Nine University of Nebraska–Lincoln students are recipients of Undergraduate Experiential Learning Projects grants offered by the Center for Transformative Teaching.
Individual grants will be awarded to Bennett Grappone, Chloe Schock, Steven Faltas, Claire Kubicek, Karissa Boesiger and Bailey Jones, and one grant will be awarded to a group of students — Rachel Heyne, Katherine Ingebretsen and Molly Nowak.
Grappone, a senior microbiology and insect science major, will document all species of caddisflies (insects in the order Trichoptera) that occur in Nebraska, including areas that are currently under-sampled.
“I have always been very interested in insect biodiversity, and Nebraska provides a great opportunity for work in that field since it spans such a wide range of biomes, from Sandhills in the west to forests in the east,” Grappone said. “When I saw the funding opportunity, I figured Trichoptera would be a great group to work on.”
The grant was created and offered for the first time this year, with up to $1,000 going to support travel for field studies, conferences and research; hosting a conference or seminar; or personal development through memberships, organizations or educational resources.
“The CTT is keen to more directly work with and support students and, given UNL’s strategic commitment to experiential learning, we thought there was no better time than now to launch these grants,” said Nick Monk, director of the Center for Transformative Teaching. “The more we can build a sense in students that they are an integral part of a larger research and teaching and learning mission here at UNL, the better for student success.”
About half of the students will use the funding to attend conferences, and the other half will use it to further research in their respective majors. Students who fall into the latter category will also have a faculty mentor to help guide the process.
“I think this grant provides a very important opportunity for performing the kind of field work I hope to do in the future as an entomologist,” Grappone said.
At the end of the student’s experiential learning projects, each will be required to provide a summary focusing on outcomes and lessons learned.
Funding opportunities are offered once a year through the Center for Transformative Teaching. To learn more, visit the CTT website.
