33 “Today’s scientists-in-training must be effective in the global environment,” says Eliot Atekwana. In July, he and fellow OSU geology professor Anna Cruse took three students deep into Botswana to learn research techniques and survival skills. Research opportunities like this give students an advantage in the workplace, he says. Making the opportunity possible was a three-year, $150,000 National Science Foundation grant awarded Atekwana and Cruse to follow carbon in the water cycle of the Okavango Delta. The Okavango Delta, the world’s largest inland delta, is in a Kalahari Desert basin. Located on the eastern side of the delta is a national park, the Moremi Game Reserve. Every year, almost 11 cubic kilometers of water irrigate the 15,000-square-kilometer area. Some of the floodwaters drain into the nearby Lake Ngami. Most of the area’s water is lost to transpiration and evaporation rather than flowing out to the sea. The trip involved more than just collecting water samples, says Atekwana, who previously investigated rift basins in Botswana. The project paired the OSU group with students, professors and scientists from the University of Botswana and the Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Center, and the researchers observed indigenous groups in Botswana. “The students lived in the elements,” he says, “and we all slept in the compound with little contact to the outside world. There wasn’t any sort of cellular service.” The professors developed a better understanding of the area. “That was the great thing about this project,” Cruse says. “The students learned from each other and the professors, but the faculty received training as well. It was a great opportunity.” LEFT OSU geology professors and students traveled to Botswana for research this summer. Pictured, from left, are Eric Akoko, doctoral student; Nicole Paizis, sophomore; Anna Cruse, professor; Christopher Geyer, senior; and Eliot Atekwana, professor. Joseph Dunn WORDS Phil Shockley PHOTO
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