With gas prices fluctuating, there has been a turn towards researching a cleaner, alternative source of fuel: biodiesel. And undergraduate research at the University of New Hampshire is unlocking the potential to produce this environmentally friendly fuel.
Brian McConnell, a sophomore at UNH, spent last summer studying how algae grown using wastewater recycled from Dover can be turned into biodiesel. Then he, along with other student researchers at UNH, published his findings in the 2011 issue of Inquiry journal, which is now available to read online.
Inquiry, the multi-disciplinary journal for undergraduate research at UNH, is published annually in April online at www.unh.edu/inquiryjournal. The journal features articles and personal commentaries about research experiences from current and recently graduated UNH students.
Published on April 13, the 2011 edition is the seventh issue of the journal.
Authors and editors spend nearly six months revising articles and preparing them to be read by a broad, international audience, from the academic community to the general educated reader. The research included in Inquiry, though it may be technical information, is meant to be understood by people from all backgrounds.
McConnell’s summer project, funded by a university grant, allowed him to study the process of growing microscopic algae in both freshwater and Dover wastewater. He then extracted the oils from the algae, which can be used to produce biodiesel.
Other articles featured in this issue of Inquiry include projects from nursing, history, economics, physics and international affairs.
For instance, Ella Nilsen’s history study, called “No Longer a Secret: Uncovering My Family’s Russian Jewish Heritage,” investigates her family’s hidden heritage.
Physics student Joshua French prepared a star sensor for spaceflight aboard a NASA rocket which launched in December.
The feature article, written by Laura Roach, describes the research partnership forged between China and the United States through the Confucius Institute that was established at UNH last fall.
Each of these undergraduate projects is relevant to the future of our planet and our society, just like McConnell’s investigation demonstrates how microscopic algae could soon become a viable method for fueling our vehicles.
Students learn from the successes and difficulties of the research process. Being able to communicate their research experience to a general audience is the final and one of the most important steps in this process.
The Inquiry staff consists of two part-time senior editors and one or two assistant editors. They guide a volunteer board of student editors made up of undergraduates representing all the various disciplines of the university. The student author’s research project and writing of the article is under the direction of a faculty mentor.
