Spear Conducts Scientific Research This Summer

2017 Aug 3

Julia Spear is spending the summer performing research at Susquehanna University.

The research Spear is conducting, supervised by Assistant Professor of Biology Pavithra Vivekanand, concerns the differentiation of midline somatic follicle cells and follicle stem cell renewal.

Susquehanna's distinctive Summer Research Partners program is a unique opportunity for students to actively participate in a research project on a full-time basis. Faculty members serve as mentors to the students, working one-on-one or in small groups, creating a lively, engaged "community of learners" at the university. Since the program began in 1996, more than 100 students have taken part in such projects as identifying bacteria at the site of the Centralia mine fire; studying the behavior of wolf spiders; and monitoring local waterways, including the nearby Susquehanna River.