Graduate Student Symposium Schedule 2021

Here is the Zoom Link (Meeting ID: 917 3821 1238, Passcode: 674466). You will need to be registered via this link.

Friday, February 5

Welcoming Remarks

10:00-10:15Dean John Gittleman, Jeffrey Beauvais, Nate Tomczyk

Session I (Moderator: Rebecca Atkins)

10:15-10:30Claire TeitelbaumUrbanization and habitat specialization interact to drive infection outcomes for mobile wildlife
10:30-10:45Laura NaslundThe effects of ecosystem modification and network position on contaminant fluxes from a mountaintop mining-impacted river network
10:45-11:00Amy A. BriggsLocal vs. site-level effects of algae on coral microbial communities
11:00-11:15William WhiteDams and fried green tomatoes: Natural history and sense of place in conservation decisions
11:15 – 11:30 Break

Session II (Moderator: Rebecca Atkins)

11:30-11:45Kelsey J. SolomonSmall decreases in total canopy cover can significantly affect algal communities in southern Appalachian headwater streams
11:45-12:00Robert L. RichardsThe macro-ecology of predator-prey-parasite interactions
12:00-12:15Kyle ConnellyGetting pumped: Spatial, temporal, and economic drivers of septic tank maintenance intervals in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia
12:15–2:00LunchGraduate student lunch with Dr. Ethell Vereen

Rapid Fire Session I (Moderator: TJ Odom)

2:00-2:35Daniel C. SuhPatterns in host abundance, species richness, and species evenness reveal amphibian communities highly susceptible to Ranavirus
 Christopher R. SmagaEffects of precocious estrogen on alligator ovarian development
 Carolyn CumminsWhere will carbon go when it enters warmer streams? A test of temperature effects on shredder physiology
 Ashley BallewMonarch butterflies: Diet and infection
 Q&A
2:35 – 3:00 Break
Session III (Moderator: TJ Odom)
3:00-3:15Doreen ChaussadasImpacts of bio-loggers’ weight on their carrier: is 5% of the body mass an acceptable charge to put on a birds’ back?
3:15-3:30Kristen J. ZemaitisEcotoxicology and diet of the American alligator as a function of ontogenetic shift and prey selection
3:30-3:45Anna R. WilloughbyTourist-provided resources impact park wildlife and their parasite communities
3:45 – 4:00 Break

Poster Session
4:00 – 5:30 Virtual Poster Session (Zoom link)
Breakout Room 1:  
Corinna HazelrigBatrachochytriunm dendrobatidis prevalence throughout amphibian species and life stages of varying skin keratin richness

Christopher Brandon – Walking while parasitized: Effects of a nematode parasite on locomotion activity of horned passalus beetles

Breakout Room 2:
Caroline Aikins – Inferring diet of ringtails (Bassariscus astutus) from latrines in human-impacted park habitats

Mikey Fager – Tipping streams: Does increased temperature change the balance of carbon and nutrients in food resources?

Amelia Foley – Plastic in the urban environment: An exploratory study of microplastics in the Athens, GA community

Breakout Room 3:
Will Ellis – How parasites influence ecosystems: Studying the varied effects of a trematode parasite on its environment

Jessica Mitchell – Assessing the response of aquatic detritivore insects to experimental warming

Niki Gajjar – Morphological root traits and phylogenetic signals in Southern Africa trees and grasses

Saturday, February 6

Session IV (Moderator: Carolyn Cummins)

10:00-10:15Laura V. KojimaAssessing the consumption risk of American alligators on the Savannah River Site
10:15-10:30Jeffrey BeauvaisDemographic drivers of coastal water access in South Carolina
10:30-10:45Kate SabeyAntibiotic treatment alters gut microbiota plasticity in a wild mammal
10:45 – 11:00 Break

Rapid Fire Session II (Moderator: Carolyn Cummins)

11:00-11:40Emily M. BertucciIntrinsic and extrinsic factors interact during development to influence telomere dynamics in a long-lived apex predator
 Anna Y. BaynesFish habitat preference with changes in flow pattern in the Conasauga River, GA
 Cece WorkingHost and environment predict nematode development across temperatures
 Corinne M SweeneyRadiocesium transfer between aquatic and terrestrial environments
 Q & A
11:40 – 12:00 Break

Keynote Address

12:00-12:10Dr. Erin LippIntroduction
12:10-1:10Dr. Ethell Vereen Jr.Life in Flowing Water