Eastern Student Rachel Mackewicz of Lebanon Participates in Undergraduate Research Project

2015 Oct 1

Undergraduate research and creative activities at Eastern Connecticut State University provide opportunities for students to work closely with faculty mentors on research or creative work. Projects are aligned with the mentor's expertise and designed to expose students to professional activities within a chosen field.

Rachel Mackewicz '16 of Lebanon, CT, recently participated in an undergraduate research project related to one of her majors. Mackewicz's major is Environmental Earth Science and Pre-Secondary Education Certification.

The research involved field data collection at the Lebanon Gabbro, one of eastern Connecticut's most interesting igneous intrusions. Gabbro is a coarse-grained, dark-colored, intrusive igneous rock. Since 1942, it has been the subject of only one geochemical study and there is almost nothing known about its structural evolution.

Mackewicz will continue to work on her project during the academic year as she focuses on follow-up data and sample analyses. Mackewicz's faculty mentor is Professor Dickson Cunningham.

The research involves a north to south transect across the main body of the gabbro where it is exposed in multiple outcrops and where the intrusion is foliated and lineated, which suggests an interesting geological history. The results will be incorporated into a larger project that Professor Cunningham is working on.