Roseline Gragg swims alongside a Pacific green sea turtle off the coast of Catalina Island while participating in an REU program at the University of Southern California. Photo courtesy of Roseline Gragg.
Every summer, several undergraduate students at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga leave their comfort zones and embark on learning experiences at other universities.
Think lab work, field research, seminars, faculty mentorship, bonding with peers and exploring new cities.
These opportunities are made possible thanks to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, which provides funding for students to spend the summer collaborating on research projects at institutions across the country.
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Senior Roseline Gragg, an environmental science major at UTC with a minor in communication, spent her summer participating in a coral morphology research project at the University of Southern California.
Gragg, who is originally from Franklin, Tennessee, transferred to UTC from the University of Memphis.
She spoke about what she learned and how the experience impacted her.
How did you find out about this REU?
“I found out through Dr. (Trey) Straussberger last year. I was applying for the Gilman Scholarship, and afterward, he mentioned some other internships I might want to look into for the summer. He told me about REUs and all the benefits that come with them, and it just felt like a really good fit. So I looked into it and applied.”
Tell me about your REU. What kind of research are you doing?
“I’m working with a graduate student named Maya Gómez, and our project focuses on coral morphology. We’re studying Staghorn coral, which is native to the Caribbean.
“Our experiment looks at how the coral grows and responds to injury. We’ve had to learn how to replicate its natural environment in our experimental tanks and there have been a few challenges. But it’s been really interesting to observe how they grow and react.”
How does this align with your academic and career goals?
“Last year I studied abroad in Turks and Caicos and in Panama, and I got a lot of fieldwork experience. Being in the Caribbean, I saw these corals firsthand and just fell in love with them.
“Coral restoration is something that I think is just really cool. Coral reefs are such a vital part of our ocean and they’re declining. Being able to be a part of something that can help our oceans is really important to me. Being able to see them up close and now being able to work with them is just really cool.”
Do you want to be a marine biologist?
“Yes. Whether that means working with corals or with megafauna like sharks … I did a lot of shark work last year, so now I’m just trying to get a feel for what I enjoy most. Being able to get a feel of working with corals and with sharks is helping me understand specifically what I want to work with.”
What does a typical day look like for you?
“At the start of the summer, our schedule was more structured since we were getting trained in the wet lab and learning how to care for the corals. Now it’s more flexible.
“There’s definitely a lot of reading because we’re trying to catch up on knowledge that others in the lab have been working on for years. We’re only here for 10 weeks, so it’s a lot to absorb.
“There’s also lab work, like going into the wet lab to check on the coral, testing the water for nutrients and tracking whether the corals look healthy. We log everything in a shared Google sheet and work on our own individual projects, too. So some days are focused on reading and planning, others on testing.”
Have you had time to explore the area?
“I try to get out on the weekends with my cohort. Work-life balance is really important. Last weekend, we went to In-N-Out Burger, which I had never been to before. That was fun. A few weeks ago, we had a cohort bonding trip to Catalina Island, where we visited the Wrigley Institute and snorkeled in the kelp forest. That was probably my favorite thing we’ve done.”
Have you gotten close with your cohort?
“Definitely. My lab partner and I spend every day together, so we’ve gotten really close. We don’t room together, but we work side by side all week. The bonding trip helped us all connect more, especially since we don’t always see each other during the week. On weekends, we try to get together and not be strangers.”
What does having a research experience like this mean to you as an undergraduate?
“I think it sets me apart. Not everyone gets the opportunity to work in a lab like this. There were 500 applicants for this REU and only seven spots for students who don’t attend USC.
“Being able to say that I spent 10 weeks in a lab this summer at the University of Southern California is a big deal. I’m hoping that it will really help set me apart from other potential candidates.”
Learn more
Photo gallery by Roseline Gragg
