“VESSS opened my eyes to the connectedness of Earth’s different spheres and systems. I think this is important for all to understand.” 

Name: Abigail “Morgan” Re

VSGC Programs: VSCS, VASTS, VESSS (as student and intern), STEM Bridge Scholarship Program.

Education: Double majoring in Biological Systems Engineering and Professional and Technical Writing, minoring in Geosciences and Horticulture at Virginia Tech. 

“I chose [my majors and minors] because I was inspired by VESSS to study each component of our Earth and to better understand their relationships so that I can help increase agricultural productivity and decrease food insecurity while helping to preserve Earth’s ecosystems.”

Research Interests: Last summer I interned for the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI). There, I focused on better understanding Rammed Aggregate Piers (RAP) as a form of ground improvement against liquefaction events in Christchurch, New Zealand. Specifically, I focused on demonstrating that RAPs made with a variation of poorly graded sand and well graded gravel could handle higher stress levels than RAPs made of 100% well graded gravel.

Plans After College: I hope to go to graduate school for crop and soil science and then work in the field of agricultural engineering to improve global food security.