Deana Hutcheson ’22, M’23
Research Inspires This Biology Double Warrior
As a biology major with a concentration in Environmental Science, Deana has earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degree at Merrimack. Besides her time studying, Deana assisted Dr. William McDowell with research in the biology labs. “The undergraduate research focused on the conservation of local threatened species such as the Wood and Box Turtle. During my graduate studies, I continued working with Dr. McDowell and developed environmental pollutant research examining microplastics in drinking water. I conducted field sampling, data analysis, and presentations of the results at regional conferences. I also mentored undergraduate research assistants working on this project.”
“Science is an ongoing pursuit of knowledge – it starts with the questions we ask, and gives us the opportunity to think deeply about understanding the world better.”
Deana is looking forward to publishing her work soon. Her time spent with Dr. McDowell helped spark her interest in environmental science, and she gained a great deal of skills because of their time working together. “Dr. McDowell has taught me a lot of really valuable skills and concepts throughout the years I’ve gotten to work with him, but I think one of the most important things he’s taught me is that the questions we ask in science are more important than the answers. Sometimes we don’t get the answers we might think we need or want, but if we focus on curiosity and passion for learning, we can truly never go wrong.”
