PELLSTON, Mich. — When Pavit Saini moved into a cabin at the University of Michigan Biological Station in late May, the 19-year-old had everything needed for the next month of field courses immersed in forests, lakes and rivers in the Northwoods.

Boots, bug spray, water bottle — check.

It all came in handy when, for example, Saini swabbed frogs to test them for the fungus Bd (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) that causes chytridiomycosis, a skin disease in amphibians.

But once the Michigan sophomore got a taste of the social life at the lakeside campus community, he realized he was missing one important thing: His violin.

“I actually didn't bring my instrument with me, and I definitely regret not doing so,” Saini said. “I have been borrowing a friend's violin to help with the Talent Show and Ecopalooza festivities.”

Pavit Saini played the violin to back a student group performance of “Mammalton" during the UMBS Talent Show on Thursday, June 11.

The Pittsburgh native double majoring in data science and Program in the Environment (PitE) at U-M took the stage in Gates Lecture Hall and played the violin to back a student group performance of “Mammalton” — a UMBS-inspired take on the Broadway musical “Hamilton” — at the UMBS Talent Show on Thursday, June 11.

During the end-of-term celebratory showcase of learning called Ecopalooza on Thursday, June 18, Saini used the violin to creatively tell the story of research project results in the classes he took at UMBS: General Ecology Lab and General Ecology Lecture.

“I truly believe that I've learned so much more here than I could possibly learn by just sitting in a classroom all day,” Saini said.

Saini started playing violin when he was eight years old and continued through high school. Now in college, Saini plays music informally.

“I have a friend with a guitar and we jam together,” Saini said.

On the eve of departing from the Pellston campus, Saini played “Test Drive” from the movie “How to Train Your Dragon” along the Douglas Lake shoreline. Watch and listen here.

In honor of Saini’s successful spring term as a student at the U-M Biological Station, read our Q&A.

Pavit Saini organized his cabin on spring term move-in day: Tuesday, May 19.

Q. How did you hear about UMBS? What made you want to take courses here?

I heard about UMBS while trying to figure out what ways I could fulfill my practical experience requirement for PitE, and I thought it would be a lot of fun to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life to take classes I'll have to take anyway, but out in the woods!

Q. What did you think of the UMBS academic experience and your field courses?

Taking courses here has been a lot of fun, and I truly believe that I've learned so much more here than I could possibly learn by just sitting in a classroom all day. Having all the concepts be taught and then immediately be shown what those concepts look like in real life has helped me make so many connections to all the different topics in such a unique way. I'm taking the ecology lecture and lab, and both of those classes have made such an impact on my learning and have made me even more curious about ecology as a field. Participating in activities I never thought I'd be able to (like swabbing frogs to test them for diseases in lecture) and being able to actually analyze data that we spent so long collected (in lab) have made me want to pursue a more scientific future path more than anything I've done in college so far.

Photo from Pavit Saini of the Ecology Lecture class having lunch at a place affectionately known as "Narnia." It's in the Upper Peninsula along Lake Huron.

Q. What was your favorite part of your time at UMBS as part of this community?

My favorite part about my time at UMBS is definitely visiting Narnia with the ecology lecture — getting to eat lunch in one of the most scenic locations I've ever been to really makes me want to be more adventurous in my free time.

Q. Are there any memorable moments that you’ll remember forever?

The most memorable part of my experience here has to be when we were collecting data with the ecology lab at Cut River. By my group's own decision, we decided we needed to collect data from a really steep hill, which was so much fun and a huge bonding experience between me and the rest of our group. It was also just really funny that we managed to make our way all the way back to the bridge where the cars were parked without having to even take the trail.

Q. What kind of career do you want to pursue?

I'm not completely sure what career I want to pursue, but some of the options I'm considering are becoming an environmental analyst or pursuing a graduate degree to go into environmental and data science research, both of which combine my passion for data and environmental sciences.

Q. How did UMBS impact that journey? 

UMBS has definitely opened my eyes more about what field work really looks like and options for pursuing graduate school. It's definitely made scientific research more appealing for me, and who knows, maybe I'll even pursue a doctoral degree!

 

The University of Michigan Biological Station serves as a gathering place to learn from the natural world, advance research and education, and inspire action. We leverage over a century of research and transformative experiences to drive discoveries and solutions to benefit Michigan and beyond.

Our vast campus engages all of the senses. Its remote, natural setting nurtures deep thought and scientific discovery.

Founded in 1909, UMBS supports long-term research and education through immersive, field-based courses and features state-of-the-art equipment and facilities for data collection and analysis to help any field researcher be productive. It is where students and scientists from across the globe live and work as a community to learn from the place.

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