Roosevelt University - BA, Biology
My research interests are in virology and pharmacology. In undergrad, I researched the adequacy of trial design and the discrepancies in observed adverse effects of CGRP-antagonists in the treatment of migraine patients in an effort to understand best practices for optimal use as a treatment. As a graduate student, I will be focusing on the herpes simplex virus type 1 and working to understand how the glycoprotein interactions of the virus affect membrane fusion. (Advisor: Dr. Connolly )
Loyola University - BS, Biology
Temperature effects on skeletal morphology and swimming performance in fishes. (Advisor: Dr. Aguirre)
Capital University - BS, Biology
My research interests are in reproductive biology and endocrinology. As a woman in science, I recognize how medical professions have only recently acknowledged the different ways that sex and gender impact health and illnesses. Because medical research has historically left women out, we still know less about the ways in which many diseases affect women or how to prevent, diagnose, and treat them. My thesis research focuses on how vitamin A deficiency affects fertility and ovarian development in mice. (Advisor: Dr. Kipp)
Ball State University - BS, Biology
I am interested in studying how environmental contaminants influence ecosystems and organisms. As an undergraduate, I studied how microplastics and nanoparticles impact the health and growth of aquatic plants. My graduate research will be focused on PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), which have been shown to affect the brain development and immune function of rats. Specifically, I will be examining the effects of PCBs on rat microglia in-vitro to determine how they interact on a cellular and molecular level. (Advisor: Dr. Bell)
University of Dayton - BS, Biological Sciences
As a graduate student, I work with the opportunistic, Gram-negative pathogen
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. My interests are in bacterial and phage biology, with an emphasis on understanding the mechanisms of bacterial antibiotic resistance and phage infection. My research has focused on the ongoing development of phage therapy as an alternative to traditional antibiotics. I’ve sought to further the primary scientific research regarding the isolation and characterization of bacteriophages against
S. maltophilia. Using microbiological and biotechnological techniques, I have isolated phage from environmental samples, determined the size of genomic DNA, and characterized the biological activity of phage in vitro. (Advisor: Dr. Brooke)
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire - Biology
I am interested in the evolutionary patterns of organisms and how evolution can impact the interaction between species and their environment. I am studying how changes in environmental temperature affect the development of bone in the axial skeleton of the Mexican tetra
Astyanax mexicanus. (Advisor: Dr. Aguirre)
Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala - BS, Biological Sciences
I am interested in the ecology and evolution of vertebrates, especially where these two areas complement each other and can be used to aid conservation efforts. More specifically, I’m interested in studying how ecological processes influence the evolution of different animals, particularly fish. I’m currently studying two species of Neotropical freshwater fish from the genus
Rocio (Teleostei: Cichlidae) in Guatemala. I’m using field based environmental characteristics and geometric morphometrics to describe the degree of ecological niche overlap between the two species. My thesis aims to use trait-based ecology within an evolutionary framework. (Advisor: Dr. Aguirre)
DePaul University - BS, Biological Sciences
Cancer Biology (Advisor: Dr. Rajah)
University of Mount Union - BS, Biology and Spanish
My research interests are in comparative physiology and ecology. Specifically, how aquatic pollutants affect fish. As a graduate student I will be researching the effects of microplastic exposure on euryhaline fish development and gill function. (Advisor: Dr. Bystriansky)
Kenyon College - BA, Biology
David is pursuing a Master's degree in urban ecology. He previously worked in sageland ecosystems of the American West, performing habitat research. His Master's research explores the habitat interactions of tree cavities and cavity nesting birds across a range of human-dominated landscapes. He hopes to use this research to improve the interactions between human landscape use and wildlife habitat, and to improve the quality of natural spaces in towns and cities. (Advisor: Dr. LaMontagne)
University of Mount Olive - Biological Sciences
My research involves looking at the physiological effects of ocean acidification in Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica). I am particularly interested in their ability to sequester lead [Pb] in their calcium carbonate shells in acidified water, which is an important ecosystem service oysters provide in estuarine environments. Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels increase ocean acidification and pose a great threat to most shelled marine invertebrates, so it is important to understand the implications on some of the ocean's most vulnerable inhabitants - oysters. (Advisor: Dr. Bystriansky)
Loyola University Chicago - BS, Biology
I have always been interested in paleontology and evolution. As an undergrad I studied ornithology and ichthyology, and my current research is exploring the organisms that existed during the first marine incursion of the Western Interior Seaway into North America during the Cretaceous period. (Advisor: Dr. Shimada)
DePaul University - BS, Biological Sciences
My research interests are in fish physiology and evolution. I studied the prehistoric shark,
Megachasma applegatei, during my undergrad with Dr. Shimada and worked to reconstruct the dentition of this extinct shark. For my graduate studies, I am working on assessing the salinity tolerance of the swordtail,
Xiphophorus helleri, to better understand how this fish may have been able to cross over bodies of saltwater to enter new freshwater habitats. (Advisor: Dr. Bystriansky)
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - BS, Animal Science
I am interested in exploring how changes in seawater pH affect the physiology of sea urchins (Lytechinus variegatus). (Advisor: Dr. Bystriansky)
Kennesaw State University - Biology
Genetics (Advisor: Dr. Gilliland)
DePaul University - BS, Biological Sciences
Microbiology (Advisor: Dr. Brooke)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - BS, Integrative Biology
Genetics (Advisor: Dr. Gilliland)
DePaul University - BS, Biological Sciences
Her strong interest in studying animal behavior and statistical data analysis, was the guiding force to pursue her Master’s. She will be working in Dr. LaMontagne’s lab, where she will learn more about tick-borne diseases and their outbreaks, a phenomenon that has increased over the past years and that is related to animals’ dynamics. (Advisor: Dr. LaMontagne)
DePaul University - BS, Biological Sciences
I am mainly interested in plant ecology, with a focus on community interactions. My research specifically looks at the growth of mosses based on environmental factors and other organisms in the environment through predictive mapping and specimen analysis. As mosses tend to have a very narrow niche, recording and determining their reasons for growth over time can also be an indicator of the impacts of climate change. (Advisors: Dr. Dean and Dr. von Konrat - Field Museum of Natural History)
DePaul University - BS, Biological Sciences
My research interests are focused on the effects of environmental contaminants on the developing neural, endocrine and immune systems. My thesis project is looking at the effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on affective behavior as well as ethanol and saccharine consumption in adolescent rats. I am particularly interested in health outcomes in children and adolescents and hope to carry-on related research in the future. (Advisor: Dr. Bell)
Auburn University - BS, Organismal Biology (Ecology, Evolution, Behavior) | BS, Animal Sciences (Pre-Vet Pre-Professional)
For my thesis, I am studying patterns of salinity tolerance in freshwater fishes of Western Ecuador. Specifically, I aim to create a species distribution map of salinity tolerance throughout the Guayaquil River-Basin, a region expected to experience severe coastal flooding by the end of this century. (Advisor: Dr. Aguirre)
Loyola University Chicago - BS, Biology w/ Ecology emphasis
My interests revolve around understanding plant responses to climate change as well as the resulting effects on overall ecosystem dynamics. I am especially interested in how a changing climate affects trees and the implications for future forest regeneration and composition. My current research focuses on examining the effects of experimental warming and elevated CO2 reproduction in black spruce (Picea mariana) and eastern tamarack (Larix laricina), specifically regarding seed quality and viability. In the future, I hope to continue my research and contribute to improving conservation efforts and the overall health and quality of forests. (Advisor: Dr. LaMontagne)
Truman State University - BS, Biology
I am interested in the organism
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, a bacterial pathogen that is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. I am researching phages that can infect this bacterium as a potential alternative to traditional treatments. (Advisor: Dr. Brooke)
University of California, San Diego - BS, Marine Biology
I am currently investigating shark neurocrania across various groups. Observing the optic, olfactory and otic (OOO) capsules within the neurocrania enables me to find out information related to past, present, and future ecological characteristics in sharks. Carrying out this project will illustrate the impact that climate change has on future shark populations, and thus reveals the likelihood of the oceans staying healthy. (Advisor: Dr. Shimada)