FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, September 26, 2019
STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Tarleton State University biology student Grace Johnson has been selected to participate in the national Research Experience for Undergraduates Oct. 27-28 in Arlington, Va.
Grace participated in the Tarleton REU program the summer between her sophomore and junior years at Dillard University in her hometown of New Orleans.
Her determination and hard work allowed her to become proficient in several soil science research methods and statistical analyses. Her research involved conducting five soil assessment methods — aggregate stability, permanganate oxidizable organic matter, total organic carbon, total organic nitrogen, and readily extractable glomalin — to determine the impact of grazing intensity on soil health.
“During the 10-week session, Grace often spent more than 40 hours per week either in the laboratory or in the field taking soil samples,” said her mentor Dr. Barbara Bellows, assistant research scientist at Tarleton’s Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research. “Each day’s laboratory session often involved conducting 40 to 60 analyses. I enjoyed her excitement in learning new techniques, her insightfulness in identifying process interactions and her being unfazed in the face of various obstacles encountered in the research process.”
The conference features presentations by students from Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs in all disciplines funded by the National Science Foundation, sessions for REU administrators and faculty, and opportunities to meet with representatives from NSF and other government agencies.
Tarleton, founding member of The Texas A&M University System, provides a student-focused, value-driven education marked by academic innovation and a dedication to transform today’s scholars into tomorrow’s leaders. It offers degree programs to more than 13,000 students at Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian, RELLIS Academic Alliance in Bryan, and online, emphasizing real-world learning experiences that address societal needs while maintaining its core values of tradition, integrity, civility, excellence, leadership and service.
Contact: Phil Riddle, News and Information Specialist
817-484-4415
priddle@tarleton.edu
