Deep in Research
Hali Goad (‘16, Earth & Environmental Science) received a research grant from the Virginia Foundation of Independent Colleges (VFIC) this past summer to examine the efficacy of retention ponds to improve the water quality of stormwater runoff under the direction of Dr. Maury Howard, Associate Profession of Chemistry, and Dr. Maynard Schaus, Professor of Biology. This project gave Goad the opportunity to experience both ends of the research experience spectrum. In the field, she was literally chest deep in her project! The first stage of the research was to create both in situ and small-scale tank experiments. Once the samples were collected, Goad learned cutting-edge laboratory techniques, analyzing the samples using ion chromatography. Goad’s research didn’t conclude with the end of summer. She is working on additional experiments this fall, and she will present her work at the Southeastern Regional Meeting of American Chemical Society (SERMACS), the Virginia Academy of Science (VAS), and VWU’s Undergraduate Research Symposium on December 3, 2015
Campaign organizing enabled Sarah to connect her Virginia Wesleyan education to hands-on political work in ways that enhanced her understanding of the US political system. "It's impossible to truly comprehend our political system without working on the inside," she explains. "I'm so proud of the work we did. Having a position on this historic campaign is the greatest accomplishment of my life thus far. I would encourage everyone to spend some time doing campaign work."