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Conley Menifee and a fellow REU student collaborate on maintaining plant growth in the lab’s aquaponics system.
Students tested smaller-scale aquaponics models to compare plant growth and nutrient cycling in different conditions.
Field research in coastal Georgia gave Conley Menifee hands-on opportunities to connect marine life with sustainable aquaponics projects.
From fish tanks in Georgia to cancer labs in Colorado, College of Sciences and Mathematics (COSAM) students spent their summers immersed in Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs (REU). Now well into the fall semester, they say those experiences are helping them see science in a new light.
“It confirmed that this is where I want to be,” said Conley Menifee, a sophomore marine biology major from Pinson, Alabama.
Menifee spent eight weeks at Savannah State University’s marine research lab, where he worked on aquaponics and geological agriculture projects linking fish tanks and plants to create a sustainable cycle. The experience not only sharpened his interest in research but also showed him how science can be applied in real-world contexts, such as helping lower-income communities grow food sustainably.
“I would encourage other students to try it, especially getting into that lab space and seeing what people are actually doing each day,” he said.
Choosing to pursue research so early in his college career was intentional. Menifee wanted hands-on experience before his upper-level courses at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and a chance to begin narrowing his specific interests in marine biology. Along the way, he also picked up life skills like cooking and grocery shopping while living on his own for the first time.
“I’ve always been more interested in squids,” he said, “but this program introduced me to more fish and fish health, and that really piqued my interest. I also got to look at dolphin research, and that was fascinating too.”
Junior biomedical sciences major Markelle Scott also spent his summer far from Auburn — more than 1,200 miles away in Aurora, Colorado. Originally from Birmingham, Scott joined the University of Colorado’s Cancer Research for Undergraduates program, where he studied thyroid cancer in the lab of Rebecca Schweppe.
Markelle Scott presents his cancer biology research on thyroid treatment resistance at the University of Colorado’s summer REU program.
Biomedical sciences major Markelle Scott balanced lab work with exploring the outdoors during his REU in Colorado.
Markelle Scott with his mentor, Dr. Rebecca Schweppe, presenting thyroid cancer research during his REU at the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus.
“My task was to figure out why these thyroid cancers become resistant to treatment and how we might target that resistance so patients can continue responding to therapy,” Scott said.
The 10-week program brought together 40 students from across the nation and gave Scott the chance to lead his own project with guidance from his mentor. Outside the lab, he explored Colorado’s outdoors through hiking and fishing, a balance that made the summer both academically rigorous and personally rewarding.
Scott hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in cancer biology or cellular and molecular biology, and he said the REU experience strengthened his preparation for graduate school.
“It made me face tough problems not only in my research but also in myself,” he said. “I had to problem solve, and that carries over to college too. If I don’t do as well on an exam as I hoped, I have to adjust and figure out how to study differently so I can succeed the next time.”
Kimberly Mulligan, senior assistant dean for strategic initiatives and programs, said those lessons reflect the larger goal of REU opportunities. When she started college, she didn’t even know research was an option.
“Participating in a research experience completely changed the trajectory of my career,” Mulligan said. “Many STEM students arrive with a narrow view of their future, unaware of the diverse opportunities available. Whether you discover a passion for research or simply gain new perspective, it’s an invaluable experience that broadens your academic and professional horizons.”
That sense of possibility resonated with Menifee, who said beginning research after his freshman year gave him a head start.
“It was one of the best decisions I’ve made,” he said. “The time I spent there was so valuable.”
For both Menifee and Scott, the summer broadened their perspective in lasting ways. Whether exploring aquaponics or cancer biology, they returned to Auburn with new skills, confidence and a clearer vision of their future.
