Women in Science Amazing Summer ( & Semester ) Experiences 2009

Jessica Kafer

Jessi Kafer Field Studies (SFS) at the Center for Wildlife Management Studies in Kenya Took three classes: wildlife management, wildlife ecology, and environmental policy Participated in the wildlife ecology research group, studying the rangelands conditions, trends, and impacts on humans and wildlife in Kuku, a neighboring group ranch. Volunteered with a nutritionist at the district hospital. Worked with community health workers, distributing vitamins and other supplements to hospital patients and visitors and educating them on the importance of good nutrition and hygiene.

Aliya Merali

NASAs Reduced Gravity Flight Program Performed an experiment entitled the Dusty Plasma Experiment, created with a team of physicists and engineers at TCNJ, in a varying gravitational field. Spent my summer as a part of the National Undergraduate Fellowship program analyzing the data obtained during our experiment

Autumn Breese

Computer Research at Texas A&M University Project entailed studying various implementations of the DNS protocol and assessing their vulnerability to certain cache-poisoning attacks. Developed a program to test for vulnerability on a wide scale and the program was run on Texas A&Ms network and identified vulnerable servers.

Julie Pierre

Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project – Hawaii Study and protect the endangered Hawksbill. Known as Honu`ea to the Hawaiians, this species is the rarest turtle in the Pacific Ocean. Nightly watches at remote back-country beaches to observe nesting Hawksbills and basking green sea turtles, monitoring nesting activities, handling and tagging turtles, rescuing stranded hatchlings, excavating nests, recording field data, and trapping and euthanizing invasive species such as mongooses and rats which prey on turtle eggs and hatchlings.

Sara Jackral

Centre for Rainforest Studies in Far North Queensland Australia (SFS) Took courses in rainforest ecology, forest management, and environmental policy. During the directed research component of the program, I studied habitat selection by Lumholtzs Tree-Kangaroos.

Amy Dooley Union County Prosecutor's Office Forensic Laboratory in Westfield, NJ. My project was to determine which DNA extraction technique produced the better yields with dilute blood samples - a toxic, difficult procedure or a milder, "kit" procedure. In addition to this, I was exposed to the legal side of laboratory work during expert testimony, the process of performing an autopsy with a medical examiner, and the science between identifying bullets with ballistics.