Lindsey Wilson College student Kendall Hacker ’26 of London, Kentucky, plans to spend a lot of time in the fields this summer.
That’s because the biology major will be studying the golden mouse and the white-footed mouse. Hacker will work on her summer research thanks to being named a Ledford Scholar by the Appalachian College Association.
Hacker is one of 49 undergraduate students from 16 Appalachian College Association member institutions who have received funding for research projects as a Ledford Scholar. The Appalachian College Association is a consortium of 35 private four-year liberal arts institutions spread across the central Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
Hacker will conduct her research with Lindsey Wilson biology professor Sara Ash. Hacker’s work will include field measurements of the personality traits of the golden mouse and the white-footed mouse, who are two common competitors. Hacker will test the rodents for docility, boldness and exploration, and she plans to study the mammals on Ash’s farm in Metcalfe County, Kentucky.