MOORHEAD, Minn. — Students at Å·ÃÀÊÓƵ have been awarded four grants recognizing their research in ecology and environmental science. 

The students’ research projects, completed out of their shared knowledge and passion for environmental sustainability, shows their ambition and scientific proficiency. 

Yuden Dorji ‘24 earned a $392 Tri-Beta Grant for a project titled "Assessing Microplastic Concentrations in the Gastrointestinal Tracts and Fecal Matter of Tree and Ground Squirrels (Sciuridae) found in Urban and Rural Habitats."

Three Sigma Zeta Grants were also awarded, acknowledging student research. 

• Kylie Brenny ’25 received a $500 grant for "Comparing the differentiation of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) from deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) through analysis of their salivary amylase and cellulose acetate gel electrophoresis and morphological measurements."
• Yuden Dorji ’24, Favziya Rasulova ’25, Mubina Rasulova ‘25, Fatima Mohammed ’25, and Sharon Nwabia ‘23, also received a $500 grant for the research on microplastics in squirrels.
• Maia Lieske ’24 and Katie Waugh ‘24 received a $500 grant for their project, "Characterizing Urban Squirrel Foraging Activity and Drey Usage in Proximity to Anthropogenic Food Sources."

"These awards provide students with an opportunity to participate and, in many instances, determine the direction of their research projects," said Dr. Joseph Whittaker, assistant professor of biology. "They learn current techniques and use those techniques to participate in cutting-edge science."

Whittaker adds that many of these projects could not be completed without the financial support gained through the students' efforts applying for aid.  

"Writing and submitting grants is a skill in itself," he said. "But this support allows them to follow through with the project and ultimately present the results of their hard work."

The students will be presenting their research at the National Sigma Zeta meeting in Missouri and the regional Tri-Beta meeting in Winona, Minnesota, later this spring.

Tri-Beta and Sigma Zeta are national honor societies that aim to acknowledge and award undergraduate students for their work in the natural sciences, computer science, and mathematics.