For me it took a long time to actually figure out how to connect what I liked to do with a project that was academic in nature.聽 Working on an honors project gave me this opportunity as I was able to choose the area of research that I wanted to work on rather than having it assigned to me. I am now researching pika population dynamics through next generation genetic analysis. Though extensive lab work consisting of countless hours of pipetting I have millions of base pairs of pika DNA from different individuals. By looking at the similarities and differences in these DNA sequences I will be able to show how well pika are able to disperse in the face of climate change. It will also show whether or not certain populations of pika are self-sustaining, or if they are only 鈥渟ink鈥� population that are sustained by immigration from nearby 鈥渟ource鈥� populations which is important to know for the conservation of the species.聽聽 While it is extremely challenging I am learning skills that I never would have without taking this chance. I get to work in beautiful areas helping an organism that I have been interested in my whole life, so when I finally finish my honors thesis it will be one of the most rewarding accomplishments of my life.
