Monitoring Coastal Vertebrates

About the Project:

Fort De Soto is a mostly undeveloped barrier island located just a few miles from Eckerd. We are using infrared cameras to take photos and videos of animals that walk past the cameras in a variety of human dominated and more pristine habitats embedded in this coastal ecosystem. Our goal is to measure vertebrate biodiversity on open beaches, dunes, wetlands, and upland forests and then to examine how human presence influences this biodiversity. Students will be involved with camera placement, collecting SD cards, examining and categorizing images and educating the public by sharing photographs on a webpage for each location. Students will be working with Dr. Forys & Dr. Bransford on this project.

Dr. Forys is a professor in Eckerd's Environmental Studies and Biology disciplines. She is a conservation biologist interested in spatial ecology and endangered species. She teaches Environmental Biology, Conservation Biology, GIS, Research Methods and Field Ornithology.

Dr. Bransford is a professor in Eckerd's Animal Studies discipline. He is a primatologist that works with both wild and captive primates, and uses a variety of direct and remote observation methods to answer questions about primate foraging and ranging behavior, ecology, conservation biology, and the human-animal interface.

The First-Year Research Associate Program at Eckerd College honors academically outstanding students with awards of up to $1,000. The program also provides the opportunity, during the freshman year, for the award winners to work closely with a sponsor (faculty or administrative personnel) on a project of mutual interest. Associates might assist with research for faculty publication or new courses, conduct scientific experiments, work with creative artists, or develop projects related to any phase of the academic, cultural, and social life of the college. Scholars are selected on the basis of achievement in high school and on the creativity and depth of responses to items on this application.

Online submission due no later than February 1, 2025.

Email Address

First Name

Student Information

First Name

Preferred Name

Middle Name

Last Name

Birthdate

Email Address

Mailing Address

Country

Street

City

Region

Postal Code

Intended college major(s):

Possible intended career:

Name of high school:

Reference / Letter of Recommendation

A letter of recommendation is required for your First-Year Research Associateship (FRA) application. Please make sure letters of recommendation include the contact information of the writer. Letters of recommendation for the FRA can be uploaded with this application, emailed to admissions@eckerd.edu, or submitted via mail to the address below:

Eckerd College
Office of Admission
4200 54th Ave S.
St. Petersburg, FL 33711

Would you like to use the letter recommendation provided with your application to Eckerd College for your FRA application?

Yes

If you already have a reference or letter of recommendation (.doc, or .pdf only), upload here:

Academic Performance

Unweighted GPA (4.0 max):

Class rank ______ of _____ (if applicable)

Did you apply test-optional?

Yes

Please list your SAT and/or ACT scores.

SAT Score (Critical Reading, Math, Writing)

ACT Score (Composite: Math, Science, Reading, English)

Personal Responses

For the following questions, please include detailed descriptions and/or examples in paragraph form.

Honors

Please list any significant academic honors accomplishments you have received while in high school (academic excellence awards, special recognition of any kind, etc.). Please do not list athletic awards or participation. Where appropriate, provide a brief description. If none, write N/A.

Activities

Describe any academic extracurricular activities you have participated in. Examples include: volunteer research, academic competitions, academic summer camps, volunteer work, etc. If none, write in N/A.

Short Answer

In one paragraph, describe why you would like to participate in this project for Eckerd College's First-Year Research Associate Program.

American Studies
Ancient Studies
Animal Studies
Anthropology
Art
Biochemistry
Biology (excludes Marine Science)
Business Administration
Chemistry
Communication
Comparative Literature
Computer Science
Creative Writing
East Asian Studies
Economics
Education
Engineering 3-2
Environmental Studies
Film Studies
French
General and Interdisciplinary Studies
Geoscience
History
Human Development
Humanities
Interdisciplinary Arts
International Business
International Relations & Global Affairs
International Studies
Literature
Management
Marine Science
Marketing
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Music
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science
Pre-Dentistry
Pre-Law
Pre-Medicine
Pre-Veterinary
Psychology
Religious Studies
Sociology
Spanish
Theatre
Theatre/Musical Theatre BFA
Undecided
Visual Arts
Women & Gender Studies