When Hussain Ibrahim came to OSU as an international student from Kuwait he thought it was for classes, but he quickly discovered all of the opportunities to get involved in science on campus. He first volunteered for PISCO (Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans) in the Menge/Lubchenco Lab where he worked in the lab identifying mussel and other bivalve recruits sampled from the coast. Later, he attended the BI 450/451 Marine Biology course at Hatfield Marine Science Center where he started a student project on protocols measuring beach grass growth and sand retention. He continued his work on dunes of the Oregon Coast with Dr. Sally Hacker in Zoology. Hussain had the following to say about his experiences:
"As far as BI 450/451 is concerned, it was unbelievable. The course taught me how to do research in a real world, and how things often don't work the way you plan them. The instructors were amazing and we got to interact closely with them on a daily basis. The only thing I regret about my time at OSU is that I could not take even more courses like this."
"Being involved in research not only helped me apply things I had learned in class and developed my interests, but it also created new paths for my future in the form of contacts and professional experiences. The professors and advisors in Biology were outstanding resources and were there to help me often along the way."
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