Saint Anselm student Katherine Jordan, of Ellsworth, receives research grant

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Katherine Jordan of Ellsworth was chosen for a research grant to study sea slugs at Saint Anselm College

MANCHESTER, NH (12/16/2013)(readMedia)-- Saint Anselm College senior Katherine Jordan of Ellsworth, Maine, has been chosen to receive a research grant to continue studying the skeletal structures of sea slugs. Through the New Hampshire Idea Networking of Biomedical Research Excellence (NH-INBRE) grant, the biology major uses state-of-the-art equipment at Saint Anselm College and Dartmouth Medical Center.

In her research Jordan uses a CT scanner to see the skeletal structures of various species of nudibranchs, or sea slugs, in order to properly understand their phylogeny and their physiology. This study helps understand how basal species' morphology can influence later species morphology. She began her work at the beginning of her senior year and works closely with Dr. Brian Penney, the chair of the Biology department at Saint Anselm whose work focuses on invertebrate ecology.

"Dr. Penney is extremely knowledgeable and helps us understand what exactly we are looking at along with presenting to us new findings in the field," says Jordan.

At Dartmouth Medical Center Jordan takes the scanned CT images of the sea slugs and analyzes them with special programs on her computer. The information she receives from her research is logged in her lab notebook and reported back to Dr. Penney.

"We are given a lot of independence and responsibility, and with it I have personally learned how to be very thorough in my observations and keep a record of everything I do."

Jordan is one of eleven students to receive an INBRE grant at Saint Anselm. She says the experience has given her valuable insight and made her a better scientist.

"It has been very helpful working with a faculty member so closely and in doing so I have learned how to time manage and plan accordingly."

Jordan is spending the rest of her senior year doing research and applying to graduate schools. She hopes to eventually earn her PhD and work with bones and phylogeny in a museum setting or do research and get published.

"I am planning on doing something with paleontology in the future which really has nothing to do with sea slugs but nevertheless I enjoy working with organisms, their skeletons, and seeing how species relate to one another."

The INBRE grant is intended to strengthen biomedical research experiences for students at undergraduate colleges by partnering them with faculty who specialize in the field of the student's interest.

Saint Anselm College is a Catholic, Benedictine liberal arts college located in Manchester, N.H.