Graduate Student Profiles

Department and pursued degree:

PhD, Oceanography

Faculty advisor(s):

Anitra Ingalls

Previous institution and degree:

Stanford University, BS (Chemistry)

Research interest:

I study the microbes in the surface ocean and the ways that their small scale activities contribute to controlling the large scale ocean biogeochemical cycles. I approach this topic by making measurements of small organic molecules that microbes use and produce. I think of these molecules as the currency of microbes - they can't talk to us or to one another, but we can trace their activity and interactions through the chemical exchanges they make and the chemical signatures they leave behind. This work takes me out to sea for weeks at a time to collect samples, requires time in our analytical chemistry lab and a lot of time working with the large data sets we generate; so I get to hone lots of different types of skills.

Dissertation title:

Metabolites and marine microbial activity

Research location:

The North Pacific Subtropical and Subpolar Gyres

Department and pursued degree:

MMA, Marine and Environmental Affairs

Faculty advisor(s):

Terrie Klinger

Previous institution and degree:

Pomona College, BA (Environmental Analysis)

Research interest:

I am focusing on ways to bridge science and policy to support projects that build resilience in coastal ecological and social systems. For my thesis research, I am studying what makes habitat suitable for restoring Olympia oysters – our native oyster species – in the Salish Sea, and how to integrate climate change into these decisions. In working with local restoration practitioners, I am compiling and analyzing spatial data that describes environmental conditions that are relevant to oyster restoration, which will ultimately help support important local restoration efforts.

Dissertation title:

Habitat Suitability and Climate Considerations for Olympia Oyster Restoration

Research location:

Salish Sea

Department and pursued degree:

MS, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences

Faculty advisor(s):

Daniel Schindler

Previous institution and degree:

University of Washington, BS (Environmental Science and Resource Management)

Research interest:

I study how stream water quality is influenced by watershed conditions, human disturbances, and climate change, and how pollutants to streams may affect aquatic food webs and subsistence fisheries. I approach this problem through collecting water samples in the field via boat and helicopter, analyzing fish and water samples in the lab, and using statistical models. By coupling my data with geographic information systems, I evaluate how landscape features like permafrost or mining activity influence the delivery of terrestrial materials to streams, and how these materials are processed by microbes and aquatic organisms as they travel downstream from source to sink.

Dissertation title:

Proximate and distal controls on stream water constituents in a boreal river network

Research location:

Kuskokwim River, Alaska

Department and pursued degree:

PhD, Environmental and Forest Sciences

Faculty advisor(s):

Patrick Tobin

Previous institution and degree:

University of Minnesota, BS (Plant Breeding and Genetics)

Research interest:

I study foraging behavior of Pacific Northwest solitary bees, and the role that pollen preferences play in determining the health and survival of native bees. While bees prefer some flowers over others, we are working to understand the impact of these choices on native bee health. I approach these unknowns by setting up experimental sites across urban areas in western Washington. Genetic work allows us to reveal the stories contained in bee pollen, and understand patterns created by bees and how their preferences impact plant pollination. This work places me in the field during the spring and summer when the bees are active. In the lab, I perform genetic sequencing analysis, giving me the skills and experience over many fields of research.

Dissertation title:

Effects of floral resource composition on Osmia lignaria in western Washington

Research location:

Seattle, WA

Department and pursued degree:

PhD, Earth and Space Sciences

Faculty advisor(s):

Alexis Licht

Previous institution and degree:

University of Michigan, BS (Geological Sciences)

Research interest:

I study plate tectonics, specifically the nitty-gritty of what happens before, during and after two continents collide. This entire process makes mountains, volcanoes and sedimentary basins. I study ancient sedimentary rocks by going outside for several weeks, making observations and measurements, and taking dozens of samples. I bring home samples and do two things: 1) use chemical techniques to determine their age; and 2) cut them into thin pieces (thinner than one hair!) to look at under a microscope to determine their composition. From this, I can understand the evolution of mountains and sedimentary basins over millions of years, and construct a detailed timeline of continent-continent collisions. This helps us understand exactly how the Earth works to shape the surface into what we see today.

Dissertation title:

Tectonic Evolution of Western Turkey

Research location:

Turkey and western North America

Department and pursued degree:

PhD, Atmospheric Sciences

Faculty advisor(s):

Rob Wood

Previous institution and degree:

Vanderbilt University, BA (Earth & Environmental Sciences)

Research interest:

I use satellite retrievals, observations from instruments onboard research aircraft, and high-resolution models to study how airborne pollution particles (aerosol) affect cloud properties over the oceans. My main area of focus is the southeast Atlantic Ocean, where I study cloud brightening from international shipping between Europe/northern and southern Africa and the influence of smoke particles from agricultural fires during the southern African dry season on marine cloud properties. The degree to which warming from greenhouse gasses has been partially "masked" by the cooling influence of these aerosol-cloud interactions is the largest source of scientific uncertainty in quantifying how much human activities have changed Earth's energy balance.

Dissertation title:

Assessing aerosol-cloud-climate interactions in the southeast Atlantic through new observations and high-resolution modeling

Research location:

São Tomé and Príncipe

Department and pursued degree:

MS, (PhD intended), Quantitative Ecology and Resource Management

Faculty advisor(s):

Beth Gardner

Previous institution and degree:

Carleton College, BA (Mathematics/Statistics and Classical Studies)

Research interest:

I develop computer models of wildlife populations. My research focus is on species that move long distances, such as large carnivores and migratory birds. These species are difficult to build population models for, because they often move between different ecosystems and can be difficult to collect data on during certain times of year. My research involves extending models of wildlife populations to account for these species and their long-distance movements, so we can get better estimates of their population size, survival, and other important metrics. The models I build can be used to monitor wildlife populations, decide how best to conserve populations, and answer ecological questions about species' habitat needs and responses to global change.

Dissertation title:

Developing an occupancy-based monitoring framework for wolverines in the Cascades (planned dissertation title: Monitoring and management of mobile species under climate change)

Research location:

Washington's Cascades Mountains (wolverines) and eastern U.S. and Canada (black ducks)

Department and pursued degree:

PhD, Environmental and Forest Sciences

Faculty advisor(s):

Aaron Wirsing

Previous institution and degree:

University of Washington, BS (Wildlife Science), University of Delaware, MS (Wildlife Ecology and Conservation)

Research interest:

In order to protect big, rare endangered species like snow leopards and wolves in the high mountains of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, we need answers to some pretty basic, but incredibly challenging questions. How many are there? Where are they? I blend field skills like climbing, tracking, and trapping together with modern technology like satellite collars, remote cameras, and computer models to answer these questions and to understand how these carnivores might inadvertently benefit one another. Ultimately, I hope this research helps us do a better job protecting both species, and the mountain landscapes they call home.

Dissertation title:

Carnivore spatial and behavioral ecology in the mountains of Central Asia

Research location:

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

College of the Environment

Graduate Student Profiles

Angie Boysen

Charlotte Dohrn

David French

Lila Westreich

Megan Mueller

Michael Diamond

Robbie Emmet

Shannon Kachel