Faculty and student research
        A botanical breakthrough: OHIO undergraduate and professor discover several new species of violets in the mountains of Virginia
    
      September 17, 2025
      
        
        7 min
      
    
    OHIO senior Collin Thacker, under the mentorship of professor Harvey Ballard, discovered four new species of violets in the mountains of Virginia, including two tucked away in Shenandoah National Park. What started as a summer research job turned into a blooming opportunity to make a lasting mark on botanical science and Thacker's career.