Talon’ted Undergraduate Researcher - Lexi Bailey
KENNESAW, Ga. | Feb. 6, 2024
Lexi Bailey is a senior undergraduate student working on her bachelor’s degree in biology. Bailey was chosen for the Summer Undergraduate Research Program where she worked with Dr. Todd Pierson on his research with green salamanders.
Bailey is currently working on a study in Dr. Troy Mutchler’s lab involving invertebrates living on native and invasive seagrasses in Puerto Rico.
Q: What is your hometown in high school?
A: I’m from Woodstock, GA and I went to River Ridge High School.
Q: What is your major in class year?
A: I am a biology major with a focus in ecology, evolution and organismal biology. I’m currently a senior and I’ll be graduating next spring if all goes well!
Q: What motivated you to pursue your specific degree?
A: I knew that I had a passion for nature and wildlife, so going into a biology degree seemed to be the right pathway for me. I knew that I wanted a job that involved working outside and/or working with flora and fauna. I like this degree and the research I do because it combines fieldwork with lab work. Instead of only working in a lab, I get to go outside and collect the data myself, and then take it back to the lab and continue my work there. I really enjoy the combination of fieldwork and lab work in my field of study.
Q: What are you working on right now?
A: I am currently working in Dr. Mutchler’s lab looking at invertebrates on seagrass samples that were collected in Puerto Rico. The samples that were taken from Puerto Rico are taken back to the lab and I get to work on identifying the type of seagrass, counting the blades, measuring each leaf, looking at the invertebrates on each one, etc.
Q: What has been your favorite research project that you've worked on so far?
A: The Office of Undergraduate Research has this internship opportunity during the summer called the Summer Undergraduate Research Program. If you get accepted, you get to construct your own research project and they give you funding to complete the project. For my project, I worked with Green Salamanders in Northeast Georgia, which are currently considered “near threatened” on the IUCN Red List (in Georgia). I partnered with the Georgia DNR to conduct field surveys to update their data on the known populations of this species. While we were conducting these surveys, we were also actively looking for new sites that have not been officially documented by the Georgia DNR. I spent my entire summer up in north Georgia hiking, collecting data, and taking non-invasive DNA samples from the Green Salamanders that we found. I got to see so many beautiful places, including some awesome views of the Blue Ridge mountains and, surprisingly, a lot of waterfalls! I learned so much out in the field by just asking my professor questions! That’s definitely been the most fun project that I’ve worked on so far!
Q: Who were you working with at the time?
A: I was working with Dr. Pierson. He’s an assistant professor of biology here and he’s kind of known at KSU for being the “salamander guy.” I’ve worked with him for most of my research career.
Q: How long have you been working on research?
A: I didn’t get started in research until I was a sophomore in college. I was having a discussion with my advisor during my freshman year, and we were talking about what I wanted to do with my degree. After I explained what I was really interested in, he suggested that I start looking into the research that they do here at KSU. So, I figured I would start emailing professors asking if I could work with them, and Dr. Pierson emailed me back immediately. It wasn’t long before I was in a stream looking for salamanders for the first time with Dr. Pierson and my new lab mates.
Q: What is your favorite thing you've learned?
A: I’ve learned to identify a ton of species! Besides just salamanders, I can comfortably ID most snakes, reptiles, birds, invertebrates, mammals, some plants, etc. I didn’t realize how much you can pick up just by being outside and asking, “What is this?” Now I feel a sense of pride when I walk around campus and can comfortably ID most of the flora and fauna we find here in Kennesaw!
Q: Like what kind of job are you hoping to get?
A: I would love to get a job working for the US Fish and Wildlife Service or with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. I've also considered other options like a zoological facility or an aquarium. Most zoos and aquariums are part of the AZA and focus on conservation and research rather than just keeping animals in captivity. That kind of work is right up my alley! I want to do work that’s meaningful and that broadens our understanding of the world around us.
Q: What advice would you give to current students who may want to get into research?
A: Get into research right now! Even if the research isn’t exactly what you want to do, do it anyway. The more time you spend involved with research, the more opportunities you will have to learn and grow! Doing research at KSU will help you learn how to collaborate with others, build relationships with your professors, and gain other vital skills needed for joining the workforce (depending on what field you’re going into, of course). It’s also really fun, in my opinion! You get to meet a lot of cool people along the way!
— Alyssa Ozment
Photo submitted
