{"id":71298,"date":"2025-10-09T07:43:17","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T11:43:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=71298"},"modified":"2025-10-15T08:42:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T12:42:15","slug":"research-on-the-road-a-conversation-with-reu-student-rebecca-nix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/10\/research-on-the-road-a-conversation-with-reu-student-rebecca-nix\/","title":{"rendered":"Research on the road: A conversation with REU student Rebecca Nix"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_71301\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"856\" data-attachment-id=\"71301\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/10\/research-on-the-road-a-conversation-with-reu-student-rebecca-nix\/2-1200\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/10\/2-1200.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1200,856\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2 1200\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/10\/2-1200-1024x730.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-71301 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/10\/2-1200.jpg\" alt=\"Rebecca Nix at a workstation doing research during her summer REU experience\" style=\"max-width: 100%;\"style=\"max-width: 100%;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/10\/2-1200.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/10\/2-1200-1024x730.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/10\/2-1200-768x548.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/10\/2-1200-800x571.jpg 800w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/10\/2-1200-580x414.jpg 580w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/10\/2-1200-610x435.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">UTC junior Rebecca Nix spent her summer participating in an REU through the Louisiana University Marine Consortium. Photo courtesy of Rebecca Nix.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>For several University of Tennessee at Chattanooga students, the past summer provided an opportunity to delve deeper into research and further explore their academic interests.<\/p>\n<p>Students were able to conduct applicable research, consult with faculty, work in a lab environment and bond with fellow students in the same field.<\/p>\n<p>These opportunities are made possible through the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, which provides funding for students to conduct research projects at universities nationwide.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">===================================================\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/tag\/reu-student-stories\/\">Click here<\/a><\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0to read other UTC REU stories.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">===================================================<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Rebecca Nix is a geology major with a concentration in geospatial science. The Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, native spent her summer in Cocodrie, Louisiana, forecasting the effects of increased salinity and edge erosion on soil organic carbon stability in a mangrove encroachment front.<\/p>\n<p>The junior\u2019s REU experience was available through the Louisiana University Marine Consortium (LUMCON).<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Amy Brock-Hon, associate department head and Robert L. Wilson Professor of Geology, said that these opportunities are incredible chances for undergraduates to gain real research experience.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have a phrase in geology, \u2018The person who sees the most rocks wins,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cYou can only see and learn so much from around Chattanooga. When you go and experience new and different places, you\u2019re adding to your experiences and you\u2019re adding to your ability to process and understand the entire world.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt makes you a better scientist. It makes you a better human.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nix explained her research further.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How did you find out about this REU?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wanted to do something in wetland science. I just had an inkling. I really wanted to travel to Louisiana. On the NSF website, I was looking up coastal internships, Louisiana internships, and this one was the Goldilocks (option). I applied to this one. It was a very spur-of-the-moment decision. I didn\u2019t really expect anything to happen. I applied for it on the last day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can you explain your research?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI worked in the biogeochemistry lab with Dr. Havalend Steinmuller. She focuses on blue carbon storage along the coast. My project specifically was to increase the effects of climate change by increasing salinity and edge erosion on salt marsh soils and how it affects the organic carbon stability in the ground.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI went out to a barrier island on the coast and we collected soil cores. Then we analyzed those soil cores over the span of 10 days. We applied different treatments of increased salinity and oxygen, and then we did some gas chromatography to measure the carbon dioxide levels. Then you analyze the data and find everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>How was Louisiana in the summer?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI fell in love with both the chemistry aspect and the actual Louisiana Coastal Master Plan. In the internship, we got to do more than just my project. We got to meet locals. We got to learn about the fishing industry and how coastal Louisiana affects both the environment and the people there. The culture affects everything they do, like how a new flood can completely impact a year\u2019s worth of a fisherman\u2019s salary.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had no idea that it was a big web of things that I was doing and how my research was implemented in all of it. I fell in love with the coast at that moment while I was down there. Now I want to go back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>What did a typical day look like for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou would spend all day looking at one Excel-sheet formula trying to get it right, or you would spend all day grinding dirt or putting dirt in the oven\u2014a lot of mud, a lot of dirt.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was able to go with (Steinmuller) and some other scientists from LSU on a five-day-long excursion on a research vessel out into the Gulf. I was able to do some of the gas chromatography analysis on a ship for five days in the middle of the ocean. It was a unique experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>How did your REU align with you academically and professionally?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI always wanted to move further south and work on the coast. I\u2019m a geology major and I\u2019ve always had an inclination for wetlands. That\u2019s what inspired me to go. I hadn\u2019t done any soil science in my life, and this was my first time diving into that. It was heavily chemistry and soil-based. It made me really fall in love with that aspect. Seeing the perspective of science, that\u2019s going to happen, and it\u2019s going to continue to happen down there\u2014it\u2019s never going away. That area of research, whether it\u2019s sediment diversion, geochemistry in that area of wetlands and salt marshes, is ever-growing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat really made me want to focus my education around something like that. I really want to focus on coastal river science and sedimentology when I go to grad school. It\u2019s made me more driven to get into grad school.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s supplied me with a huge network of people that I can reach out to for further information, mentorships, guidance and recommendation letters. I truly learned the value of networking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>What does it mean to have a research experience like this as an undergraduate student? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt has catapulted me into a realm of looking at things differently with my scientific career itself and also in the classroom. Seeing how these classroom topics apply directly to the field has made me understand and appreciate a lot more of the lecturing I\u2019ve been receiving. It\u2019s so much more applicable in the classroom now that I can think about this and how they would do this in the lab or in professional science.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>Learn more<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.utc.edu\/enrollment-management-and-student-affairs\/admissions\/visit\">Visit UTC<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/tag\/reu-student-stories\/\">UTC REU student stories<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.utc.edu\/arts-and-sciences\/biology-geology-and-environmental-science\/geology\">Geology<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.utc.edu\/apply\">How to apply<\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_71299\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"856\" data-attachment-id=\"71299\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/10\/research-on-the-road-a-conversation-with-reu-student-rebecca-nix\/1-1200\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/10\/1-1200.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1200,856\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"1 1200\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/10\/1-1200-1024x730.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-71299 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/10\/1-1200.jpg\" alt=\"Rebecca Nix doing collecting soil samples during fieldwork\" style=\"max-width: 100%;\"style=\"max-width: 100%;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/10\/1-1200.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/10\/1-1200-1024x730.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/10\/1-1200-768x548.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/10\/1-1200-800x571.jpg 800w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/10\/1-1200-580x414.jpg 580w, https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/10\/1-1200-610x435.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rebecca Nix collecting soil samples during fieldwork in Cocodrie, Louisiana. Photo courtesy of Rebecca Nix.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rebecca Nix is a geology major with a concentration in geospatial science. The Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, native spent her summer in Cocodrie, Louisiana, forecasting the effects of increased salinity and edge erosion on soil organic carbon stability in a mangrove encroachment front. <\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-wrap\"><span><a class=\"more-link button text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/10\/research-on-the-road-a-conversation-with-reu-student-rebecca-nix\/\"><span>Continue Reading <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1493,"featured_media":71300,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_slider":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_featurette":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[64,70,123865,61,7712,48007,661],"tags":[123108,124428,123827,123829,126148,123009,125783],"class_list":{"0":"post-71298","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-academics","8":"category-biology-geology-and-environmental-science","9":"category-college-of-arts-sciences","10":"category-faculty-and-staff","11":"category-news","12":"category-research-academics","13":"category-students","14":"tag-amy-brock-hon","15":"tag-carter-graham","16":"tag-creating-the-mocs-experience","17":"tag-operating-with-excellence","18":"tag-rebecca-nix","19":"tag-reu","20":"tag-reu-student-stories","21":"entry"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Research on the road: A conversation with REU student Rebecca Nix | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Rebecca Nix is a geology major with a concentration in geospatial science. 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The Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, native spent her summer in Cocodrie, Louisiana, forecasting the effects of increased salinity and edge erosion on soil organic carbon stability in a mangrove encroachment front.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/10\/research-on-the-road-a-conversation-with-reu-student-rebecca-nix\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UTChattanooga\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-09T11:43:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-15T12:42:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2025\/10\/2-600.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"428\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Chuck Wasserstrom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@UTChattanooga\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@UTChattanooga\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Carter Graham\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/research-on-the-road-a-conversation-with-reu-student-rebecca-nix\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/research-on-the-road-a-conversation-with-reu-student-rebecca-nix\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Chuck Wasserstrom\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ba12ddef664be78c31809fda10eae4e5\"},\"headline\":\"Research on the road: A conversation with REU student Rebecca Nix\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-09T11:43:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-15T12:42:15+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/research-on-the-road-a-conversation-with-reu-student-rebecca-nix\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1016,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/research-on-the-road-a-conversation-with-reu-student-rebecca-nix\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/files\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/2-600.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Amy Brock-Hon\",\"Carter Graham\",\"Creating the Mocs Experience\",\"Operating with Excellence\",\"Rebecca Nix\",\"REU\",\"REU student stories\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Academics\",\"Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science\",\"College of Arts and Sciences\",\"Faculty and Staff\",\"News\",\"Research\",\"Students\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/research-on-the-road-a-conversation-with-reu-student-rebecca-nix\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/research-on-the-road-a-conversation-with-reu-student-rebecca-nix\\\/\",\"name\":\"Research on the road: A conversation with REU student Rebecca Nix | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/research-on-the-road-a-conversation-with-reu-student-rebecca-nix\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/research-on-the-road-a-conversation-with-reu-student-rebecca-nix\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/files\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/2-600.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-09T11:43:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-15T12:42:15+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ba12ddef664be78c31809fda10eae4e5\"},\"description\":\"Rebecca Nix is a geology major with a concentration in geospatial science. 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