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Eckerd grad turns love into research opportunity

A Fulbright grant will fund Lauren Yeager's study of coral reef ecology at the Meso-American reef tract off Mexico's coast.

By LINDSAY MICHEL
Published August 6, 2006

SEMINOLE - Like many people who grow up near the Florida coast, Lauren Yeager spent most of her childhood at the beach. But sand castles and sunshine were not responsible for her insatiable desire to be near the water.

Instead, Yeager passed her time playing in the mangroves - trees or shrubs that grow in coastal habitats - hoping to learn more about the lives of the flora and fauna living beneath the sparkling saltwater surface.

"In elementary school I just decided marine science, that's what I want to do," said the 22-year-old Seminole native.

Now, as a 2006 graduate of Eckerd College, Yeager's dreams are quickly falling into place.

She, along with another Eckerd classmate, Sarah Sieloff, from Snohomish, Wash., recently received a Fulbright grant that will fund her self-designed research project on coral reef ecology at the Meso-American reef tract off the coast of Yucatan, Mexico.

The reputation of the St. Petersburg college's Marine Science Department is what drew Yeager to the school, where she earned a double major in marine ecology and Spanish - and a 4.0 GPA.

During her sophomore year, Yeager was one of 20 Eckerd students chosen to be a part of the Ford Apprentice Scholar Program, which teams up students and professors to do research for two years. Bill Szelistowski, a professor of marine ecology, was one of Yeager's first professors at Eckerd.

During the summer between her sophomore and junior years, Yeager accompanied Szelistowski to Costa Rica, where he has been conducting experiments for 20 years. This is where she became interested in studying juvenile reef fishes, after the first research topic she proposed fell through due to the area's conditions. Yeager's tenacity and independence shined through during her time in Costa Rica, Szelistowski said.

"Basically I just had to get out of her way and let her get her work done," he said, adding that most undergraduates require more guidance during the field research trips.

This year Yeager will live with a host family, just as she did in Costa Rica, but she will conduct her research on the different nursery habitats of juvenile fishes with even more autonomy.

"Marine ecology, it's where my heart's at," Yeager said.

Twelve Eckerd graduates have received Fulbright awards - six of whom earned diplomas within the past five years. This is the first year that two Eckerd students were given the prestigious grants simultaneously.

Sieloff will use her funds to teach English as a second language for six months in Bangkok, Thailand. At Eckerd she earned a double major in international relations and global affairs and Spanish, and a triple minor in biology, mathematics, and women's and gender studies.

Eckerd students have been successful in Fulbright competitions because of the school's commitment to undergraduate research and an international education, said Lloyd Chapin, dean of faculty and vice president of academic affairs at Eckerd. The Fulbright Program sends American students, teachers and other professionals to study, teach or conduct research abroad. Anyone with a bachelor's degree may apply.

Previous experience overseas is very important for Fulbright participants because they must understand and overcome the constraints of living and working in a foreign country.

"For those that have lived abroad and felt the daily struggles that can arise, we know well that a person genuinely apt to smile, desiring of cultural exploration and patience with others will most likely be successful," Jeannine Lessmann, who teaches marine botany and serves as the Fulbright Program adviser at Eckerd, said in an e-mail from Denmark, where she was a 1998 Fulbright participant.

Sieloff also did research overseas in Nicaragua as an undergraduate. Although many college students travel abroad, very few conduct their own research, Lessmann said.

"We're tremendously proud of these two winners, and we hope that we'll be able to continue to sustain our record of success," Chapin said.

Nationally recognized awards are a great way for small schools like Eckerd, which has an enrollment of 1,750, to get its name out and to increase interest throughout the country.

"I think it is important to us because we are a relatively small institution, and our reputation depends on the public recognition," Chapin said.

But, more important, the grant will have a lasting effect on Yeager's understanding of the world, Lessmann said.

"It has a deeply profound effect on one's life and person, and no matter where you go or what project you do, your life is changed forever," Lessmann said.

Lindsay Michel can be reached at lmichel@sptimes.com or 727893-8333.

[Last modified August 5, 2006, 21:20:36]