2010 Recipients

URGE Program

Aquinas College

Jacob Jeffers, along with his faculty mentor, Dr. Robb Bajema, studied the trees that woodpeckers select for finding food and building their cavities.

Calvin College

Stephanie Rentschler and Christopher Bouma, along with their faculty mentor, Dr. Dave Dornbos, researched the effects of an invasive species, autumn olive, on a variety of native tree and shrub species.

Central Michigan University

Donnie Alverson and Shannon Crane, with their faculty mentor, Dr. Brad Swanson, studied bats at the Institute, identifying the species found at the Institute and where and how they use roosts.

Daniel Auer and Daryl Kuipers, with their mentors, Daelyn Woolnough and Dave Zanatta, worked to identified the species of mussels and snails that are found in Brewster Lake and Cedar Creek.

Grand Rapids Community College

Ricki Oldenkamp and her faculty mentor, Dr. Matthew Douglas,studied insects that defend bracken ferns from other herbivorous insects.

Grand Valley State University

Adrienne Gibson and Lauren Villalobos, with their mentor, Dr. Eric Snyder, examined how the aquatic communities are responding to the removal of the dam on the Thronapple River in Barry County, Michigan.

Kalamazoo College

Melissa Bayci, along with her mentors, Dr. Ann Fraser and Dr. Paul Sotherland, investigated the effects of a common insecticide on the eggs and larvae of the green frog.

Olivet College

Robin Redemsky and her mentor, Dr. John Wiltdering, conducted an inventory of moths in wetland and uplands areas.

Valparaiso University

Kristin Engerer and Yacoub Aljobeh, with their faculty mentor, Dr. Zuhdi Aljobeh, utilized lysimeters to measure the contribution of Nitrogen to groundwater by autumn olive.

Western Michigan University

Ariel Cummings and Jacob Williams, with their mentor, Dr. Sharon Gill, examinied the behavioral and physiological differences between chipping sparrows that live in rural and urban areas.

Andrew MacLeod and Christine Snyder, with their mentor, Dr. Carla Koretsky, compared the chemistry or two urban and suburban lakes.

Gordon Art Fellowship

Rachel Krauff of Grand Valley State University spent the summer completing a series of projects inspired by the Institute. Her mentor is Brett Colley.