Category: Undergraduate

Call for Applications: 2023 Songer Research Award for Human Health

Matthew Songer, (Biological Sciences ’79) and Laura Songer (Biological Sciences ’80) have generously donated funds to the College of Sciences and Arts (CSA) to support a research project competition, the Songer Research Award for Human Health, for undergraduate and graduate students. Remembering their own eagerness to engage in research during their undergraduate years, the Songers established these awards to stimulate and encourage opportunities for original research by current Michigan Tech students.

Students may propose an innovative medically-oriented research project in any area of human health. The best projects will demonstrate the potential to have a broad impact on improving human life. This research will be pursued in consultation with faculty members within the College of Sciences and Arts. The Songers’ gift and matching funds from the College will support two awards for undergraduate research ($4,000) and two for graduate research ($6,000), for research conducted over the Summer of 2023 and/or the following academic year.

Learn more about who is eligible to apply, how to apply, and how the funds may be used.

Submit applications as a single PDF file to the Office of the College of Sciences and Arts by 4:00 p.m. Monday, April 24, 2023. Applications may be emailed to djhemmer@mtu.edu. Any questions may be directed to David Hemmer (djhemmer@mtu.edu).

BioSci Mushers Compete in the CopperDog

As anyone who has attended Michigan Tech will tell you, engaging in a winter sport makes the long, dark, snowy days and challenging coursework bearable. For two BioSci students, mushing is the perfect winter diversion. The Michigan Tech Mushing Club is where they practice their sport. Both competed in the CopperDog races that took place March 3-5, 2023 in the Keweenaw Peninsula.

Alyssa, Haley, and friend standing on the sidewalk with a sunset background
Alyssa (middle) and Haley (right)

Alyssa Sarland Races in Her Second CopperDog

This year, Alyssa Sarlund, a fourth-year Biology major, took on the CopperDog80 with leads Agate and Heather. It was a big step up from the CopperDog25 last year. “Going from a one leg race to a two leg race I was definitely more nervous because I had a downtown start and there were quite a few people lining the gate at the start. Overall the course itself had a lot more hills and was more difficult. I trained for the second race longer than the first one, so I was pretty comfortable on the sled,” she said.

Alyssa was happy placing 8th out of 9 total participants in the 80. Her sled glided over the course in just under 9mph on average, for a total of 9 hours and 45 minutes. The 80 is a two day race and, although it was hard, she said it was a lot of fun. The second day was sunny with blue skies, and a bit warm for running but it made for a nice day to be out on the sled. 

Previously, Alyssa volunteered with the CopperDog in 2021, too. “When I volunteered, I was set at a road crossing and helped other volunteers move a gate back and forth for mushers/snowmobilers to go the correct way on the trail,” she said.

Sled with two people being pulled by dogs
Alyssa on the sled with Joel Diccion driving

Dipping Her Paws Into The CopperDog

Haley Marchese, a third-year Medical Laboratory Science major, raced in her first CopperDog. She tackled the 30 with her lead dogs Bud and Violet. It was truly an exciting debut in the CopperDog. “It was very nerve-racking at first because I had my family, friends, professors, and many others who came to the race start to support me and the other mushers. I was also a little nervous because I had a full team of yearlings (besides one of my leader dogs) running their first race. My race was also at night, so that played into my nerves a little at first too. I had a great start down the chute giving high fives to all the little kids watching and about a mile into the race my nerves calmed down and I started to have a lot of fun!” she said.

Haley placed 17th out of 20 participants, which is amazing considering her rookie status. Plus, the majority of her team, including one of her leaders, were yearlings running their first race. Like Alyssa, her team ran just under 9mph, making her total time 3.5 hours over the course of a day’s race.

Mushing Club Offers a Great Winter Diversion for Tech Students

Sled being pulled by dogs with crowd cheering
Haley starting the CopperDog30

The only collegiate sled dog club in the US, the Michigan Tech Mushing Club requires commitment. Members clean the kennels, feed and water the dogs, and train the dogs during the fall, winter, and spring. Members gain plenty of experience in caring for the dogs, learning about racing and the incredible dog athletes, and teaching others about the sport.

Alyssa enjoys getting away from a screen and taking in the fresh air for a few hours. “While running, it’s usually pretty quiet and all you hear is the dogs’ footsteps, and watching the sunset go down is a very unique experience that I have found to be truly surreal,” she says.

In the winter, new members can get on a sled for the first time. Those putting in time training and running the dogs get to race. Other members are content simply petting the dogs for stress relief from school. Others relax riding on a sled rather than driving it.

Haley enjoys introducing the sport of mushing to new members and/or community members. “I have so much fun teaching others how to harness a dog and how to drive a sled for the first time. I get a lot of joy seeing the thrill and excitement it brings to people who are doing it for the first time,” she says.

BioSci Mushers Get a Leg Up on a Career

Mushing lets students acquire important skills they will need in the years ahead. Haley says “I think mushing has helped me develop many soft skills that are important in a career in biology, medical lab science, veterinary, or medicine. Mushing has taught me a lot about patience, teamwork, building mutual respect, and critical thinking.”

Haley being pulled on a sled behind eight dogs
Haley training for the CopperDog race

“As you would expect mushing requires physical strength and stamina; however, over the past two years I’ve been involved in mushing, I’ve learned mushing also requires a lot of mental strength. There are times when you have a bad training run and you have to learn to be patient with the dogs and with yourself and persevere through the difficult moments. You also have to be able to critically think and act quickly if a challenging situation arises. Those are just a few of the skills and qualities that I’ve improved or learned from mushing that I can apply to my future career,” she says.

Mushing helped Haley to get a leg up in the classroom, too. “There are many times I’ve been able to connect what I’m learning in my biology classes with what I’ve learned from mushing. For example, I learned that some sled dogs suffer from a genetic form of cardiomyopathy, which is something I’ve learned a lot about in my upper-level biology courses and it so happens to align with the topic of my undergraduate research,” she added.

“I plan to apply to vet school, so knowing what it’s like working with animal athletes compared to house pets helps me apply concepts. Athletes’ body systems work differently; they tend to have more muscle and faster metabolisms,” explains Alyssa.

Haley is hoping to parley her degree and experience in the Mushing Club to medical school. “I will definitely have to take a break from mushing during that time, but I’m hoping once I get settled down that I would be able to get back involved in the sport even just as a hobby with a small recreational team of my own,” Haley said.

BioSci Mushers Find Their Pack

Two huskies standing together
Alyssa’s dogs: Donny and Triforce

Haley found out about the club at K-Day last year. K-Day, short for Keweenaw Day, is an annual tradition at Michigan Tech held on the Friday of the week of Labor Day. It is a registered student organization fair with around 200 groups in attendance. It allows Tech students to find and connect with student organizations across campus they may want to join.

A Husky Swim Club friend introduced Alyssa to mushing. Alyssa’s friend drove her to the kennel and introduced her to the club. Alyssa and Haley run with a team from Tom Bauer’s kennel in the Otter River Sled Dog Training Center & Wilderness Adventures. They both agree the Otter River Kennel has done a great job of getting them out on a sled to train and race! Training for mushing can get crazy at times.

It’s Not Always Smooth Sledding For These BioSci Mushers, But They Overcome

Mushers form a great partnership with highly energetic dogs who love to run. And it is an amazing sight when you see a highly functioning sled-dog team moving rapidly down a snow-covered trail through the woods on a crisp winter night. But mishaps do occur. Once while training Alyssa’s team took a turn too early on the trail. The two lead dogs ended up running to either side of a tree, and the dogs wanted to keep running! Alyssa had to get the leads to turn around (no easy task when it comes to these focused dogs) to get back to where they were on the trail!

During this year’s race, Haley got herself into a sticky situation on the trail. While trying to pass another team she ended up losing her sled and the dogs. She had to run a little over a mile after them on foot with a broken headlamp to try to catch them; all the while hoping they got tangled or that a volunteer or another team caught them and stopped them. A fellow racer from the club caught up to Haley while she was still on foot and let her ride in their sled until they overtook her team. Despite this significant challenge, costing Haley a lot of time, she was still able to finish 17th!

In either case, the BioSci Mushers were able to get back on the trail and accomplish their goals. They’ve acquired valuable real-world skills. Clearly, this winter diversion keeps them on the trail leading to a successful future.

Biological Sciences in the Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

Thank you to all of the Biological Sciences students that presented and shared their research at the 2023 Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium!

Overall Awards

First Place – Leah Harazin and Nathan Ostlund: “Stability of Terephthalate Degrading Microbial Consortia for Plastic Upcycling”

Second Place – Haley Marchese: “Sympathetic Activity to the Heart is Increased in a Mouse Model of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy”

Third Place – Grace Gonzalez: “The Gut Microbiome of Fish and Its Relevance to Antimicrobial Resistance”

Special awards for research affiliated with the Great Lakes Research Center

First Place — Leah Harazin and Nathan Ostlund: “Stability of Terephthalate Degrading Microbial Consortia for Plastic Upcycling”

Second Place Grace Gonzalez: “The Gut Microbiome of Fish and Its Relevance to Antimicrobial Resistance”

Third Place — Tessa Tormoen: “Using DNA Metabarcoding to Evaluate Dietary Resource Partitioning Between Two Sympatric Tilefish”

Congratulations to all participants!

Student Stories: Kate Meister, Human Biology Major, Future Physician’s Assistant

Kate Meister sees her best path to becoming a Physician’s Assistant through the Biology department. She is a senior studying Human Biology. One of the degree requirements is to complete a capstone. She chose to do an undergraduate teaching experience with Travis Wakeham. Kate is passionate about biology and education, so she and Travis are also collaborating with Steve Elmer (KIP) and others across Michigan and Indiana to bring back PhUn (Physiology Understanding) Week. Kate also loves to play basketball. We had a chance to learn more about Kate and her experiences at Michigan Tech.

Lighthouse on the water with a sunset background
Kate’s favorite lighthouse at Breakers Beach

Why did you choose to major in Human Biology?

My major is Human Biology and I have a minor in Pre-Health Professions. I chose this major as it complements my plans to become a PA. The courses and experiences that I have been lucky enough to be a part of prepare me everyday to become a Physician’s Assistant. 

Why did you choose to study Human Biology at Michigan Tech?

I chose to study at Michigan Tech because of the tight-knit community, second-to-none education, the culture of the MTU women’s basketball program, and the pure location. This community is so supportive and proud of the university and of the women’s basketball program. The curriculum, especially in human biology, pushes you to become the best student you can be. The MTU women’s basketball program is a winning program historically, and the culture is so strong. Houghton is an organic area, and I have loved getting to know the UP in my time up here. 

What do you love about Michigan Tech?

I love the support I feel at Michigan Tech. I feel so supported by the faculty and classmates, in the classroom and out of the classroom. Our professors know how to push us as students, but they also care about us as humans rather than just students. 

Why did you choose to participate in women’s basketball?

Women's basketball team jumping and hugging on the court
Kate and team celebrate a victory against Grand Valley State

I chose to participate in basketball because it has always been a dream of mine to play collegiately. I love the sport and the relationships that I have made with teammates, coaches, staff within the athletic department, and community members. 

How does basketball round out your educational experience?

Being a member of the MTU women’s basketball team means that we not only push ourselves to become better at our game, but to become the best version of ourselves off of the court as well. Our organization is heavy on giving back, whether that is through volunteer opportunities that we take on as a team or through inspiring the next generation of huskies through our kids camps. 

What did you enjoy most about being involved in basketball?

I enjoy the relationships that I have made the most when it comes to picking my favorite part of basketball. I have met some of the most amazing people through basketball, and I have made lifelong friends. Being a student-athlete at Michigan Tech is not always easy, but having best friends that go through it all with you makes it much easier and so memorable. 

Kate and friends sitting by a campfire during sunset
Kate and friends enjoying a campfire at Breakers

What advice would you give to undergraduates looking to get involved in student organizations?

One piece of advice that I would give others that consider joining a student organization is to look at every opportunity as an experience, or as a chance to learn something or someone new. Being a part of an organization means a community of people that have similar goals, motives, and passions as you do, and that feeling is so inclusive. 

Do you think playing basketball helps you with your major of human biology?

Learning more about the human body through my degree has helped develop me into a better athlete. Understanding the body on a molecular, cellular, anatomical, and physiological level has given me a deeper understanding of my overall body and athletic performance. 

Biological Sciences Major Melia Austin Takes on Costa Rica During Her Study Abroad Trip

Biological sciences major and study abroad participant Melia Austin enjoys the view in Costa Rica


Melia Austin immerses herself in her learning. One example: is a trip to Costa Rica during the summer of 2022 with fellow Michigan Tech students interested in sustainability. Building on what they learned at Michigan Tech, they observed what Costa Rica has done to become more sustainable in terms of environment, ecology, water treatment, and more. Plus, Melia immersed herself in the Costa Rican community, where she practiced her Spanish and earned credits toward her minor in Spanish.

Melia said, “I wanted to use what I’ve learned in my Spanish classes to grow in my understanding of the world, and learn about sustainability inside and outside of the classroom.” Day trips around Costa Rica greatly enhanced her learning.

Immersed in Sustainability

A Quetzal bird.
Quetzal bird sits on a branch in the sustainable rainforest in Costa Rica

The day trips brought sustainability to life. A visit to a natural hot spring showed how Costa Ricans benefit from this sustainable form of energy. They also hiked through a sustainable forest where they saw a quetzal. This is a rare bird found in Costa Rica. Sustainable forests give species like the quetzal places to thrive. The forest was not only environmentally sustainable, but also socially, and economically sustainable. As a result, Costa Rica is able to identify and manage the impacts of businesses and people on the environment and adjust accordingly to be sustainable. She noted that the rainforest and its management met the criteria of the three pillars of sustainability that they learned about in their classes.

There were lots Melia enjoyed during her time in Costa Rica. Melia’s favorite thing was “attending a conference about sustainability with graduate students and professors from different universities.” She was able to diversify her learning about sustainability by connecting with others from different universities. This enhanced her experience as she immersed herself in new opportunities to learn about sustainability.

Melia saw many natural wonders in Costa Rica, like this hot spring.

Study Abroad Takeaways From Melia

When asked what advice she would give to students considering studying abroad she said, “You are at a unique point in your life where you have the freedom and autonomy to travel and learn new things that might change how you see the world. It might even change your future plans.” In Costa Rica, she learned to be independent and travel independently. She is applying those learnings in a gap year in Senegal where she volunteers on a hospital ship. Immersing herself in Senegalese culture and the hospital environment, her goal is to gauge her interest in a career in medicine.

Michigan Tech Students Get a Biology-Centric Study Away Experience in 2023

Students at Michigan Tech can study abroad in a similar, biology-centric program. Casey Huckins, PhD and Professor of Biological Sciences leads students on a trip to the Bahamas each spring break. Students learn about the biology and ecology of tropical island plant and animal communities in marine and terrestrial systems. The program covers the geological history, human history, and climate of these fragile tropical ecosystems. Students collect data and experience the nature, dynamics, and beauty of these island ecosystems. They’re surrounded by incredible biodiversity while gaining perspective from being in another country.

This post originally appeared in Michigan Technological University’s Social Sciences Newsblog. Itis authored by Nicholas Pate, a student in the College of Business.

Saving the Brook Trout by Restoring their Spawning Habitat

Professor Casey Huckins has been studying the ecology of coaster brook trout for nearly 20 years. He started out investigating these migratory fish’s population ecology and life history. His research now focuses on analyzing the movement patterns of coaster brook trout due to human impact on the watershed. He is also focusing on ways to restore them and the habitat they need to spawn. Recently, with funding from the Michigan Departments of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) and the Department of Natural Resources, his lab has been actively restoring its critical habitat. “Human actions have turned these iconic heritage species of Lake Superior into a conservation concern by overharvesting them and disturbing their habitat,” Huckins explains.

Casey using a tool in a stream
Casey Huckins working in the field

His team is actively studying the two coaster brook trout populations still known to exist along the south-central shore of Lake Superior.

These migratory coaster brook trout live in Lake Superior. However, they return to their rivers of origin to breed in the same spots where they were spawned. Due to disturbances in the watersheds, like logging and road use, the spawning habitat of these creatures has been buried. This has altered the critical dynamic of erosion and sedimentation, leading to a buildup of fine sand. The sand present here is responsible for covering larger sediment particles like cobbles and pebbles. Cobbles are small rocks that have been rounded by water flow. These pebbles serve as the spawning habitat and also as the home for the brook trout’s food and aquatic insects.

With his recent state funding, Huckins says his goal is to restore the critical spawning habitat. He will do this by removing excess sand and studying the impacts on the habitat and the brook trout population. His team has installed in-stream sand collectors that passively collect sand as it flows over them. The researchers then routinely operate pumps to move the sand out of the floodplain.

Huckins’ team is now investigating whether the community of stream insects that are key food items for the brook trout also increases in abundance, diversity, and community structure. He hopes to see a site with natural, free-flowing cobble-based cold-water habitat. Huckins found this at the site when he started studying it with his graduate students nearly two decades ago.

Brook trout
Brook Trout

His next goal is to acquire additional funding to automate the sand collectors to operate independently. Huckins’ goal is to eliminate the need for researchers to manually pump sand at the site, saving them time and fuel expenses. The team is currently expanding their efforts to implement this system in various streams and rivers. Their equipment is being utilized to rehabilitate other waterways that have suffered from erosion due to flooding, land use, or other factors that cause sand to flow downstream. As our climate changes, we expect to see more extreme events that will have outcomes we need to address to restore and maintain these critical aquatic ecosystems.

This blog post initially appeared in the Fall 2022 Biological Sciences Newsletter. Read this article and others like it today.

2022 Provost’s Award Winner Plans to Practice Rural Medicine

Christian Johnson won the 2022 Provost’s Award for Academics. He is pursuing a double major in Human Biology and English.  

Johnson’s goal is to attend medical school and become a primary care physician in a rural area. 

A native of Detroit, he chose Michigan Tech because the small size of the university and community appealed to him. He found the faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences so helpful.  He visited Tech many times and participated in a Summer Youth Program. “I could see myself being part of the Michigan Tech community,” he says.

Christian Johnson
Christian Johnson

He worked with Greg Miodonski, a graduate student in Qinghui Chen’s lab. They studied the effect of exercise training on cardiovascular function in animals.  Chen is a professor of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology and an affiliated professor of Biological Sciences and Biomedical Engineering. 

The research investigated how exercise impacts the function of small conductance calcium-activated potassium (SK) channels in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) of rodents. It aimed to assess whether exercise could augment SK channel function in normotensive and hypertensive rats and, consequently, sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure.  

“Christian was an invaluable assistant, and his Cool Hand Luke demeanor will be missed,” said Miodonski. “Working with rodents is challenging and can be intimidating, but Christian took to the rodents immediately. Unlike exercising humans, exercising rodents poses several challenges. Mainly, rodents are poor listeners and don’t follow instructions too well. This means that exercising them requires diligence, focus, and lots of patience. Christian exhibited all of these qualities. Some undergraduate assistants require a lot of mentoring and instruction before gaining autonomy, but not Christian. A quick study, he handled obstacles exactly how I would have and impressed me at every turn. Christian also aided me with recording blood pressures in conscious rodents. This is challenging and requires constant attention for many hours. Here again, Christian exceeded expectations.”

In addition to research, Johnson immersed himself in many activities at Michigan Tech, including the Blue Key National Honor Society, Alpha Epsilon Delta—the National Health Pre-Professional Honor Society, the Pavlis Honors College, the Pre-Health Association, and Sexual Assault and Violence Education. He also worked as a writing coach in the Michigan Tech Writing Center, served as a resident assistant, and worked in various other mentoring roles. Christian found time to serve as an active volunteer for Dial Help. He also recently had a piece of his creative writing published.

This summer, he studied at the University of Stirling in Scotland, where he took courses to fulfill major requirements for his English degree.

“When I heard that I received the Provost’s Award, I was shocked,” Johnson says. “Hearing all of the work I have been putting in and my accomplishments being read aloud; picking up the plaque; and shaking Dean Kampe’s, Dean Southerland’s, and President Koubek’s hands is a moment I will never forget.”

Johnson is currently applying to medical schools. Being from Detroit and living in Houghton, he has had the opportunity to see medical care in both urban and rural settings. Working with Dial Help particularly opened his eyes to the struggles that rural area residents face in accessing resources and being able to see a physician. “That experience made me want to serve rural areas and help with the primary care physician shortages in those areas,” he says.  

This blog post initially appeared in the Fall 2022 Biological Sciences Newsletter. Read this article and others like it today.

Erika Hersch-Green Receives NSF CAREER Award

Erika Hersch-Green, plant evolutionary ecologist and associate professor of Biological Sciences, received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award. She will investigate how specific attributes of plants, such as their genome size, influence community biodiversity responses to increased nitrogen and phosphorus availability. Hersch-Green’s approach combines molecular, cytological, physiological, and phylogenetic techniques.  

Erika Hersch-Green
Erika Hersh-Green

Hersch-Green is conducting her research on three fronts. First, she is currently gathering fresh data and merging it with information from experimental grassland sites around the world. These sites have plots with different nutrient treatments, allowing her to examine how response patterns vary depending on climate conditions. Second, she is conducting controlled greenhouse studies to better understand mechanisms that focus on two common grassland plants: fireweed and goldenrod, both of which she has studied before. Lastly, she developed a new research site at Churning Rapids, north of Hancock and south of McClain State Park. There she is extending her research to look at how disturbance patterns affect levels of biodiversity. 

She is also exploring ways to improve students’ scientific literacy and engagement in research.  To accomplish this, she is incorporating students in grades 6 through 12 and undergraduates in research, enhancing research involvement in the classroom, facilitating effective scientific communication skills of graduate students, and promoting collaboration among undergraduate students and faculty in the Departments of Biological Sciences and Humanities. These students will produce video content that will be used to enhance education and public understanding of biological science and ecology.

To summarize, Hersch-Green aims to provide a system-level understanding of how nutrient eutrophication—the increasingly dense growth of particular plants at the expense of other species—and landscape disturbances affect individual organisms and multi-species communities by looking at their interactions.

Although she is passionate about her research, Hersch-Green is also deeply committed to the educational component of her CAREER award. Her educational goals are to increase both scientific literacy and engagement of high school and university students on critical topics related to nutrient eutrophication, biodiversity, evolutionary adaptation, and awareness of related STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) career pathways. 

This blog post initially appeared in the Fall 2022 Biological Sciences Newsletter. Read this article and others like it today.

Anatomage Table 8.0 is a True Game Changer for Students

Students standing beside an interactive table in a lab
Students using Anatomage Table in A & P

Thanks to the generous support from our alumni and friends, the department purchased a virtual human cadaver dissection table from Anatomage. The table cost about $72,000. Our Anatomy and Physiology (A & P) students have been excited to use this equipment since the Fall of 2021. The table will move to our new H-STEM building when that project is complete (and be joined by a second table). This 7.2-foot-long iPad-like table allows eight students to simultaneously learn and experience medical sciences in a way they have never done before! We would greatly appreciate it if you could contribute to Anatomage Michigan Tech Fund #3454. Funds will go to purchase a second Anatomage table. As a result, this increases instruction for up to 16 students at the same time. We are already halfway there. 

The Anatomage Table 8.0 is one of the most technologically advanced virtual dissection platforms. The Table’s interactive, life-sized display is now available for our undergraduate students to utilize within the Anatomy & Physiology Teaching Laboratory! It expands our ability to provide ultra-high-quality visualization for students to view photorealistic anatomical structures. Students are amazed by the level of detail within each virtual human cadaver. They see value in comparing models and textbook images to actual medical images. The Table includes a robust library of histology scans, CT and MRI scans, clinical cases, and physiology simulations. 

This blog post initially appeared in the Fall 2022 Biological Sciences Newsletter. Read this article and others like it today.

2021 Provost Award Winner Says Research, Clinical Care Go Hand in Hand

Thomas Basala was the recipient of the 2021 Provost’s Award for Scholarship. He graduated in May with a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology.

Basala is spending the summer as a lead intern at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation. He will stay there for the rest of this year as a research associate. He plans to attend medical school.

Thomas Basala
Thomas Basala, 2021 Provost Award Winner

The Provost’s Award for Scholarship recognizes a student who embodies Michigan Tech’s scholarship value statement: We inspire world-class scholarship through academics, research, and continued learning. It is awarded annually to a rising senior who has demonstrated excellence not only in academics but also in research, levels of intellectual curiosity, creativity, and communication skills.

Each department is invited to nominate one undergraduate for the award. In 2021, Basala was the Department of Biological Sciences’ nominee.

“Thomas is one of the most conscientious, reliable, and appreciative students I have met,” says John Durocher, adjunct associate professor of biological sciences. Basala worked in Durocher’s lab.

Basala says winning the Provost’s Award caught him by surprise. “There are so many talented students at Michigan Tech,” he explains.

A student in the Pavlis Honors College, he worked in the Clinical and Applied Physiology Lab throughout his years at Michigan Tech. He received two research grants while he was an undergraduate: a Michigan Space Grant Consortium young investigator award to study how nocturnal blood pressure relates to indices of cardiovascular risks such as arterial stiffness; and a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) to investigate the efficacy of pre-sleep meditation on sleep in young adults. “They were both very enriching to me,” he says.

Basala presented his meditation research at the 2022 Experimental Biology conference in Philadelphia. Additionally, he presented work on the impact of decentering—the ability to dissociate from emotional feelings—on nocturnal blood pressure patterns at the 2021 Experimental Biology conference. Both abstracts were published in the FASEB (Federation of Societies for Experimental Biology) Journal.

He fell in love with research under Durocher’s mentorship. “He taught me the minute nuances of doing human research,” Basala says. ‘He helped me understand what it means to be a well-rounded researcher and active community member. “

Basala wants to become that kind of clinician/researcher. “I want research always to be part of the patient care I do,” he says. “Research and clinical care inform each other and, in many cases, should not be separated.”

Basala is from Stevens Point, Wisconsin. During his time at Tech, he served as president of the Triangle STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fraternity, a lieutenant with Michigan Tech EMS (Emergency Medical Services), and co-coordinator for the Global and Community Engagement Conference.

This blog post initially appeared in the Fall 2022 Biological Sciences Newsletter. Read this article and others like it today.