Galveston Students Take Research Honors     

Two Texas A&M University at Galveston students took home honors at The Texas A&M University System Pathways Research Symposium this month.

Eliza Perez, class of ‘22, earned third place in the Life Sciences category and Abbey Hotard, class of ‘23, earned second place in the Doctoral Lightning Talks category. Both students said their competitors inspired them.

“Listening to other student presenters helped reignite my own curiosity and passion for research,” Hotard said. “I loved hearing about research happening across the Texas A&M University System, and after two years of COVID and virtual conferences, getting to connect face-to-face was incredibly refreshing.”

“I gained valuable experience networking with others in the Texas A&M System,” agreed Perez. “It gave me copious amounts of insight on how to expand upon the results of my research, motivation to continue my current study and confidence to share my results with others in the scientific community.

Perez, a marine biology student, presented baseline data on sea turtle beaks that will allow further exploration of the structural integrity and mechanical properties of sea turtle beaks that may relate to sea turtle survivability.  

Hotard, a marine and coastal management and science doctoral student, presented her research on how coastal residents are adapting to coastal hazards, such as flooding and hurricanes. Her research explores how coastal residents respond to threats to their homes and the impact those decisions have on their surrounding community. 

Students who participate in Pathways earn research experience from hypothesis formation to meaningful data conclusions and present these findings to a network of their peers and faculty. Participants are comprised of all A&M System schools and are judged on their abstract, preparedness and oral or visual presentation skills.

A complete list of Pathways 2022 Award Winners is available here. The Pathways Student Research Symposium is hosted annually by the Texas A&M System at one of 11 universities located throughout the state. The next Pathways Student Research Symposium in 2023 will take place at the Galveston Campus.