Hi there! I am Chloe Cummins, and as previously mentioned in my bio, I am from Loretto, Tennessee. I am currently attending the University of Tennessee Southern (UTS), where I am a rising senior in pursuit of a B.S. degree in biology and a minor in sustainability. Just to let you know a little bit more about myself, I enjoy reading, coloring, and putting together jigsaw puzzles in my free time. Additionally, I am really close to my family, so I love spending time with them, whether that involves playing with my adorable niece and nephew, competing against my brother in board games, or snuggling with my dog Duke. I am an officer of the sustainability club on the UTS campus; this position enables me to organize and participate in fun activities, such as recycling competitions, gardening demonstrations, creek cleanups, and tree plantings. Furthermore, my involvement on campus includes research concerning zoantharian genetics, which is a type of coral.
In terms of my interests, my primary passions lie with anything concerning conservation, sustainability, ecology, and/or zoology. Since I was a young girl, I have always been fascinated by wildlife and the environment, which has inspired me to aim for occupations that will immerse myself in the natural world around me; learning about pressing environmental issues along the way has only strengthened this aspiration. Specifically, this REU program will assist this dream because I am interested in research as a career path, and this REU opportunity will permit me a small glimpse into the vast world of scientific research. Thus, being able to build critical research skills now will not only be instrumental throughout my graduate school journey but also prepare me for future job opportunities. Additionally, this amazing REU will provide me with the chance to gain fieldwork experience. Though I have participated in research prior to this REU, my zoantharian research mainly consists of lab work, so this program will allow me to bridge the gap between the field and the lab. For the duration of the program, I will be working at the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (SSNERR) under the guidance of my mentor, Ali Helms. Ali is the Estuarine Monitoring Coordinator for the reserve, and with her help, the broad theme of my project will encompass eelgrass reproductive ecology. Specifically, I will be researching the flowering and seed dynamics of eelgrass, so I will be characterizing seeds produced by flowering shoots. Also, I am excited to collect data comparing the flowering shoot density and timing of the developmental sequence of flowering shoots across various sites along the salinity gradient of the estuary. My first week here at OIMB has been somewhat hectic, but it has been fun and interesting to meet the other REU students. I am looking forward to delving deeper into my research and seeing everyone’s personal growth as we go through this program. All in all, I am beyond thrilled, humbled, and grateful to be here participating in such an incredible opportunity.
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AuthorHi everyone! My name is Chloe Cummins, and I am from Loretto, Tennessee. I am a rising senior at the University of Tennessee Southern where I am pursuing a B.S. degree in Biology (with a concentration in Wildlife Biology and Ecology) and a minor in Sustainability. I’m super excited to be researching the reproductive ecology of eelgrass with my mentor Ali Helms at the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve during my time here at OIMB! Archives
August 2022
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