Major: Biological Sciences
Minors: Computational Biology & Bioinformatics, Environmental Studies
Hometown: La Vista, Nebraska Shelby Jackson, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, stays busy with plenty of extracurriculars while majoring in biological sciences with minors in computational biology & bioinformatics and environmental studies.
"On campus, I'm a member of UNL's Honors Program, a Husker Pantry Volunteer, a UCARE undergraduate researcher, and a member of Kappa Delta sorority," Shelby said. "I've been involved in undergraduate research since September of 2025 and have loved getting to expand my knowledge through hands-on experimentation and data analysis!"
When choosing her degree, Shelby selected biological sciences because it offers a wide variety of career options.
"There are many career paths to choose from as a biology major, and as an incoming freshman, I was unsure what I wanted to pursue," Shelby said. "However, I knew I was passionate about discovery, science, and making a positive impact."
One of her favorite courses so far has been BIOS 314: Microbiology Laboratory.
"I loved this class because I got to learn through hands-on experimentation that is used in many real microbiology professions. In lab, we learned how to streak bacteria, identify bacterial species through metabolic testing, Gram stain, and more," Shelby said. "I had an internship at a biotechnological company this past summer, and I was able to see many of these techniques used in a professional setting, which was an amazing experience!"
In Spring 2026, Shelby's experiential learning project expanded on research she was already involved in under principal investigators Dr. Kristi Montooth and Dr. Colin Meiklejohn in the School of Biological Sciences. "Together, post-doctoral researcher Dr. Wayne Wang and I have been working to unravel the effects of acute temperature exposure on various species of Drosophila (fruit flies) across different stages of life," Shelby said.
Her brief overview of the type of research they have been conducting offers insight into the project's focus and aim.
"My UCARE research expands on the topic of thermal sensitivity to discover the evolutionary relationship between oviposition preference (where a female chooses to lay her eggs) and embryo thermal sensitivity. Drosophila (fruit flies) are a staple model organism used to research ecology, genetics, and evolution," Shelby said. "Because of this, understanding how they respond to temperature (a common environmental factor) is crucial to interpreting data and designing experimentation. Our research hopes to bridge this gap."
When Shelby presented a poster at the Genetic Society of America's Annual Drosophila Conference in Chicago, Illinois, alongside Dr. Wang, it proved a significant part of her experiential learning.
"Attending this conference was an outstanding opportunity to meet other Drosophila researchers, learn from them, and expand my mindset," Shelby said. "Specifically, it was amazing to receive feedback from scientists completing research in similar fields of study."
Shelby shares that this research project has increased her knowledge and skills even more than she anticipated.
"Never did I think that I would be able to say, 'Yeah, I know how to breed fruit flies,' yet here I am. Outside of fruit fly husbandry and knowledge, I've gained an outstanding amount of knowledge regarding experimental design, time management, and data analysis," Shelby said. "Additionally, I've begun learning how to code in R, which is a common coding language used by biologists to analyze data and create figures and graphs."
She credits Dr. Kristi Montooth, Dr. Colin Meiklejohn, and Dr. Wayne Wang as having had an immense impact on her research experience.
Dr. Montooth inspired me to apply for the UCARE program and even reviewed my proposal and gave suggestions before I submitted it. Dr. Wang has gone out of his way to meet with me weekly to not only discuss our research, but also further my learning through the discussion of related articles or data analysis techniques," Shelby said. "Dr. Meiklejohn graciously allows me to use his lab space any day, any time to complete research. Working with UNL's School of Biological Sciences faculty has been an outstanding opportunity. Everyone I have worked with has been unbelievably supportive and encouraging."
After she graduates, Shelby is considering continuing her education with a master's or doctoral degree in a biology-related field.
"Involving myself in undergraduate research has not only taught me outstanding creative thinking and laboratory skills but has also taught me a lot about believing in myself and my
abilities," Shelby said. "I know that no matter what I end up pursuing, completing this research will have been a positive experience that benefits my future."
