Inspiring Students

Student works to make sure history is right

By Barbara Hein

The thought of trying to rewrite history could be pretty intimidating for many people, but not for College of Saint Benedict senior Erin Saupe.  The Natural Science major from St. Joseph, Minn. believed so strongly in correcting what she felt was a historical injustice that she set about doing just that—helping to rewrite history by telling the story of an unsung hero.

Erin believes Mary Anning, a British fossilist that lived from 1799-1847, is one of the most important forces in the history of paleontology, despite the fact her name seldom appears in history books.  To help support her view, Erin began an undergraduate research project to explore Anning’s life and her contributions to science.  By means of a literature review, combined with interviews with CSB/SJU professor Larry Davis who has visited Anning’s home town, Erin’s research pieced together the story of Mary Anning.

Much of what Erin was able to uncover came from writings by Dr. Hugh Torrens—a professor at Keele University in Great Britain.  Erin’s project reveals what Professor Torrens was able to discover, that Mary Anning was a self-taught hunter of fossils.  Anning often sold her findings to collectors who would ultimately receive credit for them.  According to Erin, the most notable of Anning’s contributions are her findings of the plesiosaur and the ichthyosaur—two members of extinct marine reptile families. 

Erin believes that spreading the word about Mary Anning is very important to the fields of geology, paleontology, and history.  “History can be skewed by the prejudices of the time.  It’s imperative that we correct those prejudices and give credit where credit is due—science needs to be kept accurate and empirical,” states Erin. 

Erin had the opportunity to further tell the story of Mary Anning when she presented her findings at the Private College Scholars at the Capitol Day (PCSAC) on March 9, 2006.  Erin’s presentation was one of two dozen undergraduate research projects showcased at the Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda.

Marcus Webster PhD is the Director of the Undergraduate Research Program at CSB/SJU and co-chair of PCSAC.  He writes that PCSAC “helps to celebrate the achievements of undergraduate research by students in Minnesota’s Private Colleges as well as inform legislators and the public about the high quality and community relevance of scholarly work done at private colleges.”

“Research helps students think critically and prepares them for life after college—be that graduate school or a professional job,” explains Erin.  “I feel privileged to help promote undergraduate research to our legislators.”

Joining Erin at the capitol were two other CSB/SJU students.  Saint John’s senior Sean Abernathy presented his findings based on the question “Does foreign direct investment significantly affect emigration rates in developing nations?”  Saint Ben’s junior Eve Vang presented the findings of her research into the Hmong refugee resettlement program in Minnesota.

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