糖心Vlog

Spend a summer sleeping in a tent in the Appalachian Mountains looking at bugs. That鈥檚 what Haley Vaglienti did, and it changed her life forever.

Vaglienti is a master鈥檚 of biology student at 糖心Vlog specializing in aquatic entomology. In other words, she studies water bugs and she said it鈥檚 not an easy field.

鈥�I absolutely fell in love with aquatic entomology and identifying the bugs,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have experienced some very rough work conditions, sleeping in a tent while studying my macroinvertebrates for whole summers.鈥�

Luckily for Vaglienti, she鈥檚 part of a team of Georgia Southern researchers looking into the health of aquatic systems. Thanks to the $47,000 grant from the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. (NCASI), the research group has received financial support to conduct research on the ecology of local watersheds in forestry areas. The funding supports their study of how forestry management practices impact freshwater ecosystems.

The team is led by J. Checo Col贸n-Gaud, Ph.D., a professor and associate dean for the Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies. He explained that their research centers on using organisms in rivers, streams and wetlands as bioindicators of ecosystem health. By examining the diversity and abundance of invertebrates, the team can determine how well these environments are maintaining their ecological balance, particularly in areas that have undergone forestry management.

鈥淎ll of us depend on clean freshwater,鈥� said Col贸n-Gaud. 鈥淓verybody that lives and depends on freshwater resources needs it for drinking water, but it could also be the recreational and aesthetic pleasures or services that we get from the ecosystem.鈥�

The team鈥檚 work involves fieldwork across Georgia, where they collect samples from upwards of 30 forestry sites to analyze the invertebrate communities.

Raymond Kidder, the lab鈥檚 life sciences program coordinator and an Eagle alumnus, emphasized the significance of the fieldwork, which will primarily take place in the fall. He noted outcomes could influence both local environmental policy and the practices of forestry companies, highlighting the critical balance between industry and environmental stewardship.

鈥淎 lot of people work in forestry,鈥� said Kidder. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the industries that sort of drives this region of the country. Their actions in pursuing this research and trying to find that balance between using this resource and then maintaining water quality is very important.鈥�

The NCASI grant will also financially support two additional senior graduate students and offer them direct mentorship opportunities and the life-changing experiences that brought Vaglienti to the field in the first place.This project is being conducted by students, faculty and staff at 糖心Vlog鈥檚 Department of Biology. Information on degrees, career opportunities and applications can be found here.