ODNR Awards Collegiate Geologic Research Grants

Three Ohio students chosen for earth science projects

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Geological Survey has awarded research grants to three earth science students at Ohio colleges and universities.

The grant recipients are Abigale O’Connor (Miami University), Daniel Gunther (Denison University), and Clare Helmer (Kent State University). Each student will receive $2,500 to support their research projects.

O’Connor, a graduate student, is researching historic floodplain deposits in the Four Mile Creek Valley in southwestern Ohio and will produce a surficial geologic map of the study area.

Gunther, an undergraduate student, is studying how uprooted trees on forested hillsides affect sediment transport. Data from this study can be used to better understand how human activities, such as agriculture, affect soil erosion when compared with natural processes.

Helmer, a graduate student, will gather sediment and water data from the Western Basin of Lake Erie to assess the relationship between the decay of blue-green algae and the release of methane gas into the atmosphere

In its seventh academic year, the Ohio Geology Student Research Grant program supports graduate and undergraduate students conducting important geologic research in the state.

Each grantee is selected based on the quality of their application, the strength of their professor’s letter of reference and the relevancy of the proposed research.

To learn more about the grant program, including a list of past winners, visit the Division website.

ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov