| |
    |
During the summer research experience I have been part of two very different projects. First and foremost, in the project targeting issues in Trenton I participated in a cross-disciplinary forum that is seldom encountered by undergraduates—or most professionals, for that matter. I enjoyed the opportunity to apply my critical thinking skills to the present circumstances of the city. For this project I became involved in the restoration of urban aquatic habitats, and absorbed an enormous amount of information about the causes of urban poverty. Second, field sampling has provided a clearer context for the investigation into the population genetics of freshwater mussels, which I will be continuing with Dr. Elderkin throughout the course of the upcoming academic year. I can now conceptualize the expansive geographic region that constitutes the foundation of our work, and envision the passage of thousands of years and the countless geological events that have contributed to the structure of the populations we encountered. These locations are no longer merely names—they are identified with vivid memories that inspire rumination over the intricate mechanisms underlying the evolutionary process.
Andrew Máthé
Biology Major
TCNJ Class of '09
