Jackson Free Press

David Butler, a senior at Millsaps College, took an atypical route to his final college decision. However, since his arrival at Millsaps, he has never looked back.

After graduating from high school, the Baton Rouge native planned to study civil engineering at Louisiana State University. When he attended orientation, Butler felt lost in the sea of purple and gold.

"I felt like a number—literally, the last four digits of my Social Security (number)," Butler says. With more than half the summer gone, Butler decided to attend Millsaps for a more personal experience.

Once in Jackson, Butler did not waste time getting involved. During the fall of his freshman year, he volunteered for Project Midtown, a campus-wide service effort at Millsaps that works with several Jackson non-profit organizations. He has also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, Bethlehem Center and Good Samaritan Center.

Still thinking he would pursue an engineering degree when he arrived at Millsaps, Butler decided to major in geology with a concentration in geophysics after taking a geology class. This summer, Butler has continued his studies by doing research in Jackson through an internship with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. He has been studying the effect of the New Madras fault on gas supply in Mississippi. His research could be the first of several projects that will help determine whether local earthquake codes are up to par. The research project is a perfect fit for Butler.

"I love my research since it gets me outside," Butler says. "I do a lot of outdoor activities, and I do like having to get outside more."

Because of his love for the outdoors, Butler signed up for the Outdoor Adventure club during his freshman year, and is now the club's president and a member of the cycling club.

Interested in service as well as cycling, Butler began participating in the MS 150, a 150-mile bike ride to benefit Multiple Sclerosis research his sophomore year at Millsaps and participated again last year. "We have (a MS 150 ride) in Baton Rouge, and some of my friends were doing that one, so I looked into it," Butler says.

After graduation, Butler plans to pursue his masters in geophysics, and then go into a career in geophysical engineering. In layman's terms, he plans to engineer buildings that can withstand earthquakes.