Another exciting and eventful year is in the books for the BETA team. It has been a busy year with many field trips to collect samples, attending and presenting at many conferences, beginning work on drafting a manuscript, and representing University of Northern Iowa at the Iowa state house our team has been busy! Now that the semester has calmed down and all of the final tests have been taken and final papers and projects submitted the members of the BETA team have written up what this year on the team has meant for them, as well as advice for other early career scientists that will come after them!
Mackenzie Male
The biggest thing I took away from being on BETA this year, is that science takes time. I'm not the most patient person, so the biggest take away is that science takes a lot longer than I thought. Joining gave me many opportunities to start apply my knowledge, although my knowledge is very small, it was a place to start and I'm grateful for that. I had a good time at both of the conferences I attended, learning a lot about communication and other undergraduates work. It was very intimidating at the start, but going through two different poster sessions allowed me to work on my communication skills. I learned that sometimes you won't have the answer to someone's question and I have to admit to not knowing everything, which was hard at first, but it was a learning experience. I wish I had gotten a chance to see the other sides of the project more, and been more involved; however, the concussion held me back last semester (which was a whole new learning experience by itself). My advice for future students is to not be afraid to ask questions, get hands on, and explore the different areas the project offers. I met many new faces and felt more involved in the Chemistry/Biochemistry department. I'm very grateful for being able to get this experience of hands on learning with peers and faculty.
Riley Mcmorran
I don't know if I can put into words what BETA has been for me over the last year and a half. As I am preparing for graduation I have been reflecting on the events of the last few years. So many of the highlights circle back to things I have done with this project. Working in a clean lab, doing detailed descriptions of outcrops and samples, presenting a poster at a major conference, the list goes on. And behind each item on that list are fantastic memories that will last me a lifetime. This project presented me with some of the most challenging concepts I got to work with in college and I've loved every minute of it. Thanks to all the work I have been able to do with BETA I feel more confident in my abilities as a student than ever before. I'll just leave it at that, someone must be cutting onions in the other room.
Tray Hickie
From this experience, I was able to learn more and get more experience with poster sessions and presenting information to people that are not as knowledgeable in the area. The most fun (and my favorite part) of the experience was going to the GSA conference, as it gave me a chance to see what sorts of research other undergraduates are doing as well as learn some interesting things about microbes in the environment from the presentations I went to. The advice I have for future BETA students is to be comfortable working outside of your area of study. It gives you a unique opportunity to learn more about how your studies can relate to the work done by people in different areas of science. The overall impact that BETA has had on my future is that not only does it allow me to graduate, but it also gives me a unique look into other fields of science which can make me a more desirable candidate for a job.
Tami Wallin
When I first joined BETA I was really excited to work on and do stuff that I had really done before like cryogenics, which over the course of the year I learned a lot about along with what some research projects entail. My favorite part over the year was going to the rock quarries and helping at the outreach day at the quarry, where I got to interact with kids and teach them a little about science. Some advice that I would give to future BETA students is to have patience for not all experiment get accomplished in hours but sometimes weeks if not months. Another thing I would tell them is to when they get the chance to work with a certain type of equipment to take it for it’s not something that a lot of undergrads get the opportunity to do. At the end of it all I enjoyed being able to be apart of a research project that not only was interesting but also allowed me to set my own hours and fit it into my schedule. Thanks for the experience and allowing me to be apart of a really interesting project.
Mj Lashbrook
My semester as a member of the BETA Project has been great. I had the opportunity to take part in research techniques I have not done in the past. I enjoyed making a stratigraphic column and making rock thin sections. The best part was getting to present at North-Central GSA. It was great to be around so many other students presenting research, and the talks at the conference were really interesting. It was stressful preparing for the conference, but everything went well. I am grateful for the opportunity to help with the BETA Project and would recommend the experience to any student wishing to get involved in science.
Lucas Kracow
I joined the BETA team last semester after I had received an informational email about the project that really caught my attention, since then I have learned a lot. Learning all about the project and how all three parts work towards a larger idea has been very intriguing and engaging for me as a student. I have gained a lot of new skill set that I can apply towards my future career, and the experiences that I gained were very educational and fun! My favorite part of the BETA team was that it gave me a much better idea of what applying my education would be like after graduation. Advice that I have for future BETA members would be to have fun with it and try to soak up as much as they can. This year was full of fun and interesting experiences to say the least.
Nicole Bishop
This year, for me, has been about understanding the huge range of questions that science can answer and where my project fits in that larger picture. I had the opportunity to present research at a number of great conferences this year. I was able to learn how to present my research so that I was working my project into the greater picture painted by the fields of both chemistry and geology. This year the BETA project provided me with the opportunity to become a better communicator of scientific research, both in the professional sense of being able to speak clearly regarding my research at academic conferences to other members of the scientific community, as well as in the more general sense and how to make scientific research interesting and relevant to the general public through the BETA blog and community outreach events. My advice for future students is to take every opportunity that you can find to get hands on experience and to learn new things, you never know where those new skills can take you!