King William native researches animal behavior at Mountain Lake Biological Station through University of Richmond summer fellowship

Kayla Sherman, ’16, of King William, spent her summer conducting research on both the eastern red-spotted newt and the European gypsy moth working in the Mountain Lake Biological Station in Pembroke through the University of Richmond’s Summer Fellowship (URSF) program.

This summer, hundreds of UR students are completing summer fellowships through The Richmond Guarantee, a University promise to provide access to fellowship funding for one summer research or internship experience for all traditional undergraduate students.

Under the guidance of Kristine Grayson, an assistant professor of biology at UR, Sherman, a biology major and environmental studies minor, researched migration patterns and habitats of the newts and conducted experiments related to the growth of the moths.

Sherman, a self-described outdoor lover, plans to pursue a career working with animals.

“This research fits great into my future plans because I get to work with animals and it is mostly field work and less lab work,” Sherman said. “I am interested in conservation and animal behavior, and this opportunity is a step in the right direction.”

Sherman says one of the best parts of this research experience was meeting other student researchers and professors. She describes this opportunity as educational and fun.

“I think the URSF program is amazing, and I am very grateful that UR provides us with so much opportunity to conduct research,” she said.

To learn more about The Richmond Guarantee and other UR students benefitting from this program, visit www.richmond.edu/guarantee.

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