Filming in Arches National Park, UT.

Author: Dawson Oakley | Major: Biological Engineering

My name is Dawson Oakley and I’m a Biological Engineering major at the College of Engineering. My mentor is Dr. Brian Haggard with the Biological Engineering department, and I’m currently in the second semester of my two-semester research grant period.

I found my mentor, Dr. Haggard, in Spring of 2020. After speaking with several professors about my research ideas, Dr. Haggard seemed like the best fit. My idea was to create a video that highlighted climate change impacts and how engineering can be used to mitigate those issues. As an engineering major, this project was one of the more creativity focused ideas that had been presented, but I felt like this topic was something that needed to be talked about. I’m also minoring in sustainability, so issues related to climate change are something I’ve become much more aware of. Making videos has been a passion of mine for several years now, so this project seemed like the perfect way to bridge the gap between engineering, sustainability, and videography.

I started working on my thesis in Fall of 2020 and came up with several potential topics for the video. After narrowing them down, the final topics ended up being greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture and access to fresh water. Dr. Runkle in our department does research on methane production in rice and has worked to develop new methods of rice production that drastically decrease the amount of GHG produced. I decided that his research would be a great first topic for the video. The second focus of the video was centered around water scarcity in the West. Zack Wofford, a past graduate from our program, went to work as an engineer at the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District in Salt Lake City, Utah. In this position, he works to restore streams around Great Salt Lake that are crucial for the preservation of the lake and the wildlife that relies on it. I reached out to Zack to see if he would be interested in being the second subject of my project, and he happily accepted.

I was able to make a trip to Stuggart, AR this past summer to film Dr. Runkle’s rice research. I collected footage of the rice fields, as well as researchers taking measurements in the field. I also conducted an interview with Dr. Runkle in Fayetteville to allow him to explain the research and answer some questions I had. After being awarded an Honors College Short-Term Travel Grant, I was able to make a trip out West this past summer. I made stops in several national parks along the way, including Grand Canyon, Zion, and Arches. I spent a good portion of the trip in Salt Lake City to interview Zack, shoot footage of some of the projects he’s currently working on, and document the Great Salt Lake. Using the Honors College Research Grant, I was also able to purchase some camera equipment that was very useful on the trip including a microphone and tripod.

This semester allowed me to start sifting through much of the footage that I recorded this past summer. Sorting through hours of footage can be a lengthy task, so this step took patience. I’ve also been able to start the editing process and have a basic layout of the video in the editing software. Motion graphics will also be used to explain some of the concepts mentioned, and I’ve started building some of these as well. Next semester I plan to finish the video, wrap up my thesis, and distribute the video for public viewing. I’m looking forward to having a final product, and I hope that all the hard work over the past few semesters pays off.