Student Work at College of the Atlantic

Neith Little and Anna Perry receive rigorous scientific award

College of the Atlantic junior Neith Little, and sophomore Anna Perry have each been awarded scholarships from the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. This year, 321 scholars were chosen from a field of 1,035 mathematics, science and engineering students nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide. COA students received two of the three scholarships given to students in Maine.

Little, from Painted Post, NY, has been focused on field biology, studying both botany and herpetology, creating research experiments in both. She recently designed a research project at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire that was on the distribution of streamside salamanders. She hopes to publish her research so that her efforts can help others to understand the need for buffer strips around streams to protect these fragile amphibians.

Neith Little

According to Chris Petersen, COA faculty member in biology, Neith stands out for her multiple abilities and dedication. “Neith is a wonderfully strong writer, and a strong undergraduate researcher and has taken part in multiple research projects,” he wrote in a letter to the foundation. “Her level of independence and ability sets her apart.”

Perry, of Gill, MA, has concentrated her studies in field ecology, focusing more specifically on the behavioral ecology of birds.  She is currently involved in the ongoing ornithological research that is conducted at the college’s research station on Great Duck Island.  Last summer, Perry investigated whether Leach’s Storm Petrels (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) rely upon olfaction as a fine resolution homing cue.  She developed two maze designs to determine if this seabird species could recognize individual nests by scent, as petrels nest in underground burrows and return to their breeding island in the dark.  She presented her results last November at the International Waterbird Society meeting, held in Barcelona, Spain. Perry returns to the island this summer as head research assistant– a position normally held by a graduate student.

Anna Perry

According to Petersen, Perry is a star in several arenas as well. In addition to her research, her artwork has appeared on displays in the college’s George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History.  Petersen commented, she “happens to be an excellent artist.”

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was established by Congress in 1986 to honor Senator Barry M. Goldwater. In addition to the academic honor, the scholarships offer some funding toward the students’ undergraduate education. According to a statement issued by the program, “Goldwater Scholars have very impressive academic qualifications that have garnered the attention of prestigious post-graduate fellowship programs. Recent Goldwater Scholars have been awarded 70 Rhodes Scholarships, 94 Marshall Awards, and numerous other distinguished fellowships.