Kevin Dong

I am an undergraduate student at the University of Iowa, studying health sciences. I was introduced to the wonder of diatoms during my sophomore year of high school in 2015, when I attended the College Diatoms Prep Class instructed by Dr. Sylvia Lee and Kerry Howard. Under their careful instruction, my interest of diatoms peaked, and I decided to come back to Iowa Lakeside Lab for a second chance to study these unique microorganisms. This second experience gave me the opportunity to research the morphology and autecology of the genus Ulnaria. I was blessed with a third chance to continue my research when I was asked by my instructors to return as a TA for the the College Prep Diatoms Class of 2017. I’m grateful to Dr. Sylvia Lee, Kerry Howard, and the Friends of Lakeside Lab for fueling my appetite for diatom research. In the future, I hope to use diatoms in correlation with health sciences to improve medical procedures and technology.