Summer Research at Virginia Tech
Ms. Mayanni McCourty ‘19 (Earth and Environmental Sciences) participated in the Multicultural Academic Opportunities Program (MAOP) at the Virginia Tech Undergraduate Summer Research Internship in Blacksburg, Virginia in summer 2016. She was among 46 college students from throughout the U.S. selected to participate in this prestigious program. Mentored by a professor in Virginia Tech's Crop and Soil Environmental Science Department, McCourty investigated the effects of the incorporation and tillage on cover decomposition and soil respiration.
“Not only was I given the opportunity to conduct research, but I also attended weekly GRE classes and skills-building seminars,” says McCourty. She spent 40 hours a week conducting research in both the field and the lab. At the end of the program, she presented her research at Virginia Tech's Undergraduate Research Symposium and the Multicultural Academic Opportunities Program's Undergraduate Research Symposium.
McCourty explains that “overall, my research experience was amazing and has influenced me to further my education by attending graduate school in the field of environmental science. I would love to share my experience with others by encouraging them to participate in an undergraduate research program or internship.”