Students help study BPA in birds

Many countries have laws keeping BPA from being used in food containers, Drumtra said, yet birds and other wildlife do not benefit from such protections.

Simpson, a junior from Gainesville, Georgia, pursuing a degree in biology, said perseverance is important in the research process.

"Research is hard. Every time you go to do something, you're going to do it wrong the first time and the second time and the third time and the fourth time," Simpson said. "And it's just about learning that you're going to do it wrong, accepting that and moving on and adapting. It's made me a better student because I know I'm going to mess up, but I know that I can fix it."

Drumtra said her research students have consistently risen to the challenge by learning and applying new information to their work.

"Quite often this summer I foresaw a task that would need completion, only to find that the students also foresaw that task and were already working on it," Drumtra said.

Jeong, a sophomore from Braselton, Georgia, pursuing a degree in biology, plans to become a dentist. The FUSE experience further equipped him to discuss research as he moves toward his career. He also learned to embrace the trial-and-error nature of the project.

"It is challenging, but it's also kind of fun because you're actually getting to see all this data and the results of what you're doing," Jeong said.

Simpson said her research has also proven useful in less expected ways.

"It's been really interesting to make connections even outside of my research," Simpson said. "I can go to work, and I know how to read scientific literature now. And I can apply that to my job because I work at a veterinary hospital."

Drumtra is excited to see how Simpson and Jeong will carry forward the project management skills gained from working on this team.

"These students have had the chance to walk through a research project from helping to formulate ideas, investigating what is possible, selecting methodology, troubleshooting, having to reassess what we are doing when something doesn't work, and pushing through to a finalized product," Drumtra said.