A - Ecology / Evolution / Biodiversity

Ecology / Evolution / Biodiversity Poster Presentations

Odd numbered posters present Fri. 8:45-10:15am.

Even numbered posters present Fri. 10:15-11:45am.

A-01: A-1: "Seed and Growth Characteristics of Japanese Hops" - Christopher Conway, Carroll College

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Travis Almquist

A-2: "Diversity and Composition of Snow Algae Communities in Wyoming and Washington" - Michal Mojzis, Carroll College

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Ashley Beck

A-3: "Impacts of urbanization on Peromyscus sonoriensis microbiome and health" - June LePage, Carroll College

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Ashley Beck

A-4: "Bees or Bust: A Biodiversity Survey of the College of Idaho" - Chessa-Grace Foreman, Kellin Hess, and Kaiya Pardue, College of Idaho

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Robert Laport

A-5: "A Novel Case Study for the Biotic Resistance Hypothesis in a Host-Parasite System at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge" - Jeff Schell, Eastern Washington University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Krisztian Magori

Collaborator(s): Paul Spruell

A-6: "The impact of directed surveys for endangered species on fire management: A biological soil crust case study from the Columbia Basin" - Elaine Larsen, Eastern Washington University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Jessica Allen

Collaborator(s): Stephen Sharrett, Mickie Chamness, Julianna Paulsen, and Meghan Lake

A-7: "Thermoregulatory Behavior of the Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit" - Tobiah Eddy, Eastern Washington University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Charlotte Milling

Collaborator(s): Miranda Crowell and Jon Gallie

A-8: "Distribution, Abundance, and Carbon Standing Stock of the Eccentric Sand Dollar, Dendraster excentricus, in Southern Puget Sound" - Jacob Church, Evergreen State College

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Erik Thuesen 

A-9: "Effect of Arbutus menziesii Mycorrhizae on Ectomycorrhizal Colonization of Pseudotsuga menziesii Seedling Root Systems, Height, and Root Collar Diameter" - Matthew Reamy, George Fox University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Aaron Sullivan

A-10: "Productivity of phytoplankton over time" - Piper Deaser, Gonzaga University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Betsy Bancroft 

A-11: "The Effects of Urbanization on Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolite Levels in Deer Mice (P. sonoriensis)" - Eva Guzman, Gonzaga University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Elizabeth Addis

Collaborator(s): Brooke Robertson, Sydney Suggs, Dr. Laurie Dizney, and Dr. Ashley Beck

A-12: "Competitive Interactions of Native Species Under Hydroperiod and Predatory Stressors" - Zoe Dodsley, Gonzaga University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Betsy Bancroft

Collaborator(s): Sidney Ashby, Katie Ellis, Makoa De Almeida, Mia Mastrangelo, Holly A. Fijolek, Clare McGowan, Carson Sellers, Owen VanDerPuy, Josh David, Dr. Annika Rose-Person and Dr. Tiffany S. Garcia

A-13: "Histological Characterization of Larch Mountain Salamander (Plethodon larselli) Head Glands" - Jaxon Hopkins, Gonzaga University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Nancy Staub

A-14: "Ecological Interactions Between Native and Non-Native Lady Beetle Species" – Jackson Gamby and Mairin Thorne, Lewis & Clark College

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Heidi Liere

A-15: "How are galls made? Investigating the role of the microbiome?" – Siera Case and Caroline Smith, Linfield University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Chad Tillberg

A-16: "Quantifying Fungal Abundances in Vineyard Soils" - Marianna Stewart, Linfield University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Jeremy Weisz

A-17: "Live trapping or cameras: Surveying herpetofauna diversity on the Orchard Combat Training Complex" - Adam Stallings, Northwest Nazarene University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. John Cossel

A-18: "Building an Automated Recognizer to Detect Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor)" - Samuel Allen, Northwest Nazarene University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. David Hille

A-19: "Diel Call Patterns of Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) in Southwestern Idaho​" - Abigail George, Northwest Nazarene University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. David Hille

A-20: "Ciliate communities of Fernhill Wetlands: cox1 metabarcoding of eleven subsites" - Dave George, Pacific University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Jon Schnorr

A-21: "Fishy Business in Seattle: Salmon mislabeling fraud in sushi restaurants vs grocery stores" - Jewel Garcia, Seattle Pacific University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Tracie Delgado 

A-22: "Succession and forest maturation decreases population density of black-tailed deer on Blakely Island, WA" - Isabella Burnside, Seattle Pacific University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Eric Long

A-23: "Seagrass Monitoring in the Puget Sound" – Helen Merkel and Clairelynn Wright, Seattle University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Kristin Hultgren

A-24: "Utilizing acoustic software to analyze biodiversity of birds at Western Washington stormwater ponds" - Liam Carney, St. Martin's University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Megan Friesen

Collaborator(s): Max Lambert, Jessica Sandoval, and Simone Des Roches

A-25: "Diversity and abundance of flying insects in relation to invasive knotweed and native cottonwood along the Chilliwack River" - Megumi Metcalfe, Trinity Western University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. David Clements

A-26: "How are kestrels effective biocontrols for agriculture farms regarding crop loss?" - Rea Klar, Trinity Western University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Karen Steensma

A-27: "Influence of food quality and terrain roughness on ant foraging strategies" - Sam Schwartz, University of Portland

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Glenna Clifton

A-28: "The Impact of Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) on the Behavior of House Crickets (Acheta domesticus)" - Grace Novack, University of Puget Sound

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Katherine Crocker

A-29: "Examining Island Effects in Western Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis)" - Alex Gully, University of Puget Sound

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Stacey Weiss

A-30: "Are Clams Picky Eaters: Growth and Filtration Rates of Purple Varnish Clams Consuming Toxic and Nontoxic Diatoms." – Zach Blood and Wren Dawson, Walla Walla University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. CJ Brothers

Collaborator(s): Garrett Ellis, Jessica Leal, Dr. Ryan Kenton, Dr. Christine Weilhoefer, and Dr. Rosa León Zayas

A-31: "American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) change nesting phenology amid a population decline: climate change or competition from European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) what results from 2015-2024 nest box study at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge indicate" - Gianna Paulucci, Warner Pacific University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Brad Tripp

A-32: "Should I speak up? Impacts of Noise Pollution on Bird Song Structure" - Riley Crawford, Western Washington University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Chris Templeton

A-33: "Venom-Delivery Systems in Asian and African Rear-Fanged Snakes Using DiceCT Imaging" - Kylie Miles, Whitman College

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Kate Jackson

A-34: "Vertebrate diversity in the La Amistad International Park buffer zone, Guadalupe, Chiriqui, Panamá" - Mina Olson, Whitman College

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Melva Olmos 

A-35: "Developing Automatic Posture Tools to Aid Sunflower Star Restoration" - Noelle Mattingley, Whitman College

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Ben Vernasco

A-36: "Ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis) association to northern pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides) and vegetation at nest platforms in Walla Walla County, Washington" - Sonia Burns, Whitman College

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Mark Vekasy

A-37: "Understanding and Conserving Avian Aerial Insectivores using Passive Acoustic Monitoring and AI" - Maille Moynahan, Whitman College

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Ben Vernasco

A-38: "Herbivory and Aggression in Keystone Herbivorous Fishes from Bocas Del Toro, Panama" - Katie Parker, Whitman College

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Rachel Wilson

A-39: "Affects of environmental factors and biocontrol on success of diffuse knapweed (Centaurea diffusa)" - Erica Heid, Whitworth University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Olivia Cope

A-40: "Genetic Diversity and Height of Sagebrush Plants Appear to Have a Greater Effect on Arthropod Richness Than Age" - Uuriintuya  Bayasgalan, Whitworth University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Olivia Cope

A-41: "Beneath the Desert: Mycorrhizal Fungi Detection in Joshua Tree Roots" - Carson Meyer, Willamette University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Chris Smith and Dr. Rob Bills

A-42: "Joshua trees and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi" - Sarah Jones, Willamette University 

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Chris Smith and Dr Rob Bills

A-43: "Effect of beaver dam age and activity on amphibian abundance and diversity" - Hanakah Griffin, WSU-Vancouver

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Jonah Piovia-Scott

A-44: "Spatial and Temporal Habitat Utilization of Juvenile Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris) in Prince William Sound: The Influence of Age, Sex, and Prey Availability" - JaLisa Berrieum, Alaska Pacific University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Nathan Wolf

A-45: "New Species of Poison Frog: Phylogenetic Analysis of Oophaga vicentei" - Luke May, Northwest Nazarene University

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. John Cossel Jr.

A-46: "Phenotyping anthocyanin by Biochemical and Image Analysis" - Iker Sánchez, Whitman College

Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Arielle Cooley