Research Team
Graduate Students
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, 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, 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, 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:
- Distinguish the impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation on population abundance of species with different locomotion speeds.
- Determine the impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation on competition outcomes of species with different locomotion speeds.
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, 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, 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, Undergraduate Student, 2021-Current
McKenzie Menefee, Undergraduate Student, 2021-Current
She is interested in studying biological relationships and how they relate to human environmental interactions.
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