Jen Hastings a senior from Muskingum University gave insight into what she will be doing after graduating in May.
Currently Jen works as a biology tutor at the Student success center at Muskingum University’s Campus
Hastings a Double major in Biology and Environmental Science here at Muskingum University is also currently working on her senior seminar.
One of her two senior seminars is a research proposal about the biodiversity in old growth forests.
Her other Seminar was done more by studies collected at the Wilds with birds in different types of grasses and environments. She wrote a paper based on her findings from the research data collected.
She feels that this topic may be a little broad “I might need to narrow it down a little bit more,” said Jen Hastings Senior Biology and Environmental Science Major at Muskingum University
After graduating she will be attending a grad school program at Ohio University in Athens Ohio.
“Studying Violets in the Appalachian Mountains, I’m pretty excited about that”, said Hastings
Most of the research, will ne done during the summer Jen is excited about it being a nice warm temperature and pretty scenery.
Jen hopes to find a place close to the campus so that she will be able to bike or walk to the campus. Jen and her mother are going to go and look for an apartment for her live in close to the campus so she doesn’t have to travel far to get to the campus.
Being able to dedicate time to something she is passionate about is something that she is excited about doing.
Going to the Appalachian Mountains to continue gaining knowledge of the field of Botany excites Jen. She is really excited about being able to be a Botanist in this program.
“I am really excited for that”, said Hastings.
Hastings originally was going to go to graduate school but then she changed her mind and decided to take a year off the something changed her mind about going to grad school.
When it came to looking for this grad school program she wasn’t really considering grad school at the time.
She received an email from a professor Danny Ingold in the Biology Department about the grad program requesting any students that may be interested.
She decided to look at the program and consider applying to the program.
“Even though I said I wasn’t going to let [‘s] just take a shot, it’s too good of an opportunity,” said Hastings.
She decided after looking at the website for the program that it would be a good opportunity and to good to pass up.
She also explained the way the program worked was that she would get paid to go to grad school.
After she got accepted into the program she continued communicating with who would be her mentor in the program Dr. Harvey Ballard.
“Dr. Harvey Ballard emailed me some names of the graduate students I would be working with,” said Hastings.
He sent her names of students that she would meet in the program when she would start the program.
She also went and visited the campus to learn the grounds and meet some of the students and faculty.
For this opportunity she likes to give credit to Danny Ingold who sent her the original email about the program.
“Basically, thanks to Danny Ingold that’s what I say,” said Hastings
Even though she didn’t really intend on going to grad school right after graduating she is looking forward to the opportunity to study at Ohio University.
She is also excited about being able to study species of plants in the Appalachian Mountains.