect data.
“Designing my own field research project has shown me that there is much more to learn about geology than can be found in texts or classrooms,” said Rivka Fidel ’10, who studied bed load movement.
Erica Erlanger ’08’s research, “The Dynamics and Future Stability of a Hill Slope,” deals with the occurrence of landslides in the Plotter Kill.
“Landslides represent geologic hazards around the world, and are therefore necessary to understand how to mitigate further natural disasters,” she said. “I was able to tailor a project to my interests and challenge myself at a new level.”
The best part of her experience, she said, was “having the freedom to go and observe what I deemed to be important. Field work is always more complicated than the simple models in a classroom. There are so many more forces at work in nature, and to grow as a geologist, it’s important to be exposed to the complexities involved in field work.”
Others who participated in the Geomorphology research, and their projects, are: Colin Cameron ’09, “Human Impacts on Soil Profiles”; Joe Catalano’09, “Variations in Forested Floodplain Soils”; Michael Gillin’08, “Quantitative Analysis of Mass Wasting”; Kara Gillivan’08, “Comparing Soil Profiles Along a Slope Gradient.”
Also: Ashley Kovack ’10, “Characterizing and Comparing Waterfalls”; Leigh Mastin’08, “Fluvial Landforms and Terrace Formation”; and Scott Morlando’08, “Climate Change and Slope Stability.”
“In addition to developing and advancing their field skills, the students gained experience and confidence in interpreting and evaluating landscape forms and processes,” Cockburn said.