170 Research Reflection by April Radford

Faculty Mentor: Mitchell Power (Geography, University of Utah)

Coming from a rural area, without many role models in higher education, academic research and graduate school were things that I had never considered seriously before I was encouraged to pursue undergraduate research. My first research experience was in the School of Biological Sciences in 2021. I began with a SPUR internship in Dr. William Anderegg’s lab, assistin –then Ph.D candidate– Dr. Kelly Kerr with a project examining drought tolerance and genetics in quaking aspen. This opportunity allowed me to refine my interests and guided me to the geography department, where I eventually found Dr. Mitchell Power’s lab at the Natural History Museum of Utah and began working on a dendrochronology project with Dr. William Gray.

Since my initial introduction to research, I’ve completed over five semesters of research and participated in several projects that are well aligned with my interests in dendroclimatology and paleoecology. I’ve also been granted opportunities to network with faculty and professionals from outside of the University of Utah, which included my participation in the North American Dendro-Ecological Fieldweek. At this learning experience, I worked in a team of seven to examine climate response of high-elevation Jeffrey Pine in North Lake Tahoe, which is a project that we have since continued refining and plan on publishing.

My experiences in undergraduate research have required me to think critically and solve problems that don’t have much scientific precedent, which has expanded my ability to face challenges creatively and has drastically improved my self-confidence in academic and professional settings. This experience never would have been possible without the generous funding and support I’ve received from the Office of Undergraduate Research and the Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy. I am endlessly grateful for the support I have received and for the guidance and expertise of my mentors through what has been the most transformative piece of my undergraduate experience.