SELINSGROVE-Courtney Conrad, of Coal Township, is spending the summer studying sea urchin development at Susquehanna University.
Conrad's research involves administering thalidomide to the sperm of sea urchins before fertilization to see whether it affects the development of the zygote. She is working with Jan Reichard-Brown, associate professor of biology.
Conrad, a biology major, will be a senior in the fall. She is a 2009 graduate of Shamokin Area High School and is the daughter of Sandra and Jeffrey Conrad.
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.