Student Spotlight: Maggie Gibson
Maggie Gibson is a senior pursuing her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences. A dedicated student, Maggie's passion for marine and wildlife biology has driven her academic journey, including her research experiences with the US Geological Survey (USGS), where she contributed to the study of sea otters in Alaska by collecting teeth for cementum analysis. Additionally, Maggie volunteers with Alaska Veterinary Pathology Services, an opportunity that has provided her with hands-on experience in wildlife necropsies. Maggie is excited to further her contributions to the field of biological sciences and make a positive impact on the conservation of wildlife ecosystems.
Meggie sat down with us to discuss her research experiences with USGS, her outside of the classroom experiences, and advice for students looking to pursue undergraduate research.
Can you share a little bit about your research experience with USGS? How did you get connected to the opportunity? What was your research? How long were you working on that research?
“The partnership with the USGS was through a program called AKUNiTE, where they selected 19 undergraduate students to be partnered up with researchers in the community. My part in the project was to clean/process sea otter skulls that had been collected and remove their premolar (if available) to be sent to the lab for aging. For each skull, the people who had collected them would place a slip of water-resistant paper recording the coordinates where it was recovered, the date, location, and give the skull a specific identification number that was unique to each one. Once the tooth was extracted, we would begin the cleaning process. Often these skulls were sitting in a black trash bag for extended periods of time and required multiple rounds of cleaning. After we finished extracting the teeth and cleaning the skulls, we would place each skull in a brown paper bag to be sent to the Museum of the North in Fairbanks for donation.
The last component that I had a piece in was transferring the information that was on the slips (date, location, ID number) to a master excel sheet for the USGS to keep track of. Given my experience in the dental field, my skills were also utilized to update the manual that was given to volunteers/students when they began cleaning the sea otter skulls.”
Outside of the classroom, what are your interests (academically and professionally)?
“Outside of the classroom, I work as a board-certified dental assistant at Southcentral Foundation. My fundamental areas of focus are emergency/urgent dental care, adult special needs, and traveling to the villages in Alaska. All these areas are close to my heart, as it is rewarding to get people out of pain and to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. It also allows me to see parts of Alaska that most people have not seen. Besides my day-to-day job, I volunteer as a dental assistant with Rural Area Medical one weekend a year to provide free dental care to underserved and uninsured populations in Anchorage.
In addition to the dental work I do, I am also an on-call volunteer with the Alaska Veterinary Pathology Services (AVPS). Part of my role is when they receive a call about an animal that requires their services, they send out a mass email requesting volunteers to assist with the necropsy process. These requests are frequently for volunteers during the normal work week (Monday-Friday) with an occasional weekend request sprinkled in. When I am available to assist them, I help with recording details during the necropsy, isolating/weighing/processing tissue samples, and cleaning of the workspace.”
What would you say to a student looking to get involved in research here at UAA?
“My first recommendation would be to investigate the undergraduate research and scholarship (URS) courses available through UAA. These courses provide some of the skills needed for research and connect you with other students who are interested in the field. Besides contacting academic and faculty advisors, I would also recommend searching on the UAA website and reading about different research projects that UAA professors are working on. If there is a project that someone is working on that you are interested in, email them! You do not know what opportunities are available unless you contact people.”
What would you say to a prospective student considering UAA?
“UAA has a vast number of opportunities available for students. I have made it this far in my academic career while working full-time because of the number of resources available. As a student at UAA, I am also eligible to enroll in courses that are in the same university system, such as Kenai Peninsula College and University of Alaska Southeast. Having multiple campuses available allows me to have the flexibility that I need to continue working.”
Thank you Maggie, for your time. Good luck on all your future endeavors.