Bittersweet end to the semester (without a proper sendoff for my research students)

Like most Colleges and Universities, Lycoming College switched to remote instruction in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The end of the semester was bittersweet without being with the students on campus as many finished four years of hard work (and maybe a little fun too). I saw three of my research students move on from Lycoming College. While they'll (hopefully) be back for a fall graduation ceremony, I would have greatly preferred to experience with them the culmination of some pretty awesome research through a traditional end to the semester. Still, I couldn't be more proud of these students.

Ruric Bowman graduates with departmental honors in biology

Ruric successfully defended his honors thesis (just in time) titled "Vertical migration of adult Plecoptera (stoneflies) above forested headwater streams". This was the culmination of a long-term project examining adult stream insects in forest canopies. What's especially impressive is that this wasn't supposed to be Ruric's thesis even though he presented on the topic at several meetings (including the national meeting for the Society for Freshwater Science). Ruric was in the middle of his project examining predator-prey dynamics when campus was closed. Since he couldn't finish that project, he set down that thesis and wrote this one in pretty short order. Ruric is the first students to receive departmental honors working with me. I hope to have an announcement about graduate school plans for Ruric soon!

Ruric getting ready for an oral presentation in the 'big room' at the Susquehanna River Symposium (top) and then giving said presentation (bottom).

Mikayla Schappert graduates after completing a GIS-based study examining landscape vulnerability to climate change

Mikayla joined my lab fully in her senior year after working for me as the the Teaching Assistant for my Introduction to GIS course. She had an interest in learning to use GIS for research in conservation biology. We collaborated on a study examining the concurrent effects of landscape geometry and urbanization on vulnerability to climate change that Mikalya used as the basis of an independent study in her final semester. She presented the research virtually to the department through a talk titled "Geographic assessment of landscape vulnerability to climate change". Mikayla was able to complete the work while working remotely from home (rather than in my lab). While I was there to support her work, she definitely showed an ability to work independently on this research.

Mikayla never got to present her independent research, but she had presented on other GIS work previously (top) and had the dual interest in organisms (bottom) and landscapes needed in conservation biology.

Braeden gonales graduates after serving as the cwi chemistry lab manager for the past 2 years.

Braeden wasn't really 'my' research student since he worked with most of the CWI staff and students, but in his final semester I was lucky to have the opportunity to work with him on water chemistry data collected from the Loyalsock Creek and a project examining novel pollutants (personal care products and pharmaceuticals) along a stormwater gradient. The research is in progress (and I hope Braeden continues to work with me on the analysis), and it represents a major step towards important collaborations between the CWI and the Lycoming College Chemistry department. Braeden will continue his work at Bloomsburg University working on an MS with Dr. Steve Rier.

Braeden presenting his chemistry colloquium (top) and learning that chemists can enjoy biology too (bottom).

Congrats to Ruric, Mikayla, and Braeden (and all graduates)!