MacKenzie Heagy, a 2023 Master of Science in Biology alumna and former Guam NSF EPSCoR Graduate Research Assistant, gained valuable research experience as part of a six-month internship held at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia.
Each year, the Visiting Student Research Program at KAUST offers 130 students from more than a hundred countries the opportunity to develop their research skills, receive mentorship, and collaborate with subject-matter experts in world-class facilities.
Heagy heard about the program through colleagues who have met people from KAUST at different conferences and events.
During the program, Heagy studied red algae in the Red Sea in the Global Change Ecology Laboratory to understand the effects of global warming on key marine calcifying organisms.
“EPSCoR has helped me get connected to the community here in KAUST,” said Heagy. “It has given me a starting point for further research. I have developed a sense of initiative during my time on Guam and have grown exponentially as a scientist, student, and person. I am really proud of the person Guam and the UOG Marine Lab have pushed me to be.”