Dybal a participant in Monmouth College's Kieft Summer Research Program
Monmouth, Ill. (07/30/2021) — Amanda Dybal, a senior from Apex, North Carolina, was one of 12 Monmouth College students to participate in the school's Kieft Summer Research Program.
An intensive eight-week experience that gives students excellent preparation for graduate or professional school, the program was created after the College received an estate gift of $2.3 million from beloved chemistry professor Richard "Doc" Kieft, who died in 2009.
The title of Dybal's project was "Investigating the Microbial Makeup of Soil."
Microbes in soil can essentially determine the health of the environment and growth of the plants that live in the ecosystem. The environment of soil can be studied to isolate the DNA and analyze the bacteria. The goal of Dybal's project is to identify specific bacteria in the microbiome that can increase the health of the environment in the soil. Contrasting different soil samples, different bacteria can be analyzed to make conclusions on the health of the environment.
Monmouth has used Kieft's gift to fund several elements that the late professor believed were essential: attracting strong science students to Monmouth through scholarships; providing them robust research opportunities once they matriculated; and facilitating their travel to regional and national conferences where they could present their research.
"All of this research time is invaluable to a student's education," said Monmouth chemistry Audra Goach. "Doc Kieft knew how important this experience was for our students and we are grateful for him every day."
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