Oliver Completes Dean's Commendation Project

2015 Apr 24

Senior Kristen Oliver, a biology major from Ladson, South Carolina, has completed a Dean's Commendation project.

Oliver's research project focuses on the potential antibiotic properties of the uropygial gland (preen gland) of passerines (songbirds) based on foraging behaviors. She secured funding from the Carolina Birding Club for further research on her project.

In order to apply for a Dean's Commendation project, students must have a 3.3 cumulative grade point average and 75 semester hours completed at Coker College. Students apply by submitting a Dean's project proposal to the Academic Standards Committee. If the committee approves the project, the student works alongside a faculty mentor to complete the project prior to graduation. Projects can be anything from an extended piece of scholarly research to a creative performance, an international experience, or a set of laboratory experiments.

Oliver serves as the Student Government Association Director of Registered Student Organizations and is a Career Peer Mentor for the department of Career Services. She is also the President of Pause for Paws, Head Research Assistant for Dr. Jen Borgo's Ecology Research Lab, the Teaching Assistant for whole organism and ecology lab classes, Student Representative of Coker's Undergraduate Research Journal, and a World Scholar.