8 Vixens Complete Honors Summer Research Projects

Eight rising juniors and seniors dove deeper into an area of interest for eight weeks of the summer as a part of the Honors Summer Research Program (HSRP). A component of Sweet Briar’s Honors Program, HSRP offers its participants a chance to work closely with a faculty sponsor during intense study of a topic specific to their academic pursuits, often preparing them for future research or publishing opportunities. Throughout their concentrated courses, students also foster critical thinking skills, cross-disciplinary curiosity, and analytical and creative rigor while accessing advanced research resources.

This summer’s cohort took on topics ranging from examining different types of grain boundaries with computational software to collecting local water samples to determine the level of microplastic pollution. The eight presentations included:

Liza Dareing ’25 researches cyanobacteria growth and water quality in freshwater systems.Liza Dareing ’25 researched cyanobacteria, a blue-green algae, and which environmental factors increased bacteria growth and decreased water quality. Throughout her research, Liza worked with her faculty sponsor, Dr. Lili Lei, to test seven treatment groups of water and soil samples taken on campus. Each group had different combinations of nitrogen, phosphorus and leachate added, with the samples treated with phosphate producing the most bacteria growth and a combination of phosphate and nitrate seeing the biggest decrease in water quality over the two-week observation period. Liza hopes to eventually continue her research at the graduate school level, specifically looking at environmental pollutants and finding ways to clean and prevent those pollutants from entering waterways and impacting the overall health of the environment.

Ainsley Darling ’26 checks her spotted lanternfly traps. Ainsley John Darling ’26 surveyed host species of Lycorma delicatula, commonly known as spotted lanternfly (SLF). She also tested new techniques for trapping them while minimizing bycatch, the inadvertent capture of unintended species. SLF is an invasive species which poses growing environmental, agricultural and economic threats in the eastern U.S. Throughout the eight-week program, Ainsley John tracked and cataloged concentrations of lanternflies on different trees and other plant species around campus. She designed and built two trap designs, both of which were more effective on campus than established trap models. The College currently has a grant from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to remove Ailanthus altissima, commonly known as Tree of Heaven and preferred host of SLF, from campus and help decrease its spread. Ainsley John worked under the mentorship of Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Agriculture and Director of the Center for Human and Environmental Sustainability Dr. Lisa Powell, and they collaborated closely with Jules Griffin Amanita, spotted lanternfly field supervisor for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Emma Evans ’26 studies various water sources for microplastics. Emma Evans ’26 studied the levels of microplastic content in tap water in Amherst County, Va. to fill a gap in pre-existing research. She performed an extensive analysis which included collecting water samples from six local sites, isolating microplastic particles and counting them using a microscope. So far, her research has found higher microplastic levels in river water compared to filtered well and tap water. In addition to her findings, Emma was able to log many hours in a lab setting, learn how to use different kinds of equipment, practice lab safety and strengthen her research and writing skills under the supervision of Dr. Lili Lei. She was also able to get to know and create connections with members of the Amherst community who expressed interest in learning more about her research and its results.

Abigail Huling ’25 participates in an archeological dig in Albania. Abigail Huling ’25 performed an analysis of Matohasanaj, Albania in relation to Hellenistic Greece and Ancient Rome. Along with Assistant Professor of Archaeology & Ancient Studies Dr. Erin Pitt and fellow student Chloe Burchett ’26, Abigail was a part of the first-ever excavation of Matohasanaj. Abigail’s goals included exploring the site and its chronology, tangibly dating the site’s remaining structures, and recovering enough physical evidence to begin understanding how the site was utilized while it was still functioning. During the archeological excavation in Albania, the team explored ruins and uncovered artifacts such as coins, ceramics and metal, as well as the remains of a building’s foundation.

Ariel Hullender ’25 studies fungicide and its impact on common milkweed. Ariel Hullender ’25 spent her eight weeks in the course studying azoxystrobin, a broad spectrum fungicide, and its effect on milkweed, the host plant for migrating monarch butterflies. Ariel started growing milkweed in February in the Guion greenhouse and recently introduced the fungicide to half of the plants to measure its impact on their growth. Working alongside Dr. Megan Kobiela, assistant professor of biology, Ariel hopes to provide the field a better understanding of whether azoxystrobin is harmful to monarchs to help protect the species, which is experiencing a decrease in population due to many factors in the wild. She hopes to share her findings in a future research paper.

Lara Jost ’25 presents her project, “Predicting Grain Boundaries of Fe-Cr-C Alloys Using Density Functional Theory.” Lara Jost’s ’25 project, “Predicting Grain Boundaries of Fe-Cr-C Alloys Using Density Functional Theory,” was guided by faculty sponsor and Assistant Professor of Engineering Dr. Bryan Kuhr. Her eight weeks were spent tackling the steep learning curve of using the computational software that she then used to start examining what types of grain boundaries have positive and negative effects on materials such as steel. In addition to gaining experience in both the worlds of math and science, Lara also strengthened her organizational skills and academic independence through the program.

Julianna McIntyre ’25 studies the impacts of salt in monarch butterflies' diets. For Julianna McIntyre’s ’25 project, she studied how the salt content of monarch butterflies’ diet influences their genetic expression in stress-sensitive genes. The concept stemmed from Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Megan Kobiela, who served as Julianna’s faculty sponsor and did her Ph.D. dissertation on this topic. Thus far, Julianna identified six genes that may be sensitive to salt in the butterflies and created primers using the National Center for Biotechnology Information database that will be used in her analysis. A biology major, she hopes to continue this research following the replacement of important equipment and eventually pursue a Ph.D. in entomology.

Elizabeth Wells ’26 attaches a an ultrasonic smart meter to a campus pipe. Inspired by a water leak on campus in 2022, Elizabeth Wells’ ’26 project hit close to home as she examined Sweet Briar’s pipes and water flow. She partnered with the Physical Plant and Director of the Engineering Program Dr. Jon Bender to develop a system of non-intrusive water flow rate measuring devices to act as both an early-warning leak detection method and a way to monitor water usage in real time across multiple parts of the campus. So far, Elizabeth’s research has resulted in the installation of an ultrasonic smart meter, which will measure and record instantaneous usage of the main campus and faculty housing areas while detecting when Amherst County is resupplying Sweet Briar’s water tank. Elizabeth’s research builds upon a previous capstone project by Marla Moock ’23 and Belle Williams ’23. She hopes to further partner with Amherst County on ways to better track water usage to help prevent significant future leaks that could impact entire communities.

Learn more about the Honor Program by visiting www.sbc.edu/honors-program.