This elective is designed to offer RVGS students the opportunity to use sophisticated instrumentation and carry out cutting-edge research in one of the many areas of environmental science. Students will examine the papers of award-winning environmental projects carried out by former RVGS students and critique the experimental design, data analysis, and discussion and conclusions of these papers. Students will also visit environmental research laboratories at locations around the valley or at Virginia Tech, as well as learn about the different kinds of instruments and how they are used in the various areas of environmental research. Students will then make use of these activities as they focus on a problem in the environment on which they can carry out a research project of their design that makes use of some of the instrumentation available at RVGS or at colleges and industries in the area.
