Randolph-Macon College student Alicia Cash ’17 spent most of the summer in a beautiful park. But she wasn’t swimming or picnicking: She was conducting research on trees. The biology major and psychology minor participated in RMC’s Schapiro Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program, which offers students the opportunity to conduct 10 weeks of research under the guidance of a faculty mentor.

Cash, under the mentorship of Biology Professor Benjamin Ramage, researched The effect of varying natural light levels on the survival and density of native tree seedlings competing with invasive species.

Hiking, Tagging, Measuring
In Richmond’s Bryan Park, Cash and Ramage hiked to predesignated plots, where Cash took measurements of native seedlings using a digital plant canopy imager, which measures the photosynthetic active radiation and takes a picture of the plant canopy.

“The imager calculates how much of the canopy is open sky, the average leaf area, and how the photosynthetic active radiation affects leaf area index,” explains Cash. Afterward, she took measurements of tree seedlings, recording the species, its height, whether it had been tagged, and whether there was any evidence of browse (animals feeding on the trees). After compiling the data—from roughly 275 trees—she compared it to data collected in 2014 by Isabel Mangana ’16 and Kali Carroll ’17.

“I wanted to determine if the amount of light that passed through the canopies affected the amount of invasive plant cover or native seedling growth,” she says. “I also wanted to know if there is a correlation between invasive plant cover and native seedling growth and survival.” What she discovered is that there were negative correlations between the amount of open sky in 2014 and the change in the number of seedlings and total invasive plant cover in each plot from 2014 to 2016.

Mentorship
Cash, a member of RMC’s Honors program, says mentorship is an integral part of the SURF experience.

“I could not have completed this project without Professor Ramage,” she says. “We met every day and worked side by side. A lot of work goes into collecting data and identifying plants. Without Professor Ramage’s help, I would probably have been covered in poison ivy! It was crucial to have a mentor who has the knowledge and experience to help me navigate through my project.”

“What has really stood out to me about Alicia is her work ethic,” says Ramage. “Never satisfied with a shortcut (or even a half day of work!), she constantly wanted a challenge, and I often found myself trying to keep up with her. On numerous occasions, I suggested a complicated approach to a particular problem, figuring it would take a few days, and was shocked to find her looking for more work just a few hours later. Alicia has been a great SURF student, and given her drive to be productive, I’m sure she will be highly successful well beyond RMC.”

Eye-opening Insight
Cash says the SURF program offered her an eye-opening insight into the world of research.

“Now I realize that research is not always easy or successful,” she says. “Research is a lot of hard work and at the end of the day your results may vary. Sometimes you encounter roadblocks and you have to start over or change direction. SURF showed me that when things go wrong you cannot give up. You have to keep trying, because eventually you may find something significant.”

Future Plans, Countless Opportunities
A member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, Cash is setting her sights on a career in nursing.

“I’ll pursue my RN and BSN at the Accelerated Nursing School at VCU in conjunction with RMC’s Guaranteed Admissions Agreement,” she says. The agreement guarantees admission into the Accelerated Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing program at VCU to qualified students who have completed a bachelor’s degree and the Honors program requirements at Randolph-Macon College.

Cash’s favorite part of being a Yellow Jacket is that Randolph-Macon provides students countless opportunities.

“Each day, students are encouraged to expand their horizons through a wide variety of classes, study abroad opportunities, research fellowships, and professors who take the time to get to know their students,” she says.

Generous Donors
The SURF program was established in 1995 through a generous gift made by Ben ’64 and Peggy Schapiro. The Schapiros continue to support this program, which promotes scholarly undergraduate research by RMC students in all disciplines.