A Coastal Carolina University freshman is having a positive impact on the science community, and the proof is in the publishing.
“Well I’ve always, as long as I can remember I’ve always been into science,“ said Olivia Shirley, freshman at CCU. “When I was little I wanted to be a marine biologist, when I was in middle school I wanted to be an astronomer. I’ve always had a passion for science. It’s always been my life-long dream to be a scientist. I want to be a researcher now.“
Two years ago, when this now freshman at CCU wasn’t even in her senior year at North Myrtle Beach High School, she enrolled in the Summer Coastal Research Experience or ‘SCoRE‘ at CCU.
“We were researching coliphages,“ said Shirley, “which are bacteriophages that only infect E. coli in the water in the aviary at Brookgreen Gardens.“
The scientific community was impressed with Shirley’s work. She presented her work at the South Carolina Academy of Science and took second place.
“They were all undergraduates when I presented,“ said Shirley. “I was the only high school student in the room of undergraduates presenting. Which was really nerve-wracking for me.“
Shirley’s research on coliphages was published in the Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science.
“It feels pretty great,“ said Shirley. “I feel like I’m ahead of the game. A lot of undergrads don’t get published at all until they’re actually graduated.“
