Meet our grad students—in the field, at the bench, and always at the cutting edge of science
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84 students completed their Ph.D., M.Sc. or BS/MS degree between 2005-2012 |
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Did you know that larval salamanders can smell a nearby predator in the water? These creatures often live in murky, muddy freshwater and relying on sight to identify danger is risky business. It’s much more reliable to use olfactory cues, that is, chemical signals released either from a predator’s skin or from its feces. The first can tell the prey animal what species the predator is, and the second can inform the prey animal of what the predator has been eating (and whether it was someone they knew!) Jessie Rack, a PhD student in EEB, studies salamander larval behavior in response to predator chemical cues, with the hope that understanding these interactions can give us insight into what’s going on beneath the surface of our ponds. |
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53 societal research awards won by these EEB grads |
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I am a botanist! My interest in plants was inspired by the the incredible patterns of diversity we see around us. From the evolution of annual plants, which flower once and then die, to semi-parasitic plants (which attach themselves to other plants for food), I have investigated a wide range of patterns in plant biology. My PhD focuses on the charismatic genus Pelargonium, which is related to the well-known garden Germanium. Specifically, I am interested in understanding why different species grow where they do, and how the exchange of genetic information between populations might enable certain species to occupy large geographic ranges. This research will help us to understand the evolution of the genus as a whole, and allow us to better protect Pelargonium species in the face of environmental change. |
15NSF doctoral dissertation improvements |
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13best presentation awards at professional meetings |
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6NSF predoctoral fellowships |
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