CONWAY, Ark. (May 1, 2014) – Three Hendrix
student researchers published their first paper in a peer-reviewed journal. Their
paper was accepted by Applications in
Plant Sciences, an open-source journal published by the Botanical Society
of America.
The
student research paper authors include:
- Adam Bigott ’14 of Naperville, Ill.
- Kristen Finch ’13 of Russellville, Ark.
- Austin Wofford ’15 of Alma, Ark.
The students worked with Hendrix biology
professor Dr. Ann Willyard and analyzed results gathered by 11 other Hendrix
students over the last four years.
“This is a ‘methods’ paper (i.e. one
that demonstrates the viability of a technique) that lays the groundwork for other
research papers that are in progress by the other students,” Willyard said. “Now
that this paper has been accepted after peer review, our future student-authored
papers will be able to focus on a hypothesis regarding the taxonomy of a
specific group of ponderosa pines.”
Their research involved extensive travel
to collect plant samples in the field, molecular laboratory experiments and
data analysis. This would not have been possible without a variety of funding
sources that recognize the importance of undergraduate student research,
including the Hendrix Odyssey Program, Arkansas Academy of Sciences, Beta Beta
Beta Foundation, the Arkansas Department of Education Student Undergraduate
Research Fellowship program and the Hendrix Biology Department, Willyard said.
“This accomplishment will play an
important role in the career path of each student,” Willyard said. “Finch and
Bigott have accepted graduate school offers for fall of 2014 and Wofford will
definitely feature this publication on his C.V. when he graduates next year.”
Founded
in 1876, Hendrix College is a national leader in engaged liberal arts and
sciences education. For the sixth consecutive year, Hendrix was named one of
the country’s “Up and Coming” liberal arts colleges by U.S. News and World Report. Hendrix
is featured in the latest edition of Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools
That Will Change the Way You Think about Colleges, as well as the 2014 Princeton Review’s The Best 378 Colleges, Forbes magazine's
list of America's Top Colleges, and
the 2014 Fiske Guide to Colleges. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist
Church since 1884. For
more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.