It is not unusual for students at Lewis & Clark to participate in challenging, graduate-level scientific research. And it is not unusual for students to participate in study abroad programs and humanitarian aid projects; half of all students take advantage of opportunities to learn outside of the United States.
In March, senior Brendan Larsen and senior Alec Kerins spent their spring break fusing these types of Lewis & Clark experiences. Larsen and Kerins brought lab research and global engagement together in Puerto Plata, a region in the Dominican Republic. Along with Assistant Professor of Biology Greta Binford, Larsen and Kerins gathered spiders and worked with children at the Laguna Salada Orphanage. There, they enlisted the help of the children to look for spiders while talking with them about scientific research. The goal was to help the children see education, and science in particular, as a part of their future.
With the help of a SAAB grant, Larsen was able to afford this opportunity. In the following photo slideshow, Larsen documents the trip and explains the group’s work.
“While in the Dominican Republic Alec and I got a chance to participate in actual fieldwork with Greta and learn so many new things,” Larsen said. “How many undergraduates get a paid trip to go to the Dominican Republic over spring break to collect toxic spiders with their professor? It was a beautiful experience.”
Learn more about Binford’s research online, including a New Yorker profile, NPR interview, and video of Binford extracting spider venom.