• Melanie Kimball (SMCM '19) is currently a PhD student at Louisiana State University. While a student at SMCM, she was a Biology major and double minor in art and environmental studies. Her St. Mary's Project examined glucose mobilization in response to acute stressors in a breeding population as well as an over wintering population of Dark-eyed Juncos. She spent two summers conducting research at Tioga Pass Meadow, in Mono County California. Kimball has received the Cove Point Scholarship and the Flores Award.

Selected conference presentations:

• Kimball, M.G., A. Chrisler, A.W. Grant, and J.L. Malisch. 2019. Acute stress and glucose mobilization in Mountain Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis). Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. Annual Meeting. Tampa, Florida.
• Grant, A.W., J.L. Malisch, M.G. Kimball, and J. Ouyang. 2019. Glucocorticoid physiology, territory size and number of chicks fledged: Untangling the relationship between corticosterone and reproductive success. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. Annual Meeting. Tampa, Florida.
• Chrisler, A., Grant, M.G. Kimball, D. Capasso, E.E. Johnson, and J.L. Malisch. 2019. Predictors of glucocorticoid and glucose mobilization in response to an acute handling challenge in Mountain White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha). Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. Annual Meeting. Tampa, Florida.
• Grifo-Hahn, L.L, Kimball, M., Rudy, M., Johnson, E.E., Bennett, D.J., Breuner, C.W., and J.L. Malisch. 2018. Facultative Altitudinal Migration and Glucocorticoid Physiology in White-crowned Sparrow. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. Annual Meeting. San Francisco, California.
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Brad Davidson (SMCM '17) is currently a PhD student at Vanderbilt studying biomedical science. While a student at SMCM, he researched the predictors of the hyperglycemic response to acute stress in both White-crowned Sparrows and White-throated Sparrows. His research was funded by the Cove Point Scholarship. He presented his SMP work at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research as well as at the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. His SMP research was also published in the 2018.

Selected publications and conference presentations:

• Malisch,J.L., D.J. Bennett, B.A. Davidson, Wenker, E., Suzich, R., and E.E. Johnson. 2018. Stress hyperglycemia in White-throated and White-crowned sparrows: A new technique for rapid glucose measurement in the field. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 91:943-949.
• Davidson, B.A., Wenker, E., and J.L. Malisch. 2018. Fat Score Predicts Acute Stress-induced Hyperglycemia in White-throated Sparrows. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. Annual Meeting. San Francisco, California.
• Wenker, E., B.A. Davidson, D.J. Bennett, E.E. Johnson, E. Decavel-Bueff, and J.L. Malisch. 2017. Glucocorticoid physiology and trap-philia in White-crowned Sparrows. National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Annual Meeting. Memphis, Tennessee.
• Davidson, BA., E. Wenker, D.J. Bennett, E.E. Johnson, E. Decavel-Bueff, and J.L. Malisch. 2017. Biological relevance of glucocorticoid state in characterizing stress hyperglycemia. National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Annual Meeting. Memphis, Tennessee.
• Bennett, D.J., E.E. Johnson, E. Wenker, E. Decavel-Bueff, B. Davidson, and J.L. Malisch. 2017. Acute stress and hyperglycemia in White-crowned Sparrows. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. Annual Meeting. New Orleans, Louisiana.

Elizabeth Wenker (SMCM '17) is currently a research technician in Dr. Powers' animal nutrition lab at the Smithsonian Zoological Park. While at SMCM she conducted research on White-crowned Sparrows at focusing on stress physiology and behavior. She was particularly interested in birds that are behaviorally bold and if hormonal responses to stressors.

Selected publications and conference presentations:

• Malisch,J.L., D.J. Bennett, B.A. Davidson, Wenker, E., Suzich, R., and E.E. Johnson. 2018. Stress hyperglycemia in White-throated and White-crowned sparrows: A new technique for rapid glucose measurement in the field. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 91:943-949.
• Wenker, E., B.A. Davidson, D.J. Bennett, E.E. Johnson, E. Decavel-Bueff, and J.L. Malisch. 2017. Glucocorticoid physiology and trap-philia in White-crowned Sparrows. National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Annual Meeting. Memphis, Tennessee.
• Davidson, B.A., Wenker, E., and J.L. Malisch. 2018. Fat Score Predicts Acute Stress-induced Hyperglycemia in White-throated Sparrows. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. Annual Meeting. San Francisco, California.
• Davidson, BA., E. Wenker, D.J. Bennett, E.E. Johnson, E. Decavel-Bueff, and J.L. Malisch. 2017. Biological relevance of glucocorticoid state in characterizing stress hyperglycemia. National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Annual Meeting. Memphis, Tennessee.
• Bennett, D.J., E.E. Johnson, E. Wenker, E. Decavel-Bueff, B. Davidson, and J.L. Malisch. 2017. Acute stress and hyperglycemia in White-crowned Sparrows. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. Annual Meeting. New Orleans, Louisiana.

Elizabeth Johnson (SMCM '18) is currently pursuing PhD in chemistry at the University of Pittsburg. As a student at SMCM she conducted research in Dr. Mertz' lab and in collaboration with the Malisch lab. She developed an enzyme-immune-assay for corticosteroid-binding globulin, a protein involved in the vertebrate stress response. She received a competitive Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship and a grant from the Association for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology to support her work at SMCM.

Conference presentation:

• Johnson, E.B., I.K. Antunes, J.L. Malisch, and P. Mertz. 2018. Developing an ELISA for Avian Corticosterone Binding Globulin. American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Annual Meeting. San Diego, California.

Luca Grifo-Hahn (SMCM '18) is currently working as a scientific intern for Assisted Management Solutions in Leonardtown, Maryland. Additionally, he is working on the Jamie Raskin for Congress Campaign. At SMCM, he conducted research in Dr. Malisch's lab studying White-crowned Sparrows with a particular focus on weather conditions, stress physiology, behavior, and how this applies to conservation for his Saint Mary's Project. In the Malisch Lab, he was granted the opportunity to present this research at the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. For his senior project he received the departmental award of "Excellence in the Oral Presentation of a St. Mary's Project.

• Grifo-Hahn, L.L, Kimball, M., Rudy, M., Johnson, E.E., Bennett, D.J., Breuner, C.W., and J.L. Malisch. 2018. Facultative Altitudinal Migration and Glucocorticoid Physiology in White-crowned Sparrow. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. Annual Meeting. San Francisco, California.