KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
March 17, 2018
Ashley Lancaster
Trevor Hovance, a Beckendorff Junior High student, and Rhonda Burroughs, a teacher at Katy High School, participated in a research expedition at Joshua Tree National Park in southern California as part of the JASON Argonaut program.
The six-day adventure involved hiking and collecting data in the Colorado and Mojave Desert with scientists to study how climate change is affecting desert ecosystems.
Teachers and students from all over the country have to go through a rigorous application process in order to travel with real scientists on their research expeditions - which can range from marine biology to robotics and engineering.
"Trevor and I are so honored to have this fully funded learning experience. We are hoping to then come back to Katy and inform the schools and community about what we did and why in order to encourage young students to consider STEM as a career choice." says Burrough.
Hovance, Burrough, and the rest of the research team worked around the clock in Hidden and Coachella Valley within the park surveying the Joshua and Juniper trees, before digging into the geological wonders the California landscape had to offer.
To learn more about the JASON Argonaut program, click here.