Stockbridge congratulates Marissa Hanley, who recently presented her research on forest soils at the Graduate School’s 3MT (3-Minute Thesis) Campus Final, as well as at the 35th Annual Harvard Forest Ecology Symposium.
The 3MT was developed by the University of Queensland Australia for research students. The competitive goal is to present an effective explanation of their research, and make it understandable to a non-specialist audience, in under 3 minutes.
Preparation for such an event integrates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills.
The UMass Office of Professional Development supported Hanley and others, with workshops on crafting engaging slides, using simple language for big ideas, and managing public speaking anxiety. They also hosted multiple practice sessions where student competitors encouraged each other’s’ progress.
Hanley, a second-year doctoral student in Plant and Soil Sciences, presented her emerging research, which maps the effects of extreme weather events, on the soil content of New England forests.
“As climate change stressors progress, my work aims to refine climate models and guide forest management strategies, to help predict how forests will respond to future weather disturbances,” Hanley explains.
Using the Hurricane Manipulation Experiment at Harvard Forest as a model ecosystem, Hanley investigates how treefall and soil disruption during hurricanes create small pockets of oxygen-depleted soil. These microsites can trap carbon but may also release potent greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide.
Hanley is thankful for a close relationship with her faculty mentor, Dr. Hannah Naughton, a biogeochemist who studies how soil chemical and physical attributes affect microbial activity, particularly the turnover of key nutrients like carbon and nitrogen.
In turn, Hanley now serves as a mentor to younger student researchers.
Last summer, through the Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology, Hanley mentored and trained two undergraduate students in scientific research from the ground up. She looks forward to continuing this mentorship by working with two more students this upcoming summer.
Mentoring has been a rewarding experience, not only for the students but also for Marissa, as it allows her to share her knowledge and inspire the next generation of scientists.
Stockbridge offers undergraduate and graduate programs leading to a BS, MS, or PhD. Stockbridge undergraduates now have the option to pursue an accelerated "5th Year" Master's Degree program, allowing them to earn both a BS and MS in just five years.