Student Researchers Present on Capitol Hill

photo 2Jocelyn Levis ’13 and Jamie Moran ’15 were two members of one of the 60 undergraduate research teams selected to meet with legislators on Capitol Hill and present their work at the 17th annual Posters on the Hill event sponsored by the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). More than 800 student applications were received for the opportunity to connect with policymakers and help members of Congress understand the importance of undergraduate research by talking directly with the students whom these programs impact.

Both students have been working for the last year on a mapping project of the bedrock surface of Northwestern PA with Associate Professor of Geology Rachel O’Brien. Results of the mapping project have important implications for the mapping and protection of freshwater aquifer systems in northwestern Pennsylvania. The project will also provide drillers with information on casing wells in order to prevent oil and gas from leaking into drinking water.

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Moran and Levis met with three representatives of PA and Crawford County and attended a reception with other congressmen to present a poster of their project.
“It’s been a great, rewarding experience working on this project and I would encourage all Allegheny students to participate in research with a professor,” Levis said.