Bethany Hunt '11

Major: Life Science/General Biology

Bethany took her Otterbein education to the field this summer, participating in the Buckeye Lady Beetle Blitz research program through the Ohio State University entomology department.

Over a 10-week period, Bethany conducted her research at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster, Ohio. She analyzed lady beetle samples collected from citizen volunteers across the state to determine which habitats favor native lady beetles in order to better promote their conservation, she said.

Take it to the next level: "Doing my own research was a totally new experience. I really had to think about what I was doing, what I wanted to find out, how I should analyze my data, and how I wanted to present my work," she said. Bethany said the opportunity to put her classroom knowledge into practice was invaluable. "Now I have practical experience that has given me a taste of what scientific research is all about and how it is done. This experience will strengthen my resume and puts me in a good position for graduate school."

Not only is Bethany using her research as the basis for her senior project and honors thesis, she is working to publish her findings. "I'm also quite sure I'm in the right major at Otterbein and that I want to pursue a Ph.D. in entomology right after graduation," she said.