Four Grand Valley students and their faculty mentors received a $3,500 grant to conduct research at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute. The institute, a biological field station near Hastings, awards grants through the Undergraduate Research Grants for the Environment or URGE program.
Biology majors Stephanie Seeley and Luke McLaughlin, along with assistant professor of biology Michael Henshaw, are examining how food availability affects the cooperation of paper wasps during nest initiation.
Aquatic biology major Chantel Caldwell and assistant professor of biology Eric Snyder will monitor the removal of the Nashville Dam. They will monitor the lower trophic levels including aquatic insects and algae.
Zach Mills and associate professor of biology James Dunn are assessing the distribution and dispersal behavior of the most abundant butterfly species among the habitats of Pierce Cedar Creek Institute.
The URGE program provides a $3,500 stipend for students conducting summer research at the institute, along with up to a $3,500 faculty mentor stipend that can be used for equipment purchases, general expenses, travel or training needed for conducting the research project.
