Boise State biology major Lily Criswell, a pre-med student, gained hands-on research experience through a Vertically Integrated Project studying microbial communities in the Boise foothills’ sagebrush ecosystem. Her work, supported by a Boise Cascade Environmental Research Fellowship, explores post-fire restoration strategies by quantifying bacterial and fungal populations in burned and unburned soil samples. Though her career goal is medicine, Criswell credits the VIP program for giving her meaningful scientific contributions and a competitive edge in medical school applications.

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