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University of Wisconsin Oshkosh senior Max Schwid, of Sussex, found working on his own research project to be a valuable learning experience for honing his communication skills and developing a one-on-one relationship with his faculty mentor Eric Hiatt.

Schwid, a geology major, presented the results of his project, “Origin of Iron and Phosphate-Rich Marine Sediments during the Last Snowball Earth Ice Age (ca. 640 Million Years before Present) and their Significance for Biogeochemical Cycles, Mato Grosso, Brazil,” at the 14th-Annual Research in the Rotunda in Madison during the spring semester.

Schwid is looking at rocks that bear both iron and phosphorous. These rocks, found in Brazil, are associated with the last global Ice Age and may be useful resource supplements when traditional phosphorous deposits become depleted.

This research was an educational opportunity for Schwid in more ways than one. “I learned a lot more about geology than I ever expected . . . and I grew a lot as a person too because I learned how to present myself formally and work on direct, concise writing styles,” Schwid said.

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