What are you up to now?

Alyssa Hernandez

REU '08

Mentor: Aaron Ellison

Project: Forest canopy loss affects the competition dynamics of carabid beetles [Carabidae] (abstract)

Hometown: Camarillo, CA

College and Major: Cornell University, Natural Resources, class of 2010

• What you miss most about the REU program: The fabulous group of REUers, being surrounded by the forest....and my mentor!
• What you miss least about the REU program: Mosquitoes, ticks, and trips to the medical center.
• What about the REU program has stuck with you: I came out of the program with a better understanding of field research and lab work. I learned that I do love fieldwork, even if I am a bit accident prone.
• Have you stayed in touch with other REU'ers?: Of course...some of them I hope to stay in touch with for a very long time.
• Whether your REU experience supported or changed your career plans: Maybe. Now that I've spent my entire summer doing research, it makes me want to explore every aspect of my major. That means looking at the management aspect of things, which is not necessarily science related. I still love ecology though, and will probably continue to do field work for while.
• What you're up to now: I will be spending this summer at the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I get to spend about 12 weeks learning all aspects of the management process. That means: helping visitors, tagging birds, and doing invasive species work- everything. Who knows what many adventures I will have during my senior year? I am actually considering joining the Peace Corps after college.