Graduate Students
|
SUSAN WASHKO Susan is a MSc student in Ecology. She is from Cleveland, Ohio, and attended Allegheny College in northwest Pennsylvania for her bachelors degree. At USU, Susan studies carbon storage and cycling in beaver complexes as well as differences in ecosystem function between beaver-inhabited streams and streams without beavers. Examples of possible beaver-related functional differences can include macroinvertebrate species composition and trophic cascades with trout, as well as differences in organic matter, nutrient content, and algal growth. Additionally, Susan enjoys exploring the outdoors, speaking Spanish, cooking, singing, and gardening. Contact: washko.susan@gmail.com |
|
SHALEY VALENTINE Shaley is a MSc student in Ecology. She is from Hudsonville, Michigan and received a B.A in Zoology from Northern Michigan University in 2016. She is generally interested in aquatic community ecology and how climate change and anthropogenic disturbances affect communities. Past research included factors affecting esturarine community assemblages, small mammal parasite-host interactions, and lake sturgeon demography and aquaculture. Her graduate research focuses on global extinction risk of species based on trophic level and diet. She enjoys kayaking, drawing, cooking, gaming, and camping. Contact: shaleyvalentine@gmail.com |
JOSH EPPERLY Josh is a MSc student in Ecology, and is from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is proud to be part of the multi-disciplinary research team on the Diamond Fork restoration project. The aim of the project is to understand the effects of reduced flow on fluvial processes and aquatic ecosystem functioning in Diamond Fork River / Sixth Water Creek, a system which historically has had artificially high flows. In particular, Josh is studying how macroinvertebrate populations in Diamond Fork / Sixth Water respond to different flow regimes. His research interests are aquatic ecosystem productivity and anthropogenic stressors on river systems. Josh is Co-supervised by Edd Hammill at USU.
Contact: jepperly2012@gmail.com
MAYA PENDLETON Maya is a MSc student in Ecology. She studied at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah where she received a bachelors in Zoology with a minor in Botany in 2016. For her undergraduate research, Maya studied behaviors of shorebirds on the Great Salt Lake and has worked with American White Pelicans and multiple species of bats for the UDWR. At USU, Maya studies ecosystem services and functions of wetlands on the Great Salt Lake. These services include carbon storage, seed production, presence of native vs non-native plant species, and bird habitat. She enjoys river-running, birding, camping, gardening and spending time with family.
Contact: mayapendleton (at)mail.weber.edu
Undergraduate Students
SAM SEDGWICK Sam is from Rescue, California and came to USU because of its awesome Natural Resources program. Sam identifies macroinvertebrates in the Global Change Lab and loves his job because he gets to do research on something that will make a difference in the world. Sam plans to become a hydrologist with a Management and Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems degree and return to California to hopefully help solve the water crisis there. In his free time, Sam loves to hike, camp and fish and definitely looks forward to some field work.
DYLAN ANDERSON is an undergraduate at Utah State University studying Conservation and Restoration Ecology. He worked with Dr. David Rosenberg as a Bear River Fellow, is a Quinney Scholar in the College of Natural Resources, an Honors student, and volunteered with the USFS on a mountain pine beetle research project in the Great Basin. Dylan was born in Ogden, Utah and from a young age found a passion for immersing himself in the grandeur and majesty of the outdoors. He is an avid backcountry skier, trail runner, and climber and finds himself no more at home than in the ramparts of the high alpine. He seeks to accumulate a variety of knowledge in landscape and watershed restoration. He hopes he can apply those skills and understanding with his passion of recreation to educate and help connect the average citizen with nature and the risks it faces. At the Aquatic Ecology and Global Change Lab, he helps measure and analyze components of ecosystem functioning in rivers, such as leaf decomposition and chlorophyll a standing stock. Dylan is very grateful for his opportunity to explore the field of restoration ecology on the Diamond Fork River Project. He can be contacted at dylan.anderson@aggiemail.usu.edu.
BRYCE BOLLINGER Bryce is an undergraduate currently studying conservation ecology and is specifically interested in aquatic ecosystems. In the Aquatic Ecology and Global Change Lab, Bryce identifies and sorts macroinvertebrates. Bryce is from Cottonwood Heights Utah. Living close to the mouth of Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons for most of his life, Bryce has always been involved with nature. Bryce loves fishing, hiking, camping, mountain biking, climbing, river rafting, skiing, and almost anything else that involves the great outdoors.
|
AUDREE VAN VALKENBURG Audree is an undergraduate studying Fisheries and Aquatic Science at USU. She is a Quinney Scholar in the College of Natural Resources. She recently worked with Trisha at Heron Island, Australia to study fish foraging habits on patch reefs. She is now assessing video footage taken during this project. She is passionate about understanding and protecting aquatic natural resources.
|
|
SARIT (CAMP) CHANPRAME Camp is a Biology major interested in entomology. In the Aquatic Ecology and Global Change Lab, Camp identifies and sorts macroinvertebrates on the Diamond Fork/Sixthwater project. Camp is from Thailand. |
Interested in joining the Atwood Aquatic Ecology & Global Change Lab?
Students wishing to join the lab should email Trisha with a CV (please include GRE scores and GPA) and a brief personal statement about which ecosystems and research questions you are interested in.
Students wishing to join the lab should email Trisha with a CV (please include GRE scores and GPA) and a brief personal statement about which ecosystems and research questions you are interested in.
