Alexis Williams | Social Media Manager
Junior biology major, Carolyn McDermott, originally from Lincoln, Nebraska was recently awarded the EPA Greater Research Opportunity Fellowship (GRO) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development. The award is up to $50,000 over a two-year period and can be applied to a fellows junior and senior year of undergraduate study as well as towards a paid summer internship at an EPA facility during the fellows junior and senior year. In addition, the funding can be used for conferences, travel, and equipment for research.
The fellowship was introduced to McDermott through Dr. Melinda Coogan, Associate Professor of Biology at Buena Vista University (BVU).
“Robin Wissink, BVU Grants Officer, brought the fellowship application to my attention,” Coogan said.
Dr. Coogan and McDermott worked together on the 2013/2014 Global Fellow’s trip which led to Coogan introducing McDermott to this fellowship.
“Carolyn’s ability to approach research in a holistic manner, as well as her acute understanding of method development, made her a perfect candidate for this amazing opportunity,” Coogan said.
McDermott completed the application process in May of 2014 which included an extensive list of to-do’s such as writing a full proposal, providing a personal statement, resume, transcript, three references, and special governmental research paperwork. When McDermott applied to the program, while she had an idea of what she wanted to research, she kept her proposal broad by referencing her desire to research within the fields of toxicology and emerging contaminants. One of the most influential pieces in her desire to discover toxins in everyday items such as shampoo or face wash, came from Coogan, a licensed toxicologist and influential professor for McDermott.
“I never expected that I was going to get it, I just threw my name in the hat. I had other things going on, my mind was so focused on other things, I wasn’t thinking about all the time. It re-entered my mind when they emailed me in August and I checked my email constantly thinking ‘maybe today will be the day that I find out I didn’t get it,’” McDermott said.
McDermott was notified in early August that her proposal was being presented to the director of the program and was notified on Sept. 10 that she had been selected for the fellowship.
“The fellowship is incredibly selective. With only 30 undergraduates throughout the United States being offered this opportunity, Carolyn is now one of a select few. She will not only learn new research methods and meet outstanding scholars, but she will also be recognized among future graduate programs and employers as someone who stands out as being exceptional among her peers,” Coogan said.
“It was very surreal, and it still really is. I was sitting in Dr. Hampton’s office and couldn’t believe it was real,” McDermott said. “My family is very excited. My mother posted on my Facebook wall in all caps.”
McDermott chose Coogan as her sponsor for the fellowship. Coogan explained that some of her responsibilities as a sponsor include discussing potential research direction and assisting in the placement for McDermott’s summer research opportunity.
Coogan was selected to be a sponsor for McDermott “primarily because she has been a great influence for me at BVU – she has been a friend, a mentor, a professor. She has done a lot of work, she is a toxicologist, and earned her Ph.D through the EPA. We connect on a variety of levels, she is simply exquisite in many ways – I don’t think I could think of anyone else I could do this with and do a great job,” McDermott said.
Similarly, Coogan is very excited to work with McDermott throughout this process because “Carolyn truly loves life, learning, and new experiences, which is something I learned about her when we traveled to Chile for the Global Fellows program,” Coogan said.
“She will enthusiastically embrace this experience, as well as the people she will encounter, and move unreservedly onto the next opportunity she will be offered. I am incredibly excited to follow her progress,” Coogan said.
McDermott is now faced with the challenge of selecting the location at which she will complete her EPA internship. Throughout that process, she is focusing on the content of the research rather than location because she believes it is important to focus on what she is interested in. Currently McDermott is interested in a research facility located in Duluth, MN that works with microbeads, nanoparticles found in everyday facial cleansers. However, McDermott is still unsure in which program and locations she will choose. Coogan will play a large role in her final selection. Overall, McDermott feels that her previous internship experience at the University of Virginia’s Blandy Experimental Farm has prepared her in numerous ways for the upcoming research she is about to embark on. She feels more confident with proposal writing, asking questions, conducting research, analyzing data, and presenting data.
“It’s still really surreal. I still don’t believe it. I am just really excited. I love to learn and I can’t wait for all the learning I will do at my upcoming internship. I’m just excited. This is just a field that I’m very, very, very interested in and passionate about,” McDermott said.
In regards to the future, McDermott hopes to continue her education and to earn a Ph.D. McDermott attributes her success to the constant support from her family and to the professors here at BVU pushing her to take advantage of present opportunities and helping her discover who she is.
