'Ethnobotany and Enslavement'
Ohio Wesleyan Student, Professors Study Botanical Medicine in Ghana, West Africa
Name: Carly Sanders '24
Hometown: Painesville, Ohio
High School: Riverside High School
Majors: Botany and Biochemistry
Minor: Black World Studies
OWU Connection Experience: Theory-to-Practice Grant to travel to Ghana in January 2024 to study "Ethnobotany and Enslavement: Erasure of Botanical Medicine in the Diaspora"
Sanders and grant co-applicants Dawn Chisebe, OWU's chief diversity officer and part-time instructor in Africana, Gender, and Identity Studies, and Laurel Anderson, Ph.D., the Morris Family Professor of Natural Sciences, traveled to Ghana from Jan. 1-10, where they worked to deepen their understanding of the botanical medicine that originated in the region. Stanilaw Osei-Bonsu '09 assisted the group in initiating contacts within Ghana.
In explaining the research, Sanders said: "This project encompasses an investigation into the history and reasons behind the disappearance of forms of botanical medicine from West/West Central Africa that would have been brought to the United States by enslaved people."
Why I Choose This Experience?
"I chose to participate in a Theory-to-Practice Grant because I had envisioned a project that would be too big for me to complete without both financial and personal support. This OWU Connection experience allowed me to personalize my travel to fit the needs of my project while providing a framework for how to successfully participate in this kind of experience."
My Favorite Moment
"My very favorite moment was learning how to prepare an herbarium specimen at the Centre for Plant Medicine Research, from harvesting the sample in the field to drying and mounting the specimen for future use. I also really valued the conversations that were had over dinner when we discussed the events of the day, as they contributed to the interdisciplinary knowledge that I was able to take away from this project."
Lessons Learned
"The most important lesson that I learned is the value of collaboration; this includes collaboration with Dr. Anderson and Professor Chisebe, as well as future collaborations with the Centre for Plant Medicine Research. It also shifted the way that I think about scientific research and how I can ethically engage with research in the future while supporting other scientists rather than competing with them."
My Campus Involvements
"I was on the football cheer team for four years. I have been doing research in Dr. (Chris) Wolverton's lab since 2022. I have worked in the science center's greenhouse since 2021. I am part of Terpsicorps and OWU Rhythms.
Sanders' work with Wolverton and his NASA-supported research has included participating in Ohio Wesleyan's annual 10-week Summer Science Research Program (SSRP) and studying "The Influence of Nitrate Reductases on Gravitational Response in Arabidopsis Thaliana."
Why I Chose to Attend Ohio Wesleyan?
"I chose Ohio Wesleyan because I knew I wanted to major in both Botany and Biochemistry, which is a combination that is hard to find. It is also a small school where I can have the opportunity for a variety of personalized experiences."
After graduation, I will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison to obtain a Ph.D. in Botany. The opportunities at Ohio Wesleyan have prepared me to be an independent, interdisciplinary thinker and have allowed me to have experiences that set me apart from other researchers.
My Plans After Graduation
"After graduation, I will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison to obtain a Ph.D. in Botany. The opportunities at Ohio Wesleyan have prepared me to be an independent, interdisciplinary thinker and have allowed me to have experiences that set me apart from other researchers."