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Research Team

Graduate Students

Ashley Baragary headshot

 

Ashley Baragary, M.S. Student, 2023-Current

She received her B.S. in Marine Biology from Northwest Missouri State University. Ashley is interested in aquatic ecology and conservation. In the future, she plans to study aquatic ecosystems, modeling how they are affected by external factors such as climate change and human behavior, and helping develop effective conservation and management plans. Welcome Ashley!

 

Owen Edwards headshot

 

Owen Edwards, M.S. Student, 2022-Current

His research interests are focused primarily on the ecology and evolution of vertebrates, using reptiles and amphibians as experimental models. He has recently been interested in understanding how climate changes are altering species’ range shifts. Funding support: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

 

 

Gabriel Hessler headshot

 

Gabriel Hessler, Ph.D. Student, 2023-Current

Gabriel is interested in how the living things around us respond to environmental changes or stressors inflicted either directly or indirectly by humans and looking at how we can model some of these changes in a lab setting. Welcome!

 

 

 

 

Jamaal Jacobs headshot

 

Jamaal Jacobs, M.S. Student, 2022-Current

Jamaal's thesis focuses on understanding the impacts of fragmentation and locomotion on ecological dynamics. He performs a series of laboratory experiments using Caenorhabditis elegans to fulfill two aims:

  1. Distinguish the impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation on population abundance of species with different locomotion speeds.
  2. Determine the impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation on competition outcomes of species with different locomotion speeds.

Carson Turner headshot

 

Carson Turner, Post-Baccalaureate Student, 2023-Current

Carson is supported by the NSF ON-RaMP post-baccalaureate program, offering mentored research experiences for postbaccalaureate graduates in the biological sciences. Carson is particularly interested in the integration of GIS and/or cartography into environmental research. Welcome!

 

 

Undergraduate Students

Sara Box headshot

 

Sara Box, Undergraduate Student, 2022-current

Her research interests include wildlife biology and conservation and management. She has recently been interested in how human activity and climate change affect both endangered animals and plant species.

 

 

 

 

Collin Koza headshot

 

Collin Koza, Undergraduate Student, 2021-Current

His research interests include plant responses to abiotic stressors such as high temperature, high salinity, and excessive watering. He’s also interested in knowing how these stressors on certain plant species can affect other plant species and animal diversity within the same habitat.

 

Edgar Lara headshot

 

Edgar Lara, Undergraduate Student, 2021-Current

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

McKenzie Menefee headshot

 

McKenzie Menefee, Undergraduate Student, 2021-Current

She is interested in studying biological relationships and how they relate to human environmental interactions.

 

 

 

 

 

Rebeca Richardson headshot

 

Rebeca Richardson, Undergraduate Student and 2022-2023 Niblack Research Scholar, 2021-Current

Her research interest includes microbial interactions with environmental and anthropogenic factors and their effect on ecosystems along with implementation of microbes in conservation and sustainability practices.

 


Research Team Alumni

Allasandra Valdez, M.S. Student, 2021

 

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