UTPB junior chemistry student Jennifer Hunt is spending her summer doing research in Tela, Honduras thanks to a UT System research fellowship she was awarded!
She has been using Tela Marine Dive Shop to conduct research on coral larvae settlement on concrete matrices.
A part of her research, Hunt used a 3D printer to vary the width of channels along slopes of truncated conic sections. She attached the devices together to create grids.
“I went to multiple dive sites in Tela Bay, where the grids were deployed at the different dive sites. I observed each grid over a two-week period and retrieved one set of them every two weeks for further study in a laboratory setting. These were then examined using multiple microscopes, and then scraped to collect any organic material so that DNA could be extracted and sequenced,” said Hunt.
The analysis of the DNA present will use metagenomics to study the life forms that have landed on them.
“There will hopefully be a correlation between the channel spacing and abundance of coral larva present,” said Hunt.
Hunt was awarded the University of Texas System Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation in Research, Summer Research Academy Abroad fellowship.
The project will be done in early August where she will then present at the UT-LSAMP conference in El Paso. She says her experience has given her a glimpse at all the possibilities the future may hold and opened many doors for her.
“It has allowed me to be an independent researcher and show myself that even when things get hard, I will find a way to make the best out of any situation. This experience has helped me highlight my talents and make connections to potential future projects,” said Hunt.
Hunt says she has realized she is on the right path.
“I have met amazing people during my time in Honduras. From the aquarium that I work at part time, to the owner of the hotel I have stayed at, the people have been wonderful,” said Hunt.
Hunt is working alongside well-known researchers and professors from across the country and world. She says she has learned from everyone around her.
Hunt describes her time at UTPB as nothing short of amazing.
“Ever since my first semester I was welcomed by not just the students but the faculty as well. It was easy to see that the professors who work at UTPB care for each of their students,” said Hunt.
During her time at UTPB, Hunt worked with Dr. Hembry as a lab assistant and has been involved with multiple organizations.
“No matter what department my classes have been in I have been blessed to have professors and other faculty who help me accomplish my goals. I love the community here at UTPB and how it is one big family that cheers each other on. I feel like I have truly made lifelong friends,” said Hunt.
She began her fully funded research project at UTPB through the undergraduate research program. She says her classes successfully prepared her for conducting research on her own.
“It gave me the courage to try things out, to fail, and to start again,” said Hunt.
This year she even won first place in her category for presenting the results from the initial stages of her current project at the UTeach conference in Austin. She is grateful for the opportunities she’s received and for her mentors.
“My journey is not over yet. I encourage all students to engage in some type of research program, you really learn what you are capable of when you press your own limits,” said Hunt.
