Meet Our Students

Here are some of the outstanding students in each of our graduate programs to provide a window into the variety of exciting opportunities for research and education in the College of Chemical and Life Sciences.

Laura Belicka
PhD Candidate, Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences

Researching carbon cycling based on unique inputs in the Arctic Ocean...

Courtney Busch
PhD Candidate, Molecular and Cell Biology Program

Studying DNA mismatch repair in Archea, unicellular organisms isolated from the Dead Sea...

Marvourneen Dolor
PhD Candidate, Chemistry & Biochemistry

Determining the chemical processes that control the build up of the heavy metal rhenium in marine sediments...

Evan Grant
PhD Candidate, Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences

Studying the spatial networks of stream salamanders and how it can impact the persistence of populations...

Akito Kawahara
PhD Candidate, Entomology

Identifying the evolutionary relationships of butterflies and moths and classifying new species...

Mandy Kendrick
PhD Candidate, Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics

Examining the molecular components and role of the EIP1 protein in the ethylene signaling process in plants...

Michaela Meyer
PhD Candidate, Biology

Investigating the sensory biology of the sturgeon fish and how hearing has evolved in vertebrate animals...

Maximo Rivarola
PhD Candidate, Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics

Deciphering the molecular function of specific genes on a plant's response to stimuli like light or toxins...

Paula Rodgers
PhD Candidate, Biology

Researching reproduction in crabs in terms of behavioral patterns, ecological variation and phylogeny...

Katie Schneider
PhD Candidate, Behavior Ecology Evolution Systematics

Figuring out how cave communities function, what triggers subterranean organisms to adapt, and what the cave characteristics mean for future conservation efforts...