Supporting Students to Learn Through Research
A chance to study sea urchins at the coast gave one UC Davis student a whole new way to learn – and a new perspective on research.
As an undergraduate in the Department of Environmental Toxicology, Kai Honda Scully studied how PCBs, long-lasting industrial chemicals, can disrupt sea urchin development. The Environmental Toxicology Student Support Fund made it possible for them to conduct this research at the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory, which opened the door to pursuing a doctoral degree.
“My time in Bodega Bay was only a possibility due to a scholarship from the Environmental Toxicology program,” Honda Scully said. “Without it, I wouldn’t be able to afford housing and would have needed to pass on this life-changing opportunity. I will always be grateful for my time in Bodega Bay, and when I eventually earn my doctorate, I will look back on this experience as the mechanism that set my career in motion.”
“The ability to work directly with marine organisms in their natural setting, apply laboratory techniques to field-driven questions and be fully immersed in research is an experience that transforms students into scientists,” said Christina Pasparakis, assistant professor with the Department of Environmental Toxicology.
Honda Scully is one of many students who have benefited from this growing philanthropic support. The fund, which is primarily supported by small donations on Give Day and other annual giving campaigns, provides support for paid research positions, giving undergrads the chance to earn a paycheck while enriching their education. Nearly every environmental toxicology lab has students working alongside faculty and researchers, where they can put what they learn in their courses into practice.
“Learning by doing is the most valuable thing that a student can get from an education,” said Andrew Whitehead, chair and professor with the Department of Environmental Toxicology. “When I talk to alumni from our program, a lot of them point to their experience in a research lab as being formative and life changing.”
Environmental toxicology explores how pollutants affect people, wildlife and the environments we share. Toxicologists apply this science across public health, government and private industry. Classroom learning builds the foundation, but hands-on research—like Honda Scully’s experience at Bodega Marine Lab—shows students how that science can make a difference in the real world.
