Undergraduate student projects

2024 Gavin Buersken. Forest restoration: advancing techniques for research and elementary school outreach. Directed Research BIOL 3994 (2 cr)

2024 Brianna Law. How can working on climate solutions affect climate anxiety in members of Generation Z? UROP

2024 Jakob Pierskalla. How does the date of tree seedling inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi impact growth? UROP

2023 Emily Appel. The effects of drought and species diversity treatments on early germination traits. BURST

2023 Katie Kleiter. Biodiversity and drought elicit maternal effects. BURST

2022 Shelby Suhr. Northerly assisted migration of red oak (Quercus rubra) in response to climate change. UROP

2021 Alena Krauss. Comparison of twig vascular anatomy in the context of climate change. UROP co-advised with J. Savage. 

2021  Alena Krauss. Stomatal size and density and carbon isotope use comparison between southern and northern MN populations of Quercus macrocarpa and Quercus rubra. BURST

2020 Paige Fliehr. Survey of native seed producers to determine practices that might influence the evolution of plant restoration materials. BURST 

2019 Richelle Yunger. Do seeds collected from large and small populations of a local invader germinate at different rates? B&P 

2019 Paige Fliehr. Does reproductive phenology evolve when wild plants are cultivated to increase seed for restoration? DR 

2019 Anna Hall, Do cultivated and wild Clarkia pulchella plants differ with respect to leaf relative water content when exposed to two watering treatments? DR5 

2019 Devon Theis, Does seed mass and germination rate differ between wild and cultivated Clarkia pulchella? DR 

2019 Richelle Yunger, Quantifying the relationship between seed size and weight in Helianthus annuus. B&P 

2019 Julia Lau. Genetic differentiation and environmental response of stomatal density in two native herbaceous species subjected to treatments that mimic climate change. DR 

2019 Sydne Klohn, Do southern ecotypes of forest understory species have lower SLA? DR 

2019 Daniel Guild, How does elevated temperature and drought impact above-ground biomass to two native forest herbaceous species? DR 

2017 Sophia Green, Domestication of wild plant species during the process of seed increase for restoration. B & P  

2016 Anthony Rupp, Geographic variation in seed size across species’ ranges. NSF REU2 

2017  Sophia Green, Domestication of wild plant species during the process of seed increase for restoration. B & P[1]

2016  Anthony Rupp, Geographic variation in seed size across species’ ranges. NSF REU2

2015  Andrew Boser. Natural selection on populations of an arctic disjunct plant species along the North Shore of Lake Superior. BURST[2]

2015  Kirk Hietpas, The effects of non-native earthworm invasion in disturbed vs intact Northern Minnesota forests. BURST 

2015  Josh Horky. Population genetics of an endangered hemiparasitic plant species in MN. REU[3]

2014  Peter Maddus. Floral and indirect defense traits along a latitudinal gradient. UROP[4]

2014  Peter Maddus. Latitudinal patterns in floral attractive and defense traits, and their potential to mediate pollinator interactions. REU

2014  Dan Thiel. Measuring light availability in restored forest sites: clear cuts, gaps, and shelter woods. BURST

2014  Jessica Le. The lost art of herbarium specimen preparation. BURST

2014  Colton Hudelson. Geographic variation in seed size in a dominant grass of the Great Plains of North America. DR[5]

2014  Andy Olefson. Pollen tube growth following self- and cross-pollinations in Linum sulcatum (grooved flax). DR

2013  Erin Machacek. Interaction between climate change, polyploidy and pollination. UROP

2013  Nicholas Altobelli. Automating the measurements of trichome density in Solidago altissima. UROP

2013  Lindsey Kramer. How does climate change influence disease susceptibility? A study in a polyploidy plant species. UROP 

2012  Kristin Reed. The role of stem trichomes in resistance of Solidago altissima to Uroleucon sp. and powdery mildew from the Erysiphaeceae family. UROP

2012  Jolene Prochazk. Does exposure to environments of differing water availability lead to physical changes of Solidago altissima? UROP

2011  Jolene Prochazak. Do diploid and polyploid cytotypes of Solidago altissima experience different patterns of natural selection? REU 

2011  Brad Waldorf. Differences in tolerance to chronic drought between diploid and polyploid Solidago altissima. UROP 

2011  Rachel Toczydlowski. Geographic range of inbreeding and outbreeding depression in diploid and polyploid Solidago altissima sampled from climate gradients in Minnesota. UROP

2011  Brad Waldorf. Ploidy and plasticity: How does stem hairiness respond to drought?  DR

Programs

• B & P, Bridges and Pathways, NIH-sponsored program administered by the Department of Biomedical Sciences, provides >1 year of research training and support including summer stipend. https://biomedical.umn.edu/programs/bridges-and-pathways

• BURST Biology Undergraduate Research in Science and Technology (BURST), administered by the De-partment of Biology and provides $4500 summer stipend and $500 in supplies with a ½ match from the faculty advisor. http://www.d.umn.edu/biology/programs/undergraduate/burst.html  

• REU, Research Experiences for Undergraduates, National Science Foundation, supplement to a primary grant

• UROP, Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, U of MN system program that provides $1500 stipend and $500 in supplies. http://www.urop.umn.edu/urop.html

• DR, Directed Research (BIOL 3994), students obtain 1-3 credits for independent research projects