从他光着脚踩在沙滩上的那一刻起, it’s easy to differentiate Noah Kolander from the other college students that arrive for a day of fun in the sun. If his easy-going smile and casual dress don’t set him apart, 橙色水桶塔, 一堆铲子, and bags of miscellaneous gear that he’s unloading from a rental van certainly do.
These tools (paid for by a $500 undergraduate research grant awarded to Noah through a national scientific honors society called Beta Beta Beta) and a group of dedicated volunteers have been instrumental in helping Noah continue his research into the anecdotal decline of Pismo Clams in Newport Beach.
据诺亚说, these clams were once a significant food source for people living in the region, and their near disappearance is important to identify and understand.
改变方向
在沙滩上挖蛤蜊, and presenting his results before esteemed panels and professors, is a far cry from what Noah thought he’d be doing when he enrolled 在欧文的康考迪亚大学 three years ago.
Spending his summers on dairy farms and horse ranches, Noah envisioned a career as a large animal veterinarian. However, on his first day at Concordia, his plans changed.
难得的机会
当我在第一堂生物课上坐下来的时候. Sean 贝格美 asked for volunteers to help run a marine laboratory that had just opened on campus. 我没有想太多，但我还是报名了. 有很多其他感兴趣的学生, as a freshman I imagined I wouldn’t have much of an opportunity.
A few weeks later, Noah quickly became a growing fixture in the lab. 他发现自己在实验室里, 午夜之后, dreaming of ways to organize the work and streamline its processes.
“我怎么也喝不够. By the start of my sophomore year I was managing the lab outreach programs and all of the other student volunteers.”
Home to more than 50 species ranging from jellyfish to sharks, 康考迪亚海洋实验室 在短短几年内迅速增长. Realizing this type of ground floor opportunity isn’t available to undergraduate students at many other academic institutions, Noah is grateful to have been a part of such a formative experience. He credits the lab for igniting his passion for marine biology and directing him towards an unexpected and exciting career path.
He credits the lab for igniting his passion for marine biology and directing him towards an unexpected and exciting career path.
独特的关系
As Noah’s involvement with the Marine Lab developed, so did his relationship with Dr. 贝格美. 在比格纳米的指导下, Noah collaborated with a researcher from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on the clam study and began to attend conferences and academic showcases where he could present the findings.
“I am continually surprised at the access I have to my professors. Their dedication to hands-on projects and the openness to new ideas is amazing. Scholarship is definitely at the forefront of the Concordia experience. I would never have dreamed that my projects would receive grants and win several awards, including first place for my oral presentation at Beta Beta Beta’s national conference this year. The opportunity to travel and represent the work we are doing alongside more than 100 other college students from across the United States was an honor in itself, but to bring home this award was more than I could have imagined.
所有这一切都是可能的，因为Dr. 贝格美. He’s a terrific mentor and has opened my mind to so many opportunities both professionally and personally. It’s a pleasure to call him my professor and my friend. One of my favorite things to do with him away from the classroom and lab is to scuba dive.”
I am continually surprised at the access I have to my professors. Their dedication to hands-on projects and the openness to new ideas is amazing. Scholarship is definitely at the forefront of the Concordia experience.
不同的利益
Beyond his passion for the Marine Lab and his research, Noah is involved in two different 肯考迪娅唱诗班. 音乐与科学的结合令人好奇, and Noah credits living on campus and small class sizes in helping him to connect with other students who have encouraged him to explore other interests.
敞开的大门
When asked about his future plans, Noah reflects on his favorite Bible verse in Genesis 1:26.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
“I love that we have been given dominion over the animals. 照顾他们是上帝赋予我们的任务. I hope to continue to study and make an impact in the world through marine research.”
I love that we have been given dominion over the animals. 照顾他们是上帝赋予我们的任务. I hope to continue to study and make an impact in the world through marine research.
诺亚正在继续他对皮斯莫蛤的研究, 整个夏天都在实验室工作, 钓鱼, 还有水肺潜水. 8月, he’ll return to Concordia for his senior year and begin to strategize about life beyond graduation.
高级学位? 继续研究? 教学? These are all possibilities on the horizon for Noah. However, at the moment, he is content with the projects at hand.
“我不确定接下来会发生什么, but more than ninety percent of the ocean is covered in darkness all the time. We’ve only just begun to explore the mysteries beneath its surface. 还有很多东西等着我们去发现.”