Celebrate Learning! Spring 2011 (Volume 2, Issue 1)

Celebrate Learning!
Office of Academic Affairs
Spring 2011

Undergraduate Research
Experiences in ConservaInside this issue:
Undergraduate

tion Biology
1

Research
Experiences in

By Patty Smith
Since 2007, seventeen under-

Conservation

Volume 2, Issue 1

birds, and 7 mammals). Recent dendrochronology (tree-ring dating) of
post and chinquapin oaks suggests
many of these trees are over 100
years old and one chinquapin oak is
over 200 years old. Also, seven plant
fossils of ancient tree ferns collected

graduate research students investi-

Teaching Hope

Choosing Shoes that 4
Fit

Toward a Better
Shore:
Achieving the
Dream at TCC

6

A Word from the

10

Rick Lupia, Curator of Paleobotany at

Cross Timbers located on West Cam-

the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of

pus. This research is funded through

Natural History. The tree fern fronds,

several Faculty Innovation Grants

Pecopteris, are approximately 305
million years old from the Pennsylva-

Professor of Biology. The Cross Tim-

nian (Upper Carboniferous) sedimentary rock layers.

tions or documentations of the fol-

Future Cross Timbers research

10

lowing: 240 plants, 7 plant fossils, 60

includes the long-term survey of bio-

fungi, 36 invertebrates, and 29 ver-

State Regents
Program/Discipline

gated the biodiversity of the ancient

bers biosurvey includes field collec-

2

and identified are confirmed by Dr.

received by Patty B. Smith, Assistant

Biology

diversity ─ plants, animals, and fungi;

tebrates (2 amphibians, 4 reptiles, 16

further documentation of vertebrates

Goals for Student
Learning Effectiveness—Thanks!

Pecopteris, tree fern frond, from Pennsylvanian (~ 305 mya)