Bugging out: the journey of a Georgia Southern University student in aquatic entomology
Spend a summer sleeping in a tent in the Appalachian Mountains looking at bugs. That’s what Haley Vaglienti did, and it changed her life forever.
Vaglienti is a master’s of biology student at Georgia Southern University specializing in aquatic entomology. In other words, she studies water bugs and she said it’s not an easy field.
“I absolutely fell in love with aquatic entomology and identifying the bugs,” she said. “I have experienced some very rough work conditions, sleeping in a tent while studying my macroinvertebrates for whole summers.”
Luckily for Vaglienti, she’s part of a team of Georgia Southern researchers looking into the health of aquatic systems. Thanks to the $47,000 grant from the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. (NCASI), the research group has received financial support to conduct research on the ecology of local watersheds in forestry areas. The funding supports their study of how forestry management practices impact freshwater ecosystems.
The team is led by J. Checo Colón-Gaud, Ph.D., a professor and associate dean for the Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies. He explained that their research centers on using organisms in rivers, streams and wetlands as bioindicators of ecosystem health. By examining the diversity and abundance of invertebrates, the team can determine how well these environments are maintaining their ecological balance, particularly in areas that have undergone forestry management.
“All of us depend on clean freshwater,” said Colón-Gaud. “Everybody that lives and depends on freshwater resources needs it for drinking water, but it could also be the recreational and aesthetic pleasures or services that we get from the ecosystem.”
The team’s work involves fieldwork across Georgia, where they collect samples from upwards of 30 forestry sites to analyze the invertebrate communities.
Raymond Kidder, the lab’s life sciences program coordinator and an Eagle alumnus, emphasized the significance of the fieldwork, which will primarily take place in the fall. He noted outcomes could influence both local environmental policy and the practices of forestry companies, highlighting the critical balance between industry and environmental stewardship.
“A lot of people work in forestry,” said Kidder. “It’s one of the industries that sort of drives this region of the country. Their actions in pursuing this research and trying to find that balance between using this resource and then maintaining water quality is very important.”
The NCASI grant will also financially support two additional senior graduate students and offer them direct mentorship opportunities and the life-changing experiences that brought Vaglienti to the field in the first place.This project is being conducted by students, faculty and staff at Georgia Southern University’s Department of Biology. Information on degrees, career opportunities and applications can be found here.
Posted in Press Releases, Student Stories
