Carl Hjelmen of Garretson Conducting Scientific Research Through Augustana College

2012 Jul 18

Carl Hjelmen from Garretson, S.D., a Biology major in the class of 2013 at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D., has been selected for the College's prestigious Summer Research Program, an initiative that places undergraduates in the field at laboratories, hospitals and research institutions throughout the country.

Carl is one of 69 Augustana students who are spending the summer conducting scientific and biomedical research and/or completing internships or volunteer positions at facilities throughout the U.S. as part of the Summer Research Program. Working at Texas A&MDr. J. Spencer Johnston Carl's project"Using genome sizes to analyze divergent selection in Belonocnema treatae" is funded through NSF REU.

"Without question, students learn through classroom discussion, reading, papers and exams," said Rob Oliver, president of Augustana. "Yet, at Augustana, we believe in another type of learning -- one where students immerse themselves in their subject matter, engage in hands-on practice, explore, discover and learn for themselves. Such is the case with our Undergraduate Summer Research Program, an initiative that enables our students to work in real time alongside faculty mentors, health professionals and research scientists and offers invaluable personal, intellectual and professional experience."

About Augustana

Founded in 1860, Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D., is a selective, residential, comprehensive college of the Lutheran Church. Committed to enriching lives and fostering development, Augustana combines a foundation in the liberal arts with professional skill and advanced study, leading the Templeton Guide to include the College among those that inspire students to lead ethical and civic-minded lives. With more than 1,850 students from 25 states and 30 countries, Augustana is featured among "America's Top Colleges" by Forbes; was ranked among the top 10 baccalaureate colleges in the nation for its efforts to advance social mobility, research and service by Washington Monthly; has been named a "Best Midwestern College" by The Princeton Review; and is identified in Peterson's "440 Great Colleges for Great Students."

Augustana celebrated its sesquicentennial during the 2010-2011 academic year.