BioScience Alliance: Alumns

I performed my research at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo under my advisor, Dr. Kristen Lukas. I am interested in understanding the effects of the zoo environment on animal welfare, and in finding new ways to measure animal welfare. My research focused on the five bear species housed at the Zoo, and I examined how various factors in the environment affected their behavior and welfare, including season and visitor density, and management strategies, such as habitat rotation and access off-exhibit. I also worked with the Animal Programs team to test the feasibility of cognitive bias as a measure of positive welfare in grizzly bears using a touchscreen paradigm. Finally, I conducted an evaluation of the Zoo’s Animal Welfare Process as seen through its application to bears.

Before starting my PhD, I received my Master’s degree from the University of Chicago and worked as a research assistant at the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, IL. During my time there I honed my interest in zoo animal behavior, cognition, and welfare. When I was ready to continue my education, I applied to this program specifically for the unique opportunities provided by the Bioscience Alliance. The ability to pursue my PhD through Case Western Reserve University by conducting research at the Zoo while simultaneously being trained as a zoo professional has allowed me to gain skills, knowledge, and perspective that would have otherwise been out of reach. Further, the network of colleagues and mentors that I have gained through my time in this program has been invaluable as I have finished my doctoral work and am ready to move on to the next stage of my career. 

Sharon C. Danielson, PhD

Medeiros lab, hosted jointly by Case Western Reserve University and Holden Arboretum

My research interests include plant physiology, ecology, and evolution. Specifically, I am investigating how the urban environment shapes forest communities and alters tree trait diversity. I also have a special interest in plant water transport strategies as a key to understanding what species will thrive in urban areas. 

Before starting my PhD, I was an intern at the Holden Arboretum studying the physiology and evolution of Rhododendrons with Dr. Medeiros. Through the Bioscience Alliance, I had the opportunity to pursue a PhD at Case Western Reserve while exploring my interests and honing my skills a physiologist in Dr. Medeiros’ lab at the Holden Arboretum. The collaboration between Case Western Reserve and the Holden Arboretum has provided me with an experience specifically catered to my research interests. Not only are my research interests satiated, but I have the unique opportunity to view science from an academic perspective at Case Western Reserve, as well as through the lens of a non-profit organization that, in addition to research, is dedicated to community outreach and conservation. Perhaps the most valuable aspect of this collaboration, is that it has broadened my network of research collaborators and mentors.

Alexa Wagner, PhD

Stuble lab, hosted jointly by Case Western Reserve University and Holden Arboretum

I am interested in understanding the relationships between organisms in our natural areas and how these relationships can inform best practices in restoration. My research will investigate how forest management of northern hardwood forests impacts the performance and demography of native and non-native understory plants and how various ecological interactions, including deer and insect herbivory, can further drive composition and structure of plant communities. 

My scientific career was cultivated through early opportunities at institutions included in the BioScience Alliance partnership. From animal care at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, to volunteer assistance of research collections at Cleveland Museum of Natural History Museum, each institution shaped my biological viewpoint and fostered my scientific discovery. Holden Arboretum provided invaluable undergraduate research experience that ultimately led me to pursue my graduate degree. The partnership between these public-facing institutions will continue to benefit my scientific training by providing the opportunity for me to learn from and collaborate with professors and other graduate students at CWRU, as well as scientists across every institution, all while simultaneously encouraging the need to enhance scientific communication to the public. 

I perform my research at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo under my advisor, Dr. Diana Koester. I am interested in understanding how different zoo habitat design strategies affect animal welfare, and developing new methods to more accurately quantify the different characteristics of zoo habitats. My research has allowed me to work with a number of different taxa, including snow leopard, eastern black rhinoceros, and giant Pacific octopus. My projects have ranged from evaluating the effects of choice-based habitat design on Amur tigers to using 3D photogrammetry to create digital models of zoo primate habitats.

Through the Bioscience Alliance, I have had the opportunity to pursue my PhD in the Biology department at Case Western University while simultaneously conducting my research at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. This unique partnership has allowed me to continue my lifelong passion of working in zoos while developing as a scientist as I work on my dissertation. In my experience, some of the most beneficial aspects of the Bioscience Alliance are the range of potential mentors and collaborators available, and being exposed to how research is conducted and integrated into four different institutions. The different collaborative experiences I have gained through the Bioscience Alliance have been invaluable to my development as a researcher, and I look forward to applying this experience for the rest of my career implementing both science-based management strategies for zoo animals and science-based design in zoo habitats.

My expertise is in host microbial ecology, specifically in whether host microbiota are associated with health. My work focused on how diet affects the gut microbiome and health in numerous species at the zoo. The goal of my research was to improve animal health in human care by manipulating diet to best mimic the diet of wild animals. At the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo I worked directly with Dr. Pam Dennis on the diets of black rhinos, cheetah, sloth bears and Bornean orangutans.