EPROACH students
met with Gary Cottrell, Susan Whitcomb, and Josh Sussman of the USGS National
Water Quality laboratory (NWQL).
CONWAY, Ark. (November 17, 2020) – The pandemic may have
changed how we interact with each other, but it did not stop Hendrix students
from engaging in meaningful professional activities this past summer. During
the break, 12 undergraduate science majors participated in a special Odyssey
project titled Experiences in Professional Research Organizations and
Atmospheric Chemistry at Hendrix (EPROACH).
In 2014, Professor and Chair
of Chemistry Dr. Courtney D. Hatch ’00 developed the EPROACH program with the
support of the Morris and Ann Henry Odyssey Professorship. Now supported by a
grant from the National Science Foundation, EPROACH provides Hendrix science
students the opportunity to gain engaged learning credit through the Hendrix
Odyssey Program while exploring their interests in pursuing research careers in
the sciences, with a focus on atmospheric chemistry.
EPROACH participants this
past summer included Eric Horan ’21, Adam De Groodt ’21, Catherine Mariza ’23,
Kameron Molloy ’21, Kyle Bounds ’23, Tyler Odell ’21, Grace Bryant ’22, Jennifer
Wu ’23, Miles Johnson ’21, Madelyn Klinkerman ’21, Linh Phung ’23, and Julia
Dick ’23. Hatch served as their faculty mentor while guiding them through a
variety of professional development and networking activities, including:
- designing
personal learning goals to guide reflection of program activities
- attending
the virtual American Chemical Society Green Chemistry and Engineering
Conference
- attending
virtual research seminars with leading scientists in the academic, government,
industry, and non-profit sectors
- networking
with graduate students and research professionals
- exploring
STEM research careers
- reflecting
on vocational purpose and professional aspirations.
“This year has
thrown a wrench in many students’ opportunities to participate in undergraduate
research, so what better time to learn about new fields of research and reflect
on vocational interests and aspirations?” Hatch says. While the program was
initially designed as an intensive two-week experience in Colorado, the
pandemic required the program to pivot to a virtual platform.
Despite the
remote nature of EPROACH for the summer of 2020, it remained successful as it
continued to “spark the curiosity of student interests, encourage
self-reflection and understanding, provide mentorship for aspiring scientists,
and support ‘engagement that links the classroom to the world’ (Hendrix College
Statement of Purpose).”
“While some students find the EPROACH experience
helps solidify their career aspirations, others find new scientific interests
they haven’t had the opportunity to explore,” says Hatch. Linh
Phung, who is pursuing a B.A. in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology (BCMB) agrees: “My
experience in this program has significantly aided in the transformation of my
career aspirations,” Phung said.
Julia Dick, a computer science major, also found
inclusion “amongst a sub-community of Chemistry and BCMB majors.”
“It was surprisingly easy for me to find a career path
into a major research lab where someone from my discipline could potentially
fit,” she said. “Making these realizations was the most exciting part of each
meeting.”
“Every year, but
particularly during the pandemic, the level of personal growth and professional
awareness that the students achieve by participating in EPROACH is amazing to
watch in real-time,” Hatch says. As Madelyn Klinkerman, a senior Murphy Scholar double
majoring in chemistry and Spanish, prepares for her own post-Hendrix career,
she confides that she will “definitely rely on what I’ve learned from my time
with EPROACH.”
Right: EPROACH students
met with Dr. Ann L. Greenaway ’12, Research Scientist, Materials Science
Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on August 4, 2020.
About Hendrix
College
A private liberal
arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earns recognition
as one of the country’s leading liberal arts institutions, and is featured in
Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About
Colleges. Its academic quality and rigor, innovation, and value have
established Hendrix as a fixture in numerous college guides, lists, and
rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has been affiliated with the United
Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.