Student Research
Student Research
This section provides updates or links to various types of research or events by my students. Scroll down below to see these efforts.
This poster is part of an ongoing research project between SUNY Fredonia and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The research is part of efforts by DEC to understand, and ultimately reduce, the amount of erosion in the Cattaraugus Creek Watershed. This step included modeling potential erosion within the watershed using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). The research was conducted by geoscience student's Elizabeth Wightman and Abigail Nordwall.
This poster presents continued efforts to define the stratigraphy of the McKendry archaeological site in western New York. Geoscience students Joli Springborn and Savannah Steves used a range of methods to study a profile at the site including Particle-size analysis, magnetic susceptibility, radiocarbon assays, scanning electron microscopy, and colorimetry. Results indicate an in-situ pale-colored layer interpreted as loess that dates to around 4400 cal BP and may align with a known paleodrought event called the 4.2 ka event. This poster was presented at the Fredonia OSCAR Showcase 2023 at SUNY Fredonia.
This poster presents second-year results of the Dewittville Creek Monitoring Project taught within the context of GEO 410. This year, the class included three students: Elizabeth Wightman, Abigail Nordwall, and Brett Boyer. This project is monitoring a recent stream restoration project that included construction of several in-stream features. The purpose of this project is to determine the effectiveness of the restoration design and to provide additional stream information for other projects. This poster was presented at the Fredonia OSCAR Showcase 2023 at SUNY Fredonia.
This poster presents continued efforts to define the stratigraphy of the McKendry archaeological site in western New York. Geoscience student Joli Springborn used a range of methods to study a profile at the site including Particle-size analysis, magnetic susceptibility, optically stimulated luminescence, and colorimetry. Results suggest a possible burning layer located near a known prehistoric pit feature and a likely buried A horizon starting around 1.6 m and dating to around 13,000 years ago. This poster was presented at the Fredonia OSCAR Showcase 2022 at SUNY Fredonia.
This poster presents first-year results of the Dewittville Creek Monitoring Project taught within the context of GEO 410. This first year, the class included five students: Katie Smith, Brett Boyer, Sara Auchenbaugh, Abigail Nordwall, and Elizabeth Wightman. This project is monitoring a recent stream restoration project that included construction of several in-stream features. The purpose of this project is to determine the effectiveness of the restoration design and to provide additional stream information for other projects. This poster was presented at the Fredonia OSCAR Showcase 2022 at SUNY Fredonia.
As part of her GIS directed study, Emily Guest constructed a site map for the Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve. Prior to Emily's work, the park did not have a comprehensive map showing the location of trails and fossil collecting locales. She used GPS, ArcGIS, and historic research to produce the map. This poster was presented virtually at the Fredonia OSCAR Showcase 2020 at SUNY Fredonia.
As part of his GIS directed study, Trevor Dwyer worked with Dr. Gordon Baird on creating a digital map of the Mazon Creek fossil bed locality. By reviewing Dr. Baird's original maps and notes, Trevor was able to map the location of individual collecting spots. In the future, this map can be appended with species information that will allow for spatial study of these deposits. This poster was presented virtually at the Fredonia OSCAR Showcase 2020 at SUNY Fredonia.
As part of some independent research that geology major, Tyler Spears, conducted along with Matthew Purtill, this research focused on reconstructing the depositional history at the McKendry Site. This poster was presented virtually at the Fredonia OSCAR Showcase 2020 at SUNY Fredonia.
As part of his GIS directed study, Gilly Tytka conducted research on the potential presence of Relict Polygonal Ground (RPG) features in central New York. These features, which are remnants of past permafrost conditions in New York during the last Wisconsinan Ice Age. Her ArcGIS and Google Earth Pro analysis demonstrated that potential RPG features are numerous across portions of central New York. This presentation will be a jumping off point for future studies regarding RPGs in New York. This poster was presented virtually at the Fredonia OSCAR Showcase 2020 at SUNY Fredonia.
This poster highlights the results of the 2019 Soil Judging competition that both Shane Lindquist and Tyler Spears participated in. This represents SUNY Fredonia's first ever soil judging team. This poster was presented virtually at the Fredonia OSCAR Showcase 2020 at SUNY Fredonia.