The Office of Student Research is proud to feature Jammie Mcmurtry in this week’s “Scholar Story”.

Jammie Mcmurtry is a junior at Longwood University. She is majoring in Chemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry. Jammie started her research project with her faculty mentor, Dr. Sarah Porter, in fall 2022 when she participated in the Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program. Currently, she is continuing her research as she works on her Longwood Senior Thesis project. Jammie’s research involves analyzing water from the Chesapeake Bay to determine the extent of petroleum pollution as well as exploring bioremediation to help alleviate that pollution. Jammie became involved in independent research because she wanted to learn how to develop her own research question and plan how to execute a solution to that question.

Jammie says that participating in this independent research project had a positive impact on her because “I am a very big advocate for women in STEM and participating in research has given me more of a platform to show women that we deserve to take up space in science. In doing my own research I have been able to not only talk about my ongoing research to others but show people through my different social media platforms how important undergraduate research is as well.”

One important lesson Jammie learned while doing research was that “there is no correct answer in science. Sometimes the answer we are after is not the one we end up obtaining. As a researcher you have to be ready for the unexpected and use problem solving techniques to overcome any obstacles thrown your way.”

Jammie will present her research at the American Chemical Society conference in Indianapolis this upcoming March as well as the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Wisconsin in April. She was also accepted into the Students Transforming through Research program, a new program offered through the Council of Undergraduate Research, which highlights the importance of undergraduate research.

After graduation, Jammie plans to attend graduate school to earn a Ph.D. in bioanalytical chemistry.

Congratulations to Jammie on her successful research!

If you would like to have your research featured in a “Scholar Story”, or if you would like to learn more about getting involved in research at Longwood University, please visit Longwood’s Office of Student Research website http://www.longwood.edu/office-of-student-research/

or contact Amorette Barber, Director of the Office of Student Research (osr@longwood.edu or barberar@longwood.edu)