BETHANY STUDENT RESEARCHES AT KSU 

LINDSBORG, Kan.—Tori Everhart, Delta, Colo., is spending most of her summer vacation in a research lab at Kansas State University as part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (SUROP). 
            The opportunity was introduced to Everhart by Bethany professor Loranelle Lockyear. Everhart applied and was accepted.
            In the lab, Everhart is learning about micro fluidics, a process that separates the components of a small sample of a complex liquid, such as blood or urine. Because most micro fluidic devices are very expensive to fabricate, Everhart said she, along with her fellow lab partners, are trying to find inexpensive materials that would be useful in the fabrication of these devices. 
            “By the end of the summer experience, I will have modified and characterized several devices for their use with different sample types,” Everhart said. She added that she already has achieved separations with her modified devices.
            Everhart said before she arrived at KSU she was neither familiar nor comfortable working in a lab. “I was astonished the first day I walked into the lab at KSU. There were machines, equipment and different gadgets everywhere,” she said.
            Now, Everhart said the lab is a familiar place. “Instead of seeing a foreign piece of equipment and shying away from it, I’m going to be drawn in by curiosity.” 
            “I really enjoy the research I am doing. This summer has allowed me to broaden my horizons,” Everhart said.
            Of research and experiments, Everhart said she is learning to be patient. “Results do not appear on the first try, or even the first day,” she said. She added this also has taught her to write down everything she does in the lab. “If something doesn’t work, I will know not to try it again. And if someone asks me how I did a certain procedure or what solution I used, all I have to do is flip back the pages and look.”
            At Bethany, Everhart is in the pre-pharmacy program, set to major in biology and chemistry. She has been a resident assistant, a Bethany College Ambassador, member of the Bio-Chem Club and a member of the tennis team. She plans to attend pharmacy school, however, because of her recent lab experiences, Everhart wants to leave her options open. She said she may attend graduate school and study pharmaceutical chemistry.
            Bethany College, established by Swedish Lutheran immigrants in 1881, is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The mission of Bethany College is to nurture and challenge individuals in their search for truth and meaning as they lead lives of faith, learning and service.

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