REU Students Receive Callahan Research Awards

Pictured above: Arboretum Curator T'ai Roulston, REU students Lindsey Monteith and Skye Austin, and REU mentor/faculty Rebecca Forkner

Lindsey Monteith and Skye Austin, students in this summer’s Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, have been recognized with Tom Callahan Undergraduate Research Awards given in memory of former FOSA Board Member and National Science Foundation (NSF) researcher Tom Callahan. The students presented their research findings at the REU Research Forum in August.

Lindsey, visiting from William and Mary and under the mentorship of T’ai Roulston, won Best Presentation for “Up, Up, and Away: Mountain Tops Are the Last Refuge for a Rare Bumble Bee in its Southern Range.” Lindsey's mentor was T'ai Roulston, UVA Associate Professor and Curator of the State Arboretum of Virginia. 

Skye, from Shenandoah University and , won Most Creative Presentation for “Larval Hosts and Pupal Temperature Alter Wing Morphology and Flight Behavior in Vanessa cardui.” Skye's mentor was Rebecca Forkner, Associate Professor of Biology at George Mason University.

The REU program was back at full steam this summer with a total 10 students from around the country and from as far away as the University of Puerto Rico. Living at Blandy and immersing themselves in research during the 11-week program, the cohort is led by faculty mentors from several universities. Funded by the NSF and Blandy Experimental Farm, the program’s goal is to provide promising undergraduates with exposure to and experience in field research. Kyle J. Haynes, Associate Director and Research Professor, is the REU Director. Patrick Crumrine, Associate Professor of Bioligcal and Biomedical Sciences and Research at Rowan University, has overseen the summer program since 2004.