Dr. David Berg [Professor of Biology]: In the lab we're interested in understanding the forces that create species and create biodiversity over time, and those forces extend back millions of years. We're also interested in understanding how human activity in the present affects survival of species and basically what can we do to understand changes in biodiversity into the future.

Gina Cerbie [Biology major, Class of 2017]: When I came in as a freshman, I was in the First-Year Research Experience, and part of that was to match you up with a mentor, and I ended up in Dr. Berg's lab. And near the end of first semester I was really enjoying the research, so they suggested that I apply for funding to research over the summer, and I received the Hughes Grant.

Cayla Morningstar [Zoology and Philosophy majors, Class of 2015]: I signed up for this project about two years ago, but I had originally started doing research with Dr. Berg when I was a freshman. So, I just continued on with research because I liked it.

Kentaro Inoue [PhD student in Biology]: One highlight of my project is looking at genetic diversity in the structure of endangered freshwater mussel species, and we can use that information to look at how those species will survive in the future.

Mohammed Al-Saffar [PhD student in Biology]: I'm studying aquatic insects that nobody has studied before. And so I am trying to build the base and work on their taxonomy, and I am creating a guide for their identification.

Dr. David Berg: As we try to understand biodiversity we can understand it a couple of ways. One, we can understand it by the appearance of organisms. Organisms that look the same are more likely to be closely related to each other. So we do a lot of microscopy with smaller organisms. In addition, we also tend to do a lot of DNA sequencing. The DNA sequencing lets us, instead of looking at the appearance of the organism, look at the appearance of the DNA. And the appearance of the DNA gives us a sense of how closely related organisms are.

Gina Cerbie: I think the first highlight was when I first started researching the organisms, because I am working with mussels, and normally people might not think they’re that interesting, but as I started to research, I realized that there’s a lot of really cool things people don't know about.

Cayla Morningstar: One of the highlights of my research project so far has been doing fieldwork with Dr. Berg and his lab. Traveling around is really exciting, and you get to spend a lot of time with your lab-mates and develop good relationships and see the environments that the animals we work with live in.

Dr. David Berg: We're also very interested in the geographical patterns that organisms show. So a lot of what we do is computer mapping of organisms' distributions and looking at places where organisms overlap, where there are specific geographical and geological features that may lead to areas with high biodiversity and areas with low biodiversity.

Gina Cerbie: I like being in the lab atmosphere with other people. Because I realize I learn not only a lot from my own project but from watching other people and what they're doing too and they can teach me a lot. There's a lot more independence, critical thinking involved. But I also like it because it provides a lot more freedom; like you can kind of explore your own interests, and there are opportunities to explore your own curiosity.

Cayla Morningstar: I've published a paper actually, so that was a lot of practicing for writing, and I read a lot of literature, so I think that really has prepared me for graduate school.

Kentaro Inoue: After I graduate, I am currently looking at a post-fellowship so that I can continue my research.

Mohammed Al-Saffar: My ultimate goal is to become a professor in ecology, and I would so much like to go teach in Iraq.

Gina Cerbie: I hope to continue researching, so that will probably mean getting my Master's and maybe my PhD in Biology.

Cayla Morningstar: My goals after I graduate are to continue on with graduate school. I plan to find a Master's program and continue the same kind of research that I do here.

Gina Cerbie: The more time I spend time in the lab, the more things seem like they're simple, there's usually a lot more going on.

[July 2014]